ATLANTA — Housing affordability has emerged as the top concern for the Atlanta region, according to the 2025 Metro Atlanta Speaks survey released today by the Atlanta Regional Commission.
The survey revealed that 28% of respondents identified housing affordability as the biggest problem facing metro Atlanta, surpassing traffic concerns at 24% and crime and the economy at 13% each.
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“On this year’s survey, the concerns over housing affordability came through loud and clear,” Atlanta Regional Commission Chair Andre Dickens, who also serves as Mayor of the City of Atlanta, said in a statement.
This is the first year that housing affordability was included as a choice in the survey question about the region’s biggest problem. Previously, the economy was the top concern, followed by crime.
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The survey, conducted by Kennesaw State University’s A.L. Burruss Institute of Public Service and Research, included responses from 4,121 adult residents across 11 counties in the metro Atlanta region.
More than six in 10 respondents (62%) said they could not afford to move to another house or apartment in their current neighborhood, highlighting the ongoing challenges of housing affordability.
In a new question this year, 44% of respondents attributed the region’s housing affordability issues to developers building units that are too expensive, while 35% blamed investors buying homes to rent out.
The survey also explored views on artificial intelligence, with 61% of respondents believing AI technology will increase productivity, though 73% expressed concern that AI will decrease the number of available jobs.
Economic concerns are growing, with 53% of respondents stating it’s a bad time to find a well-paying job, up from 41% last year.
The survey found continued support for public transit, with 39% of respondents favoring its expansion as the best long-term solution to traffic problems, compared to 34% who preferred improving roads and highways.
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