Suburban Renters Flocked to Atlanta During the Pandemic

Unlike the big cities that saw an exodus of residents seeking lower housing costs during the pandemic, the city of Atlanta experienced a major spike in in-movers, according to a mobility report by StorageCafé. Writing in Urbanize Atlanta, Josh Green reports that 2020 sales "smashed records for Georgia MLS, with more recent trends showing the metro Atlanta market still on fire."

The most common out-of-state renters moved from New York City, Chicago, and Charlotte. "Now a study suggests that renting activity in the City of Atlanta spiked over 2019 levels once the lockdown months subsided—and that the majority of new renters in the city [64 percent] actually came from the suburbs." Atlanta proves an attractive market for millennials, who made up 57 percent of new renters. 

A recent Today show report named Atlanta one of its "top 10 cities to live in after the pandemic." Stefani Berkin, president of R New York and author of the report, "hails the Peach State capital as a prime launchpad for startups, a haven for corporate headquarters," and praises the city's Beltline as "a national beacon for equitable, inclusive, and sustainable city life."