Relocating to a new city can be overwhelming, but we’re here to help make the process as smooth as possible. Here’s everything you need to know about relocating to Metro Atlanta.
Welcome to Metro Atlanta, GA, a bustling and diverse city full of southern charm and world-class amenities. Moving here is a fantastic choice for anyone looking to start a new chapter in their life.
Metro Atlanta is a hub for entertainment, culture, and commerce, with a rich history that spans centuries. Whether you’re looking for a thriving nightlife scene, world-class cuisine, or access to top-rated schools and medical facilities, Atlanta has something to offer everyone.
One of the many reasons that Metro Atlanta is such a great place to live is its diversity. The city is a mix of many different cultures. It has a thriving arts scene, many different kinds of neighborhoods, and many festivals and events that honor the rich traditions of its people.
Atlanta’s economy is also doing well, with a strong job market and many different industries that help it grow. With a low cost of living and an affordable real estate market, Atlanta is an ideal place for families, young professionals, and retirees alike.
Overall, whether you’re moving for work, family, or just a change of scenery, Metro Atlanta is a fantastic place to call home. With its unique blend of southern charm, modern amenities, and diverse culture, this city truly has it all.
If you’re new to Atlanta or are thinking about moving to our vibrant city, you may have heard locals refer living ITP versus OTP. If you haven’t, you surely will, it’s kind of a thing here.
“ITP” stands for “Inside The Perimeter,” while “OTP” stands for “Outside The Perimeter.” The perimeter being Interstate 285 which encircles the city and is the delimiter between living in the city, versus outside of it. Living ITP vs. OTP can offer a vastly different experience, so let’s cover some of the pros and cons of each.
Many people enjoy the ITP life and its many benefits. Living inside the perimeter can be a fantastic experience. For instance, living in the heart of the city means you’re never far from all of its cultural events, festivals, nightlife, and all the abundant employment opportunities Atlanta has to offer. ITP neighborhoods tend to have shorter commute times for work and play.
One of the first things most people will notice when they visit Atlanta is how green it is in terms of just how many trees there are. It’s like Atlanta was built in the middle of a forest and the city’s done a great job of preserving its trees. There are also a ton of parks and green spaces around inside the perimeter like Piedmont Park (home of the Atlanta Botanical Gardens), Chastain Park, the new West End Park, and many more.
While the MARTA system makes public transportation more accessible inside the perimeter with an extensive bus network and an “okay” rail network, it has its challenges. The train doesn’t go to as many places as people would like. For folks relocating from big cities like New York, Chicago, or other places that have extensive rail networks, Atlanta pales in comparison. Thus, most people who live in Atlanta own their own cars and that’s part of why traffic can be so heavy here. Traffic, even outside of rush hour, can be problematic.
Living ITP is also generally more expensive than living OTP. Housing and living expenses inside the city tend to be higher, for homeowners and renters alike. Parking can be a problem in denser areas.
Life Outside The Perimeter has many benefits of its own. For starters, you tend to get more house for your money in the suburbs. While there are areas OTP that are very expensive (Alpharetta / Johns Creek / Milton / East Cobb for instance), they also got to be that way because of the quality of life they offer, from having some of the top schools in the metro area, to having good access to highways that move people quickly in and out of the city. There are more parks, more green spaces, even lakes to enjoy while living OTP. If you’re looking for a quieter lifestyle, better schools, or need more space, life OTP might suit you better.
Living OTP also has some downsides. While the suburbs and surrounding counties offer more space and tranquility, it takes longer to get into the big city when you do want to enjoy its activities, festivals, culture, etc. Public transportation options into the counties that are not Fulton are more limited. For example, MARTA doesn’t go to Cobb County. Cobb does have its own public transportation with CobbLinc and Xpress Bus, but it’s quite limited comparatively speaking.
So are you more of an OTP or an ITP person?
So now that you know the difference between OTP and ITP, if you were to live OTP, where would you live? The most popular counties outside the perimeter are Cobb, Gwinnett, and Cherokee (one of the fastest-growing) counties.
Cobb County is located roughly 15 miles northwest of Atlanta and has a population of roughly 760,000 people and boasts some of the lowest property taxes in metro Atlanta. Cobb is a county known for relatively low crime, high-quality sought-after schools, and relatively affordable real estate (though prices are rising). With its combination of urban and suburban living, the county has something for everybody and it’s a great place to call home.
The county seat in Cobb County is Marietta. In addition, Cobb has 5 other cities in Acworth, Austell, Kennesaw, Powder Springs, and Smyrna, and unincorporated areas like East Cobb, Lost Mountain in West Cobb, Mableton, and Vinings, all of which are attempting to become their own cities.
