Moving to Atlanta? Here's why 7,000 people did last year alone. Atlanta just broke a record that no one in the city's nearly 200-year history has matched. The Atlanta Regional Commission released its latest population estimates in August 2026, and the numbers tell a clear story. The city added roughly 7,000 new residents over the past year, pushing the total to 549,615. That is the highest population Atlanta has ever recorded, surpassing the previous peak of around 497,000 set in the 1970s. What makes the milestone stand out is the pace behind it. Atlanta's population has grown more than 10 percent since the start of the pandemic, adding over 51,000 residents in just a handful of years. This is not a one-time bump caused by a single employer or a passing trend. It is a sustained pattern of relocation fueled by economics, opportunity, and a quality of life that continues to punch above its weight. A job market that keeps pulling people in. Employment sits at the center of the story. Georgia has been ranked the number one state for business by Site Selection magazine for close to a decade straight, and major companies are continuing to act on that reputation with serious long-term commitments. In 2026 alone, Yamaha Motor Co. moved its U.S. headquarters from California to Kennesaw. Glytec, a fast-growing health technology company, relocated its global headquarters from Boston to Cobb County with plans to add 500 new jobs. Duracell chose Atlanta for its new R&D headquarters, opening this summer in the Science Square Labs building near Georgia Tech. On the Eastside BeltLine, accounting and HR software firm Sage committed to adding 200 positions at its new U.S. headquarters. At the same time, Rivian established a regional office for 500 employees just a mile down the trail. North of the city, pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim is bringing approximately 500 workers to a new U.S. animal health headquarters in Johns Creek. These are not temporary outposts. Each move carries families, housing demand, and long-term economic activity into the metro. The cost of living still tips in Atlanta's favor. For people relocating from coastal cities, the financial picture is hard to ignore. Atlanta's median household income sits near $85,000. While housing costs have climbed in recent years, they remain significantly more accessible than what someone would pay for comparable space in Los Angeles, New York, Boston, or the Bay Area. Georgia's state income tax, capped at 5.49 percent, and relatively moderate property tax rates only strengthen the case. Young professionals get a city with professional sports, a respected dining and music scene, and a deep cultural footprint - all without the financial pressure that coastal living demands. Families find more square footage, well-regarded school districts across many Atlanta suburbs, and commutes that often compare favorably to what they left behind. The versatility is a big part of the draw. Atlanta works financially for a wide range of people at different income levels and different stages of life, which is precisely why it keeps appearing near the top of national relocation rankings. Where new residents are actually settling. The 7,000 newcomers are not all landing in the same ZIP code. The ARC report highlights a multifamily housing boom in Midtown and along the BeltLine corridor as a key driver behind the population surge. Neighborhoods like Old Fourth Ward, Grant Park, Reynoldstown, and West End have added hundreds of apartment units in the past two years, drawing residents who value walkable streets, trail access, and proximity to dining and MARTA transit. Outside the city limits, suburban communities are absorbing most family-driven growth. Alpharetta and the GA-400 corridor have emerged as a corporate hub, home to a growing concentration of technology and financial services firms. Chamblee, once a quiet stop on the MARTA Gold Line, now ranks among the metro's fastest-developing neighborhoods. Farther out, Holly Springs, Braselton, and Suwanee continue drawing buyers with newer construction, larger lots, and competitive pricing. Each part of the metro has a distinct personality. Choosing the right fit is often the most consequential decision a newcomer makes. What to know before you plan the move. Atlanta's neighborhood diversity also means relocating here can be more logistically complex than most people expect. Midtown high-rises commonly enforce narrow move-in windows and require loading dock reservations booked weeks in advance. BeltLine-adjacent streets in areas like Grant Park and Old Fourth Ward tend to be tight, bordered by active construction, and restricted to permit-only parking. Suburban moves to places like Milton or Suwanee carry different timing pressures, particularly during peak summer months when school schedules push dozens of families toward the same moving dates. This is where local expertise makes a real difference. Falcon Moving ATL, one of the most trusted Atlanta movers, has built a strong track record of handling these exact challenges. Their team manages everything from high-rise logistics in Midtown to parking coordination in historic districts and full-service long-distance relocations from out of state. For newcomers still learning the layout of the city, having a crew that operates at the street level - one that knows which buildings have dock access, which streets close for construction, and which neighborhoods require advance permits - means fewer surprises and a much smoother start. If your timeline falls between May and September, booking early is not optional. That window carries the heaviest relocation traffic of the year in Atlanta, and experienced teams fill up fast. A city that shows no signs of slowing down. The 7,000 people who chose Atlanta last year did not follow a fad. They followed the jobs, the economics, and the lifestyle. With corporate investment accelerating, new neighborhoods taking shape across the BeltLine and inner suburbs, and infrastructure spending at levels the city has not seen in a generation, the forces behind this population record are only gaining momentum. Atlanta just posted the highest resident count in its history. Everything in the data suggests next year's number will be even bigger.

