The economy is the Atlanta region’s top concern, according to the 2024 Metro Atlanta Speaks public opinion survey, released today by the Atlanta Regional Commission. When asked about the biggest problem facing metro Atlanta, 32% of the respondents said the economy, followed by crime at 20%, and human services at 12%,

The results represent a change from the 2023 survey, which showed crime as the region’s top concern, followed by the economy.

ARC conducts the Metro Atlanta Speaks survey to gather key insights into quality-of-life issues such as transportation, the economy, and housing. Highlights of this year’s survey include:

• Housing affordability remains a challenge for many: Nearly two of three respondents (64%) said they could not afford to move to another house or apartment in their current neighborhood, about the same as last year.

• Transportation takes a “back seat” to other regional issues: Prior to the pandemic, transportation consistently ranked as the region’s top challenge. This year, transportation came in fourth, with 11% of respondents choosing it as the region’s biggest problem. That’s the same as last year’s survey.

• Strong support for public transit: More than nine in ten of respondents said improved public transit was “very important” (64%) or “somewhat important” (27%) to the region’s future. That’s about the same as last year’s survey.

• Majority are concerned about climate change: More than half of respondents (53%) said climate change is a “major global threat” in the next 10 years. That compares to 59% a year ago, the first year ARC asked this question.

• Emergency health care access challenges: In a new question this year, nearly one in four respondents said they “strongly disagreed” or “disagreed” that an ambulance would arrive in a timely fashion in case of a medical emergency.

• Concerns over AI: In another new question, 42% of respondents said they felt that artificial intelligence would have a “mostly negative” effect on society, while 30% said it would be “more balanced” and 22% said “mostly positive.”

“The Metro Atlanta Speaks survey is an invaluable tool that helps guide our efforts to build a better region for all metro Atlanta residents,” said Atlanta Regional Commission Chair Andre Dickens, who also serves as Mayor of the City of Atlanta. “This year’s survey shows that people remain concerned about the economy and other pocketbook issues like housing costs. Addressing housing affordability remains a priority for ARC and our local partners. We’re committed to driving meaningful change.”

The survey also showed a mixed response on a new question this year that asked how people felt about their financial situation compared to a year ago. 39% said they felt about the same, 31% said they were worse off, and 28% said they were better off.

However, another quality-of-life question shows that nearly six in 10 residents (59%) said they would stay in their current community if given the choice of moving away from metro Atlanta or to a different neighborhood.

The hybrid phone and online 2024 survey, administered by Kennesaw State University’s A.L. Burruss Institute of Public Service and Research, asked questions of 4,081 adult residents across 11 counties in the metro Atlanta region this past August. Survey results are statistically significant for each of those 11 counties and the City of Atlanta, with a margin of error of plus or minus 1.5% for the 11-county region as a whole and plus or minus 3.8% to 5.7% for the individual jurisdictions.

For additional information about the 2024 survey, including county level results, please visit atlantaregional.org/metroATLspeaks.