Atlanta, Georgia Population, Hospitals, Airports, and Schools

by btobers · Published June 10, 2019 · Updated October 21, 2024

The current estimated population of Atlanta, Georgia, is 507,000, with a demographic composition of approximately 48% male and 52% female. Over the past decade, Atlanta has experienced rapid population growth, fueled by its status as a major economic, cultural, and transportation hub in the southeastern United States. This trend is expected to continue as the city attracts more residents due to its vibrant job market and diverse culture.

City Facts

Year Founded: 1837
County Affiliation: Fulton County (partially in DeKalb County)
Land Area: 136 square miles
Population Density: 3,727 people per square mile
Area Codes: 404, 470, 678, 770
Zip Codes: Multiple, including 30301, 30303, 30305, 30309

Geography and Location

Atlanta, Georgia, is situated in the north-central part of the state and serves as its capital and largest city. It lies at the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, providing a unique blend of rolling hills and flat terrain. The city’s central location in the southeastern United States has made it a major transportation hub, most notably home to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, one of the busiest airports in the world.

The city is crisscrossed by several major interstates, including I-75, I-85, and I-20, making it a regional nexus for commerce and travel. Atlanta’s geography is also defined by its network of creeks and rivers, including the Chattahoochee River, which runs to the west of the city. These waterways are integral to the region’s ecosystem and provide recreational opportunities for residents.

Atlanta’s urban core is known for its tree canopy, earning it the nickname “the city in a forest.” The surrounding areas consist of suburban communities that have grown rapidly in recent decades, contributing to the metropolitan area’s overall expansion. The city experiences a humid subtropical climate, with hot, humid summers and mild winters. Atlanta’s climate and location have historically made it a magnet for industries such as transportation, media, and technology, as well as a center for education, arts, and culture.

Demographics

Median resident age: 31.9 years
Median household income: $34,770
Median house value: $130,600

Population by Race

Races in Atlanta:

Black (61.4%)
White Non-Hispanic (31.3%)
Hispanic (4.5%)
Other race (2.0%)
Two or more races (1.2%)
Asian Indian (0.6%)
American Indian (0.5%)

Ancestries: English (5.9%), German (4.5%), Irish (4.5%), United States (3.0%), Subsaharan African (1.8%), Scottish (1.6%).

Elevation: 1050 feet

Land area: 131.7 square miles

Map of Atlanta, GA

Population by Education

For population 25 years and over in Atlanta

High school or higher: 76.9%
Bachelor’s degree or higher: 34.6%
Graduate or professional degree: 13.8%
Unemployed: 14.0%
Mean travel time to work: 28.3 minutes

For population 15 years and over in Atlanta city

Never married: 45.5%
Now married: 31.4%
Separated: 4.1%
Widowed: 7.7%
Divorced: 11.3%

6.6% Foreign born (3.3% Latin America, 1.4% Asia, 0.9% Europe, 0.7% Africa).

Population change in the 1990s: +22,299 (+5.7%).

Hospitals

Hospitals/medical centers in Atlanta:

ATLANTA MEDICAL CENTER (303 PARKWAY DR NE)
CRAWFORD LONG HOSPITAL (550 PEACHTREE ST NE)
EGLESTON CHILDREN’S HOSP AT EMORY, INC (1405 CLIFTON RD NE)
EMORY DUNWOODY MEDICAL CENTER (4575 N SHALLOWFORD RD)
EMORY UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL (1364 CLIFTON RD NE)
GRADY MEMORIAL HOSPITAL (80 JESSE HILL, JR DRIVE SE)
KINDRED HOSPITAL – ATLANTA (705 JUNIPER STREET NE)
NORTHSIDE HOSPITAL (1000 JOHNSON FERRY RD NE)
PEACHFORD BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SYSTEM (2151 PEACHFORD RD NE)
PIEDMONT HOSPITAL (1968 PEACHTREE RD NW)
SCOTTISH RITE CHILDRENS MED CTR INC (1001 JOHNSON FERRY RD)
SELECT SPECIALTY HOSPITAL-ATLANTA (550 PEACHTREE STREET NE)
SHEPHERD SPINAL CENTER (2020 PEACHTREE RD NW)
SOUTHWEST HOSPITAL AND MEDICAL CENTER (501 FAIRBURN ROAD SW)
ST JOSEPHS HOSPITAL OF ATLANTA (5665 PEACHTREE DUNWOODY RD)
WESLEY WOODS GERIATRIC HOSPITAL (1821 CLIFTON RD NE)

