[This in one of our series “Cobb by the Numbers” which uses data from the census and various other sources to paint a picture of our large and changing county]
The Courier has used census data from the American Community Survey (see the bottom of this article for a detailed description of the ACS) and a programming language designed for processing data called R, to put together an interactive map that gives an overview of the family income levels in various parts of Cobb County.
We use median family income to determine the wealth of each census tract within Cobb County.
“Median” values indicate that half the families are above that number, and half below.
Median values give a better picture of the characteristics of a community than simple averages, which are easy to skew if you have one or two extremely wealthy families in a tract, making it seem as though the neighborhood is wealthier than it really is.
We also use census tracts rather than the better-known zip codes for two reasons: zip codes are too large to give an accurate picture of an area’s characteristics, and they often overlap county lines.
You can zoom in and out on the map, click on individual census tracts, and even find your street on the map.
[Editor’s note: I’m searching for a color palette that makes the street labels easier to read. At the moment the colors make reading the labels a bit of a challenge. When I come up with a solution to that problem I’ll go back and edit all the previous maps.]
Here’s the map:
Some things are not surprising. The part of Vinings adjacent to Buckhead, and the tract in East Cobb near Roswell are the tracts with the highest incomes, hovering on both sides of $250,000. This is mostly consistent with a map of median home values we published earlier.
By far the lowest median family income is the Franklin Gateway area between Cobb Parkway and I-75, with a median family income of $29,583.
Most other parts of the county have a pretty wide range, and the larger incorporated cities (Mableton, Marietta, Smyrna) have both high and low income census tracts.
So enjoy exploring the map!
Sorted Tables
Here are two tables, one sorted in descending order by the family incomes, the second by census tract number. These tables should make it easier to find and compare nearby census tracts. The NA are tracts with not enough residential to gather statistics (i.e. industrial areas, Dobbins AFB).
Census Tract sorted by Median Family Income | Median Family Income |
313.18 | NA |
312.21 | NA |
306.04 | NA |
303.55 | NA |
302.75 | NA |
312.12 | 250001 |
303.7 | 241019 |
303.66 | 212375 |
303.51 | 210723 |
303.67 | 202019 |
302.64 | 198090 |
303.37 | 197965 |
303.69 | 184856 |
303.4 | 179265 |
303.42 | 177563 |
303.26 | 177552 |
303.35 | 177551 |
303.31 | 177386 |
305.1 | 177074 |
303.65 | 176630 |
312.09 | 174500 |
303.43 | 173917 |
302.36 | 173689 |
303.6 | 171652 |
302.65 | 168333 |
303.57 | 164750 |
313.15 | 164722 |
302.56 | 164412 |
303.52 | 163005 |
306.02 | 161884 |
302.67 | 158451 |
303.59 | 156968 |
312.13 | 156172 |
303.54 | 154135 |
305.09 | 153403 |
303.68 | 152819 |
309.07 | 150528 |
312.15 | 149704 |
305.07 | 148265 |
302.52 | 146520 |
313.16 | 146375 |
302.5 | 145192 |
303.41 | 144821 |
311.22 | 144146 |
304.09 | 143289 |
315.17 | 142479 |
302.61 | 142169 |
302.44 | 140784 |
303.22 | 140198 |
302.62 | 137566 |
302.76 | 137478 |
311.12 | 136750 |
303.53 | 135833 |
303.29 | 135667 |
302.77 | 135417 |
312.07 | 135194 |
302.68 | 135093 |
303.34 | 134583 |
302.73 | 133250 |
311.11 | 130363 |
302.53 | 130074 |
301.07 | 128750 |
302.51 | 128292 |
302.71 | 127847 |
312.2 | 126143 |
311.18 | 126029 |