Georgia Power named a Top Utility in Economic Development for 28th consecutive year. For nearly three decades, Georgia Power has been recognized as a top utility supporting economic growth in Georgia. For the 28th consecutive year, Site Selection magazine has named Georgia Power a Top Utility in Economic Development - recognizing the company's continued work to support business investment, strengthen communities and help create opportunities across Georgia. The recognition follows another strong year for economic development in the state. In 2025, Georgia Power Economic Development helped 90 companies locate or expand in Georgia, representing more than 18,000 jobs and nearly $9 billion in capital investment. Foreign direct investment accounted for 31% of new locations, while the team's active project pipeline grew to more than 230 prospects. Behind those results is an economic development strategy that continues to evolve alongside the companies and communities Georgia Power serves - from new programs and resources to innovative tools addressing site readiness, workforce, and the unprecedented energy needs of today's largest projects. New Investment Across Georgia Georgia's 2025 economic development wins reflected the diversity of the state's economy, with investments spanning headquarters, advanced manufacturing, life sciences, technology, food processing, and more. In Atlanta, Duracell announced plans to relocate its global R&D headquarters to Science Square, creating 110 new jobs in addition to retaining positions from its previous home. Mercedes-Benz also announced it would establish Atlanta as its North American headquarters, adding up to 500 jobs and planning a future state-of-the-art R&D facility in the city, while Rivian announced its east coast headquarters in Atlanta's Krog District. Outside the Perimeter, TriNet selected Dunwoody for a new corporate center expected to create more than 750 jobs, and PBS Aerospace chose Roswell for its North American headquarters, manufacturing and R&D operations. The growth continued for areas outside of Atlanta as well. JS Link America selected Columbus for a $223 million rare earth magnet manufacturing facility expected to create 524 jobs, Virginia Transformer announced a $40 million expansion in Rincon that will add 400 jobs, Pilgrim's Pride announced a $400 million food processing facility in Walker County creating 600 jobs, and medical device manufacturer Integer created 200 jobs by expanding its bioscience operations in Dade County. Just outside Savannah, 2025 marked a milestone for the largest economic development project in Georgia history: the ribbon cutting for Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America. Together with its large and growing supplier network, the project's total projected impact now exceeds 15,000 jobs and continues to generate new investment across the region. Most recently, the company announcement the intention to expand production from 500,000 units to at least 700,000 by 2028. Taken together, these projects demonstrate one of Georgia's greatest economic development strengths: growth is happening across industries, regions and communities. Building New Tools for a Changing Economic Development Landscape The projects competing for sites today are also changing. Rapid growth in data centers, advanced manufacturing and other energy-intensive industries has made power availability and infrastructure planning increasingly important in site selection. In response, Georgia Power's economic development team worked more closely than ever with internal power, pricing, and planning teams while developing new tools and processes designed to respond to increasingly complex project requirements. New large-load dashboards help provide pricing teams, planners and company leadership with information needed to make faster decisions, while new intake processes streamline the way Georgia Power evaluates prospective large-load customers. The team also provided Integrated Resource Plan briefings to economic development partners, commercial real estate professionals and site selection consultants to help stakeholders better understand how Georgia Power is planning for the state's long-term energy needs. That work is part of a broader effort to prepare Georgia for continued growth. In 2025, Georgia Power worked with the Georgia Public Service Commission to secure at least 6,000 megawatts of new generation and finalize a 10-year transmission plan that includes improvements across more than 1,000 miles of transmission lines. Helping Communities Grow In 2025, Georgia Power's Regional Economic Development team continued to support new and existing business expansions across Georgia while responding to a 53% increase in requests for community preparedness assistance. The team was a catalyst to more than 7,000 jobs and over $3 billion in capital investment. One of the year's most significant new initiatives was the expansion of Retail Ready, a customized program designed to help Georgia communities strengthen their approach to retail recruitment. After beginning with a pilot community in 2024, Retail Ready expanded to six communities in 2025. The program helps local leaders better understand market dynamics, improve data and marketing materials, and connect with prospective developers. By the end of the year, participating communities reported $2.1 million in new investment, 60 jobs and a projected $15.1 million in local retail sales. Georgia Power also continued investing in the people doing economic development work every day in their own communities. Project Manager 101, retail education sessions, the statewide Entrepreneurship Summit and Georgia Academy for Economic Development programs helped equip local leaders with the knowledge and resources needed to prepare their communities for future opportunities. Innovating Behind the Scenes Some of the year's most important advancements happened behind the scenes. Georgia Power advanced its proprietary Site Assessment Matrix, or SAM, to Version 3, which includes new technology to streamline geographic analysis. These reports were generated throughout the year to help community leaders identify and evaluate potential development sites. The Georgia Experience Center, the team's nationally recognized multimedia facility for hosting companies, consultants and community partners, continued to evolve as well. More than 3,300 people visited the center in 2025, and renovations introduced new meeting technology, Georgia-made art installations highlighting the state's talent and innovation story, and a virtual tour that extends the experience beyond the building itself. 28 Years and Building Having been named a top utility each year since the award began, each additional year being honored is its own milestone. But more importantly than the streak itself, it reflects a commitment that has remained consistent for decades - even as the work itself has changed. Today's version of economic development requires much more than simply responding to a project when an RFP arrives. It means preparing sites years in advance, understanding workforce pipelines, and supporting entrepreneurs and local retailers. It means building relationships with communities and giving decisionmakers the information they need to plan generation and transmission infrastructure for tomorrow's energy demands. It also means continually finding or making better tools to help companies make confident decisions about investing in Georgia. After 28 consecutive years of recognition as a Top Utility in Economic Development, the goals remain the same: create opportunities for Georgia communities, help companies grow and thrive, and make sure its state is ready for what comes next. * Ashley Varnum Statewide Economic Development Director Georgia Power Aug 5, 2026