Cobb is home to the highest educated residents in the state. Over 48.4% of the population has a bachelor’s degree and 15% have a graduate or professional degree. There are two universities: Kennesaw State University and Life University. KSU as its called is the third-largest university in Georgia with an enrollment topping 43,000 students. There’s also Chattahoochee Technical College in Cobb as well.
There are two school districts in Cobb County: The Cobb County School District and the Marietta City Schools district. Both offer a variety of award-winning schools. The Marietta City Schools district was Georgia’s first recognized charter school system.
If you live in Cobb, it’s recommended that you own your own car. Public transportation is offered via CobbLinc and XPress Georgia, which help, but these services don’t go everywhere and the county isn’t the most walkable or cyclable.
The job market in Cobb County is thriving with many employment opportunities. Cobb is home to numerous major Fortune 500 companies headquarters including Home Depot, RaceTrac Petroleum, Aaron’s Inc, Genuine Parts / Napa, HD Supply, Gas South, and Glock North American. Some of the largest employers in the area include Lockheed Martin, Wellstar Health System, GE Energy, Comcast, the Atlanta Braves, Yamaha, Vonage Business Solutions, Quintiles, Novelis Global, and lots more. You can live and work in Cobb without ever needing to commute to Atlanta.
There are many distinct districts to shop and dine in and around Cobb, including Cumberland Mall, Town Center at Cobb, the Galleria Specialty Shops, The Battery Atlanta, Vinings Jubilee, The Avenues of East Cobb, The Avenues of West Cobb, the Marietta Square, West Village in Vinings and the Smyrna Market Village. All offer impressive retail options. These are all in addition to the local boutiques and shops in each city.
There are many parks and green spaces in Cobb County. One of the biggest parks is the Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, part of the National Park Service. In addition, Cobb County has a total of 160 local parks, 2 federal (of which the Battlefield is one of them), and 250 miles of trails. 61 miles of those trails can be found on the Silver Comet Trail, a popular trail for cyclists, walkers and runners alike. Another great spot is the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area with its own network of trails and water activities. If you ever hear of someone asking you to “shoot the hootch”, that’s tubing down the Chattahoochee River. If you’re looking for theme parks, Cobb is also home to Six Flags over Georgia and Six Flags White Water.
Sports and recreational activities play an important role in Cobb. Major League Baseball and Major League Soccer both have a presence in Cobb County. The Atlanta Braves call Cobb home and play out of Truist Stadium near the Cumberland area. Atlanta United FC has its practice facility in Marietta. The county has an impressive array of sports facilities including the Al Bishop Softball Complex. There are over 1,350 acres of green space and over 1.4 trillion gallons of water (on Lake Allatoona, Lake Acworth, and the Chattahoochee River for instance) for recreational use for runners, walkers, hikers, cyclists, kayakers, paddle-boarders, and many more.
Culture is a big part of Cobb. The county is home to the Atlanta Ballet, Atlanta Opera, Marietta-Cobb Museum of Art, The Earl Smith Strand Theater, Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center, and the Southern Museum of Civil War & Locomotive History among others.
In conclusion, Cobb County is a great place to live because it has a lot of jobs, fun things to do, and schools that are highly rated. if you’re looking for a great place to call home in the Atlanta area, Cobb County is definitely worth considering.
Gwinnett County is located roughly 30 miles northeast of Atlanta and has a population of over 983,000 people. Gwinnett has been one of the driving forces of metro Atlanta’s growth over the years as the I-85 corridor has grown by leaps and bounds.
The county seat in Gwinnett County is Lawrenceville. In addition, Gwinnett has 15 other municipalities including in Auburn, Berkeley Lake, Braselton, Buford, Dacula, Duluth, Grayson, Lilburn, Loganville, Norcross, Peachtree Corners, Rest Haven, Snellville, Sugar Hill and Suwanee. It only has one incorporated area known as Centerville.
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Cherokee County is located roughly 35 miles northwest of Atlanta and has a population of roughly 280,000 people and is one of the fastest-growing counties in the metro Atlanta area, second behind only Forsyth county. Between 2010-2021, its population grew by 28%, whereas Gwinnett grew by 19.7% and Cobb by 11.4% by comparison. Interesting fact, Cherokee also has one of the lowest populations per square mile in the metro Atlanta region, with only 652 people per square mile. It’s one of the aspects of living in Cherokee that locals appreciate the most and that’s changing as the county continues to grow.
The county seat in Cherokee County is
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