This article contains two interactive maps to help you determine what the median home values are in your part of Cobb County.

Recently the 2022 5-year American Community Survey (ACS) was released by the U.S. Census Bureau. The American Community Survey is conducted on an ongoing basis each year, and groups the results into 1-year and 5-year blocks. While the better-known decennial census attempts to count everyone in the U.S., it only asks a few questions, while the ACS gathers enormous amounts of data from a smaller population pool, and makes estimates from the results. See a full description of the ACS below the interactive maps.

This article, after an explanation of where the numbers come from, will present you with two interactive Cobb County map of median home values by census tract from the census bureau’s from the 2022 ACS.

To see the census table the maps below are drawn from follow this link then scroll down to “Median (dollars).”

Median value is the most accurate way of presenting average home values in an area. What it means is that half the houses in the area fall above that number, and the other half are higher. It avoids the problem of individual high value homes skewing the results for the area. Using a straight average if you have one million dollar house in a census tract and nine $100,000 houses the average would come to $190,000, which obviously doesn’t give an accurate picture of home values in the area as it nearly doubles the value the typical house should go for.

There are two limitations to be aware of before diving in to 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 2022.

But that said, the survey is useful since it focuses on a smaller unit than zip codes, and is very good for comparing relative prices within the county.

There will be no great surprises with the home values in these maps. Values have been steadily climbing in the county, making even homes in the less expensive areas of the county out of reach of many people for owning a home here. The census tract with the highest median value is Vinings, and the lowest values are found in Fair Oaks, the area between the East West Connector and Hurt Road, and parts of Marietta, Mableton and Austell.

Find out the median home value in your census tract with the two maps below

There are two maps below with identical information. The reason for this is the map that provides sharper color coding for a better big-picture overview of where home values are higher or lower is so opaque that it obscures the street names when you zoom in.

So we’ve provided a second map with more transparent colors that make it easier to find your street on the map. This isn’t the ideal solution (a better one would be to remove the color-coding on zoom-in), but it works until we find a better solution.

Map with more contrast for a general idea of home values across Cobb

Map with less contrast so finding street names in easier

What is the American Community Survey?

The American Community Survey (ACS) is a vital ongoing demographic survey conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It serves as a comprehensive source of information about the American population and its characteristics. Unlike the decennial census, which occurs once every ten years, the ACS is conducted continuously throughout the year, providing more up-to-date and detailed data.

The ACS collects information on various topics, including age, gender, race, ethnicity, education, housing, income, employment, and more. It aims to provide a detailed and accurate snapshot of the nation’s social, economic, and housing conditions. The survey’s primary purpose is to assist government agencies, policymakers, researchers, businesses, and communities in making informed decisions and allocating resources effectively.

Each year, the ACS samples around 3.5 million households across the United States and Puerto Rico. It gathers data through a combination of mailed questionnaires, telephone interviews, and in-person visits, depending on the response method chosen by the sampled household. The survey employs a rolling sample design, ensuring that data from various geographic areas are collected continuously, resulting in a diverse and representative dataset.

The ACS data is crucial for various purposes, such as determining the distribution of federal funds for programs like Medicaid, housing assistance, and transportation infrastructure. Additionally, it assists businesses in market research and helps local governments plan for infrastructure development and public services.

The Cobb County Courier considers the ACS the most important data source in the Census Bureau except during redistricting, which uses the decennial census.