302.69 | 125682 |
313.14 | 123125 |
303.27 | 122222 |
303.32 | 121875 |
303.5 | 121071 |
302.41 | 120598 |
313.25 | 120541 |
304.08 | 119514 |
303.24 | 118563 |
302.35 | 118375 |
303.19 | 118008 |
303.62 | 117679 |
303.58 | 117145 |
311.2 | 115885 |
303.63 | 115863 |
311.17 | 115638 |
302.33 | 115233 |
312.18 | 113807 |
303.48 | 113278 |
302.45 | 112833 |
303.56 | 111172 |
302.4 | 110288 |
302.57 | 108152 |
303.45 | 108125 |
305.11 | 107622 |
302.66 | 106875 |
303.47 | 106293 |
314.1 | 105527 |
309.06 | 103809 |
306.03 | 103646 |
302.42 | 102891 |
315.14 | 101619 |
303.64 | 101167 |
302.63 | 100872 |
313.23 | 100729 |
315.15 | 100625 |
302.55 | 100350 |
301.08 | 99911 |
303.61 | 99773 |
305.08 | 99643 |
314.14 | 99589 |
312.17 | 99542 |
302.2 | 97396 |
301.11 | 97344 |
302.58 | 97136 |
304.1 | 95556 |
302.48 | 95385 |
312.14 | 94203 |
311.15 | 93750 |
309.09 | 93289 |
315.11 | 91971 |
302.7 | 91862 |
310.05 | 91083 |
302.49 | 89890 |
303.46 | 89167 |
302.74 | 88828 |
309.12 | 88603 |
313.06 | 87461 |
315.13 | 86929 |
304.07 | 86875 |
302.72 | 86719 |
312.16 | 85313 |
302.59 | 85294 |
305.06 | 85083 |
315.16 | 84091 |
301.1 | 83839 |
313.24 | 82917 |
312.19 | 82917 |
302.6 | 82470 |
302.78 | 81970 |
315.06 | 81545 |
302.43 | 81381 |
311.1 | 81369 |
314.16 | 79327 |
315.07 | 79313 |
301.09 | 79013 |
315.12 | 78047 |
301.04 | 78036 |
301.13 | 76563 |
302.47 | 75429 |
314.15 | 73750 |
311.14 | 73750 |
311.21 | 72910 |
315.1 | 72460 |
311.13 | 71250 |
314.17 | 71004 |
308 | 70750 |
315.18 | 70714 |
309.08 | 70586 |
313.22 | 69756 |
301.12 | 68125 |
314.12 | 67852 |
303.49 | 66432 |
302.54 | 65938 |
314.09 | 65511 |
314.11 | 65375 |
309.1 | 64519 |
313.17 | 63471 |
311.16 | 62875 |
313.08 | 62500 |
311.01 | 61910 |
307 | 61360 |
304.13 | 61161 |
304.12 | 60625 |
302.46 | 59865 |
311.19 | 59545 |
310.06 | 57879 |
305.05 | 53504 |
309.11 | 52775 |
303.44 | 50696 |
310.01 | 50365 |
313.2 | 50066 |
304.05 | 49167 |
310.07 | 48643 |
314.13 | 46964 |
313.21 | 45819 |
310.04 | 44694 |
304.11 | 44421 |
313.19 | 44390 |
304.14 | 29583 |
Sorted by Census Tract Number | Median Family Income |
301.04 | 78036 |
301.07 | 128750 |
301.08 | 99911 |
301.09 | 79013 |
301.1 | 83839 |
301.11 | 97344 |
301.12 | 68125 |
301.13 | 76563 |
302.2 | 97396 |
302.33 | 115233 |
302.35 | 118375 |
302.36 | 173689 |
302.4 | 110288 |
302.41 | 120598 |
302.42 | 102891 |
302.43 | 81381 |
302.44 | 140784 |
302.45 | 112833 |
302.46 | 59865 |
302.47 | 75429 |
302.48 | 95385 |
302.49 | 89890 |
302.5 | 145192 |
302.51 | 128292 |
302.52 | 146520 |
302.53 | 130074 |
302.54 | 65938 |
302.55 | 100350 |
302.56 | 164412 |
302.57 | 108152 |
302.58 | 97136 |
302.59 | 85294 |
302.6 | 82470 |
302.61 | 142169 |
302.62 | 137566 |
302.63 | 100872 |
302.64 | 198090 |
302.65 | 168333 |
302.66 | 106875 |
302.67 | 158451 |
302.68 | 135093 |
302.69 | 125682 |
302.7 | 91862 |
302.71 | 127847 |
302.72 | 86719 |
302.73 | 133250 |
302.74 | 88828 |
302.75 | NA |
302.76 | 137478 |
302.77 | 135417 |
302.78 | 81970 |
303.19 | 118008 |
303.22 | 140198 |
303.24 | 118563 |
303.26 | 177552 |
303.27 | 122222 |
303.29 | 135667 |
303.31 | 177386 |
303.32 | 121875 |
303.34 | 134583 |
303.35 | 177551 |
303.37 | 197965 |
303.4 | 179265 |
303.41 | 144821 |
303.42 | 177563 |
303.43 | 173917 |
303.44 | 50696 |
303.45 | 108125 |
303.46 | 89167 |
303.47 | 106293 |
303.48 | 113278 |
303.49 | 66432 |
303.5 | 121071 |
303.51 | 210723 |
303.52 | 163005 |
303.53 | 135833 |
303.54 | 154135 |
303.55 | NA |
303.56 | 111172 |
303.57 | 164750 |
303.58 | 117145 |
303.59 | 156968 |
303.6 | 171652 |
303.61 | 99773 |
303.62 | 117679 |
303.63 | 115863 |
303.64 | 101167 |
