Georgia

[next_migration]

 

Six million of Georgia’s less than 11 million people live in the northwestern Atlanta metropolitan area. Augusta, on the eastern border, has a metro area population of 600,000. The third-largest metro area is Savannah in the southeast, 400,000 people, along the Atlantic Coast in the high-risk zone. That tells you which areas may be most unsustainable.

If conservative government is your main reason for choosing a Southern state, note that Georgia’s demographics are now such that, if everyone gets to vote, the state is now purple. The state government is trying to ensure that not everyone does get to vote, but as of this writing there’s a significant backlash to their efforts resulting in high turnout by newly empowered African-American voters, who are mostly Democrats. It’s difficult to imagine this state staying out of the Confederacy if the Union splits up, between its cultural ties and its geographic location. However, if that were really important to you, this might not be a safe bet.

Unfortunately, the vast majority of small cities that have good-looking economic numbers are located within the Atlanta metropolitan area. That area encompasses several whole counties, so some portions are more urban than others, but still, you shouldn’t want to add to that level of sprawl. Inland cities with more modest metro areas tend to have above-average unemployment rates, so migrants might not be easily employed. Rural areas, including large parts of the southern and eastern portions of the state, are generally quite poor and, unless you want to buy a farm, have few economic opportunities for outsiders. For these reasons I’d suggest that out-of-state migrants should not consider Georgia as a destination. Here are a few examples of smaller urban areas that might be of interest to current residents thinking of leaving Atlanta:

 

 

o  Augusta has close to 200,000 people in the city proper, which is majority-minority. Major economic sectors include the military (Fort Austin), health care, biotech, cybersecurity, manufacturing, distribution, food processing, and data processing. Augusta University, a public university, is among the largest employers; there is also a technical college. The Augusta National Golf Club hosts The Masters golf tournament on its gorgeous course, but you’ll never get to play there. The Hyde Park neighborhood is toxic and to be avoided. Cost of living is cheap, and Augusta is a good foodie town. Unusually for the region, Augusta has a substantial, affordable bus system.

o  Columbus in the west is about the same size. Its metro area is smaller (about 330,000, or close to half a million if cities and towns on the Alabama side of the border are included), but because of its location, Kurtz et al. (2020) estimate that it would require quite a large foodshed. By far the biggest employer is Fort Benning; other major employers are in banking and insurance, health care, government, education, and manufacturing. There are some small or branch colleges, a variety of museums and public facilities, nine historic districts, and a bus system.

o  Warner Robins is a city of about 80,000 in west-central Georgia that is part of the Macon broader metro area. Macon is badly deteriorated, with few good jobs and high crime; it is not recommended. Warner Robins has better average incomes, making housing more affordable to residents. The biggest employer is Robins Air Force Base, and government agencies and defense companies employ many more. Some neighborhoods are rather seedy. A new private company provides limited, expensive fixed-route bus service and a shockingly expensive dial-a-ride; the county has a public intercity dial-a-ride that’s more reasonable.

o  Athens, to the east of Atlanta, has almost 130,000 people and hosts the “public Ivy” University of Georgia; there’s also a technical college. It’s viewed as as a friendly college town with plenty of cultural and entertainment options, including a lively alternative music scene and botanical garden. Taking advantage of the well-educated population, local industries include technology, biotech, pharmaceuticals, publishing, and music recording. There’s a seven-day bus service and bicycling is encouraged. You might well see this city as a more reasonably priced and sized alternative to Atlanta.

o  Gainesville (40,000 people) is at the northeast extreme of the broader Atlanta metro area. It’s a couple of counties away from the city proper, so housing is not cheap but not exorbitant. Gainesville bills itself as the world’s poultry capital due to the large number of chicken processing plants (an ill-paid and exploitative industry even in non-pandemic times). There is also a medical center and four small colleges or universities, including a technical college. Beautiful scenery, world-class fishing at Lake Lanier, shopping, and hospitality attract tourism. A large minority of the population is Hispanic, many working for agribusiness. Recently got a dial-a-ride van service, has an Amtrak stop.