The Tri-Cities were once hidden gems for Atlantans in search of close-knit communities and reasonably priced housing. Recently, residents have wondered how much longer they’ll be able to call these places home.
Housing costs in East Point, College Park, and Hapeville—aka the Tri-Cities—have been slowly creeping up for decades.
According to data journalist Maggie Lee, in 1999, median rent in most of the Tri-Cities took up a quarter or less of renters’ incomes. Today, median rent can cost as much as 42 percent in some areas.
Buying a home is much more difficult than it was a few decades ago, too: In 1999, home ownership could be attained with two or three years’ worth of salary. Today, a median home in some parts of Tri-Cities can cost as much as six times that area’s median household income.
Click each map below to explore how housing costs in the Tri-Cities have changed.
These maps were produced by data journalist Maggie Lee in partnership with Canopy Atlanta for the Tri-Cities Community Issue. Stay tuned for the accompanying story, written by journalist Logan Ritchie and Tri-Cities fellow LeJoi Lane.