Airports

Airports certified for carrier operations nearest to Atlanta:

THE WILLIAM B HARTSFIELD ATLANTA INTL (about 9 miles; ATLANTA, GA; Abbreviation: ATL)
DOBBINS AIR RESERVE BASE (about 12 miles; MARIETTA, GA; Abbreviation: MGE)
RICHARD B RUSSELL (about 66 miles; ROME, GA; Abbreviation: RMG)

Other public-use airports nearest to Atlanta:

FULTON COUNTY AIRPORT-BROWN FIELD (about 8 miles; ATLANTA, GA; Abbreviation: FTY)
DEKALB-PEACHTREE (about 11 miles; ATLANTA, GA; Abbreviation: PDK)
COBB COUNTY-MC COLLUM FIELD (about 21 miles; ATLANTA, GA; Abbreviation: RYY)

Amtrak station:
ATLANTA (1688 PEACHTREE ST. NW). Services: ticket office, partially wheelchair accessible, enclosed waiting area, public restrooms, public payphones, vending machines, paid short-term parking, paid long-term parking, taxi stand, public transit connection.

Colleges and Universities

Colleges/Universities in Atlanta:

GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY (Full-time enrollment: 17,302; Location: 33 GILMER ST SE; Public; Website: www.gsu.edu; Offers Doctor’s degree)
GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY-MAIN CAMPUS (Full-time enrollment: 13,841; Location: 225 NORTH AVE; Public; Website: www.gatech.edu; Offers Doctor’s degree)
EMORY UNIVERSITY (Full-time enrollment: 10,839; Location: 1380 S OXFORD RD; Private, not-for-profit; Website: www.emory.edu; Offers Doctor’s degree)
CLARK ATLANTA UNIVERSITY (Full-time enrollment: 4,652; Location: 223 JAMES P BRAWLEY; Private, not-for-profit; Website: WWW.CAU.EDU; Offers Doctor’s degree)
MOREHOUSE COLLEGE (Full-time enrollment: 2,867; Location: 830 WESTVIEW DR SW; Private, not-for-profit; Website: www.morehouse.edu)
MORRIS BROWN COLLEGE (Full-time enrollment: 2,708; Location: 643 Martin Luther King, Jr. NW; Private, not-for-profit; Website: www.morrisbrown.edu)
ATLANTA TECHNICAL COLLEGE (Full-time enrollment: 2,207; Location: 1560 METROPOLITAN PKY SW; Public; Website: www.atlantatech.org/)
SPELMAN COLLEGE (Full-time enrollment: 1,847; Location: 350 SPELMAN LN SW; Private, not-for-profit; Website: www.spelman.edu)
ATLANTA METROPOLITAN COLLEGE (Full-time enrollment: 1,140; Location: 1630 METROPOLITAN PKY SW; Public; Website: www.atlm.peachnet.edu)
OGLETHORPE UNIVERSITY (Full-time enrollment: 1,075; Location: 4484 PEACHTREE RD NE; Private, not-for-profit; Website: www.oglethorpe.edu; Offers Master’s degree)
THE ART INSTITUTE OF ATLANTA (Full-time enrollment: 934; Location: 6600 PEACHTREE DUNWOODY RD; 100 EMBASSY ROW; Private, for-profit; Website: www.aia.artinstitute.edu)
ADVANCED CAREER TRAINING-ATLANTA CAMPUS (Full-time enrollment: 655; Location: ONE CORPORATE SQ STE 110; Private, for-profit; Website: www.actglobal.com)
AMERICAN INTERCONTINENTAL UNIVERSITY (Full-time enrollment: 652; Location: 3330 PEACHTREE RD., NE; Private, for-profit; Website: www.aiuniv.edu)
BAUDER COLLEGE (Full-time enrollment: 594; Location: 3500 PEACHTREE RD NE; Private, for-profit; Website: www.bauder.edu)
GEORGIA MEDICAL INSTITUTE-ATLANTA MAIN CAMPUS (Full-time enrollment: 536; Location: 41 MARIETTA ST STE 200; Private, for-profit; Website: [email protected])
BEULAH HEIGHTS BIBLE COLLEGE (Full-time enrollment: 380; Location: 892-906 BERNE ST SE; Private, not-for-profit; Website: www.beulah.org)
ATLANTA COLLEGE OF ART (Full-time enrollment: 363; Location: 1280 PEACHTREE ST N E; Private, not-for-profit)
INTERDENOMINATIONAL THEOLOGICAL CENTER (Full-time enrollment: 352; Location: 700 MARTIN LUTHER KING JR DR; Private, not-for-profit; Website: www.itc.edu; Offers Doctor’s degree)
GEORGIA SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL PSYCHOLOGY (Full-time enrollment: 315; Location: 990 HAMMOND DR STE 1100; Private, for-profit; Offers Doctor’s degree)
ATLANTA SCHOOL OF MASSAGE (Full-time enrollment: 304; Location: 2300 PEACHFORD RD STE 3200; Private, for-profit; Website: www.atlantaschoolofmassage.com)