303.65 | 176630 |
303.66 | 212375 |
303.67 | 202019 |
303.68 | 152819 |
303.69 | 184856 |
303.7 | 241019 |
304.05 | 49167 |
304.07 | 86875 |
304.08 | 119514 |
304.09 | 143289 |
304.1 | 95556 |
304.11 | 44421 |
304.12 | 60625 |
304.13 | 61161 |
304.14 | 29583 |
305.05 | 53504 |
305.06 | 85083 |
305.07 | 148265 |
305.08 | 99643 |
305.09 | 153403 |
305.1 | 177074 |
305.11 | 107622 |
306.02 | 161884 |
306.03 | 103646 |
306.04 | NA |
307 | 61360 |
308 | 70750 |
309.06 | 103809 |
309.07 | 150528 |
309.08 | 70586 |
309.09 | 93289 |
309.1 | 64519 |
309.11 | 52775 |
309.12 | 88603 |
310.01 | 50365 |
310.04 | 44694 |
310.05 | 91083 |
310.06 | 57879 |
310.07 | 48643 |
311.01 | 61910 |
311.1 | 81369 |
311.11 | 130363 |
311.12 | 136750 |
311.13 | 71250 |
311.14 | 73750 |
311.15 | 93750 |
311.16 | 62875 |
311.17 | 115638 |
311.18 | 126029 |
311.19 | 59545 |
311.2 | 115885 |
311.21 | 72910 |
311.22 | 144146 |
312.07 | 135194 |
312.09 | 174500 |
312.12 | 250001 |
312.13 | 156172 |
312.14 | 94203 |
312.15 | 149704 |
312.16 | 85313 |
312.17 | 99542 |
312.18 | 113807 |
312.19 | 82917 |
312.2 | 126143 |
312.21 | NA |
313.06 | 87461 |
313.08 | 62500 |
313.14 | 123125 |
313.15 | 164722 |
313.16 | 146375 |
313.17 | 63471 |
313.18 | NA |
313.19 | 44390 |
313.2 | 50066 |
313.21 | 45819 |
313.22 | 69756 |
313.23 | 100729 |
313.24 | 82917 |
313.25 | 120541 |
314.09 | 65511 |
314.1 | 105527 |
314.11 | 65375 |
314.12 | 67852 |
314.13 | 46964 |
314.14 | 99589 |
314.15 | 73750 |
314.16 | 79327 |
314.17 | 71004 |
315.06 | 81545 |
315.07 | 79313 |
315.1 | 72460 |
315.11 | 91971 |
315.12 | 78047 |
315.13 | 86929 |
315.14 | 101619 |
315.15 | 100625 |
315.16 | 84091 |
315.17 | 142479 |
315.18 | 70714 |
What is the American Community Survey?
The American Community Survey is both more frequent and more comprehensive than the decennial census (the better known census that’s conducted every 10 years). Here’s a description of the ACS from the U.S. Census website. The ACS is:
- Conducted every month, every year
- Sent to a sample of addresses (about 3.5 million) in the 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico
- Asks about topics not on the 2020 Census, such as education, employment, internet access, and transportation
- Provides current information to communities every year. It also provides local and national leaders with the information they need for programs, economic development, emergency management, and understanding local issues and conditions.
The decennial census, on the other hand, is:
- Conducted every ten years
- Counts every person living in the 50 states, District of Columbia, and the five U.S. territories
- Asks a shorter set of questions, such as age, sex, race, Hispanic origin, and owner/renter status
- Provides an official count of the population, which determines congressional representation. Also provides critical data that lawmakers and many others use to provide daily services, products, and support for communities.
There are two limitations to be aware of before diving into the numbers. One is that the ACS is a survey, meaning that the subjects in the survey report their best estimate of the value of their home.
The second is that there is always a time lag with ACS numbers. These figures are for a five-year period ending in 2021.
But that said, the survey is useful since it focuses on a smaller unit than zip codes, and is very good for comparing numbers within the county, whether cost, or non-currency things like population density and housing units.
Be the first to comment on "What are the richest and poorest parts of Cobb County? Here’s an interactive map to show you"