The Gap Is Real.
For too long, Atlanta has been described as a tale of two cities. The maps on this page show that description is not a metaphor. It is a measurable reality, with measurable human and economic costs. Mayor Dickens has put forward a plan to address it.
Seven Miles. Twenty Years.
Just seven miles separate Atlantans who live an average of 20 years longer than their neighbors. Zip code 30305, home of the APS North Atlanta cluster, has a life expectancy of 87 years. Zip code 30318, home of the APS Douglass cluster, has a life expectancy of 67 years. The Atlanta average is 68 years.
Source: City of Atlanta
The Numbers Behind the Divide
The City of Atlanta's own data shows what decades of uneven investment have produced. The divide runs along an intentional geographic line that separates north Atlanta from south and west Atlanta, and it shows up in nearly every measure of health, economic opportunity, and quality of life.
Each map below shows a single indicator. Together, they tell a stark story.
Human Cost
Children Living in Poverty
High School Completion
Residents Who Are Uninsured
Broadband Access
Rent Burdened Households
Residents with Diabetes
Economic Divide
Small Business Revenue
Industries with Office Jobs
Average Daily Commute Times
Families Receiving SNAP Benefits
People in Poverty Near Fresh Food
Source: City of Atlanta
What Happens If TADs Are Not Extended?
If extended with full participation from the City, APS, and Fulton County, the TADs could fund a significant package of investments across Atlanta's neighborhoods, including expanded transit, affordable housing, trails and greenspace, health centers, grocery access, small business support, and public infrastructure.
Without full participation in extending the TADs, the scale, speed, and financial burden of those investments are at risk.
| TADs Extended | TADs Expire | |
|---|---|---|
| Investment pace | ✓Investment continues at pace, projects move forward on schedule | ✗Investment slows, projects delayed or scaled back |
| Tax base | ✓Tax base grows in underinvested areas, strengthening city revenue | ✗Tax base stays uneven, increasing dependence on higher-performing areas |
| City credit rating | ✓City credit rating supported by stable, diversified growth | ✗Credit rating under pressure, borrowing costs rise for infrastructure |
| Neighborhood conditions | ✓Disinvestment reversed before conditions worsen | ✗Costs shift, carried more broadly by all Atlanta taxpayers |
| Affordable housing | ✓Affordable housing tools remain active in vulnerable neighborhoods | ✗Market forces accelerate displacement without counterbalance |
Source: City of Atlanta, Neighborhood Reinvestment Initiative
Stand With Your Neighbors
Stand with your neighbors across Atlanta for equitable investment. All Atlantans deserve to live in whole, healthy, connected communities.
Contact Your Elected Officials