Biggest public high schools in Atlanta:

DOUGLASS HIGH SCHOOL (Students: 1,887; Location: 225 HAMILTON E. HOLMES DRIVE,; Grades: 09 – 12)
MAYS HIGH SCHOOL (Students: 1,748; Location: 3450 MAYS DRIVE, SW; Grades: 09 – 12)
NORTH SPRINGS HIGH SCHOOL (Students: 1,669; Location: 7447 ROSWELL ROAD; Grades: 09 – 12)
WASHINGTON HIGH SCHOOL (Students: 1,639; Location: 45 WHITE HOUSE DRIVE, SW; Grades: 09 – 12)
NORTH ATLANTA HIGH SCHOOL (Students: 1,426; Location: 2875 NORTHSIDE DRIVE, NW; Grades: 09 – 12)
LAKESIDE HIGH SCHOOL (Students: 1,407; Location: 3801 BRIARCLIFF ROAD, NE; Grades: 09 – 12)
SOUTH ATLANTA HIGH SCHOOL (Students: 1,287; Location: 800 HUTCHENS ROAD, SE; Grades: 09 – 12)
WESTLAKE HIGH SCHOOL (Students: 1,248; Location: 2370 UNION ROAD, SW; Grades: 09 – 12)
MCNAIR HIGH SCHOOL (Students: 1,240; Location: 1804 BOULDERCREST ROAD, SE; Grades: 09 – 12)
RIVERWOOD HIGH SCHOOL (Students: 1,239; Location: 5900 HEARDS DRIVE, NW; Grades: 09 – 12)

Biggest private high schools in Atlanta:

LOVETT SCHOOL (Students: 1,480; Location: 4075 PACES FERRY RD NW; Grades: PK – 12)
HOLY INNOCENTS EPISCOPAL SCH (Students: 1,260; Location: 805 MOUNT VERNON HWY NW; Grades: PK – 12)
ST PIUS X CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL (Students: 1,063; Location: 2674 JOHNSON ROAD NE; Grades: 9 – 12)
MARIST SCHOOL (Students: 1,028; Location: 3790 ASHFORD DUNWOODY RD; Grades: 7 – 12)
PAIDEIA SCHOOL (Students: 855; Location: 1509 PONCE DE LEON NE; Grades: PK – 12)
PACE ACADEMY (Students: 824; Location: 966 W PACES FERRY RD NW; Grades: KG – 12)
ATLANTA INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL (Students: 800; Location: 2890 NORTH FULTON DRIVE; Grades: PK – 12)
THE GALLOWAY SCHOOL (Students: 655; Location: 215 WEST WIEUCA ROAD NW; Grades: KG – 12)
KATHERINE JACOB GREENFIELD HEB (Students: 576; Location: 5200 NORTHLAND DRIVE; Grades: PK – 12)
THE HOWARD SCHOOL CENTRAL CAMP (Students: 480; Location: 1246 PONCE DE LEON; Grades: KG – 12)

Biggest public primary/middle schools in Atlanta:

PEACHTREE MIDDLE SCHOOL (Students: 1,086; Location: 4664 NORTH PEACHTREE ROAD; Grades: 06 – 08)
HARPER-ARCHER MIDDLE SCHOOL (Students: 1,006; Location: 3399 COLLIER DRIVE, NW; Grades: 06 – 08)
PRICE MIDDLE SCHOOL (Students: 932; Location: 1670 CAPITOL AVENUE, SE; Grades: 06 – 08)
YOUNG MIDDLE SCHOOL (Students: 923; Location: 3115 MAYS DRIVE, SW; Grades: 06 – 08)
BENJAMIN S. CARSON PREPARATORY SCHOOL (Students: 835; Location: 1890 DONALD L. HOLLOWELL, NW; Grades: 06 – 08)
BUNCHE MIDDLE SCHOOL (Students: 816; Location: 1925 NISKEY LAKE ROAD, SW; Grades: 06 – 08)
SANDY SPRINGS MIDDLE SCHOOL (Students: 775; Location: 8750 COLONEL DRIVE; Grades: 06 – 08)
WOODLAND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL (Students: 755; Location: 1130 SPALDING DRIVE, NE; Grades: PK – 05)
CHARLES R. DREW CHARTER SCHOOL (Students: 755; Location: 187 WESLEY AVENUE; Grades: KG – 08)
RANDOLPH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL (Students: 753; Location: 5320 CAMPBELLTON ROAD, SW; Grades: PK – 05)

Biggest private primary/middle schools in Atlanta:

THE EPSTEIN SCHOOL (Students: 612; Location: 335 COLEWOOD WAY; Grades: PK – 8)
MT VERNON PRESBYTERIAN SCHOOL (Students: 561; Location: 471 MT VERNON HWY NE; Grades: PK – 8)
ST MARTINS EPISCOPAL SCHOOL (Students: 557; Location: 3110 A ASHFORD DUNWOODY RD; Grades: PK – 8)
IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY SCHOO (Students: 496; Location: 2855 BRIARCLIFF RD NE; Grades: KG – 8)
ST JUDE THE APOSTLE SCHOOL (Students: 494; Location: 7171 GLENRIDGE DRIVE NE; Grades: KG – 8)
OUR LADY OF THE ASSUMPTION SCH (Students: 491; Location: 1320 HEARST DR NE; Grades: PK – 8)
CHRIST THE KING ELEM SCHOOL (Students: 476; Location: 46 PEACHTREE WAY NE; Grades: KG – 8)
TRINITY SCHOOL INC. (Students: 476; Location: 3254 NORTSIDE PKWY NW; Grades: PK – 6)
DAVIS ACADEMY (Students: 385; Location: 8105 ROBERTS DRIVE; Grades: KG – 8)
THE CHILDRENS SCHOOL (Students: 371; Location: 345 10TH ST NE; Grades: PK – 6)

Libraries

Library in Atlanta:

ATLANTA FULTON PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEM (Operating income: $35,273,537; Location: ONE MARGARET MITCHELL SQUARE; 2,495,677 books; 68,173 audio materials; 67,660 video materials; 3,300 serial subscriptions)