If there's anything we love on a rainy day it's county by county data analysis. Lucky for us, the number gurus over at the Atlanta Monitor put together a nice little read that gives an illuminating snapshot of where and how money is made in metro Atlanta, lingering recession be damned. Utilizing Bureau of Labor statistics that consider salaried and hourly workers (but not the self employed), they confirmed what you probably already assumed: Fulton County is the boss. One third of the metro's jobs are located there; looking at the number of jobs per resident, it beats out second place Cobb County by double. Using the same jobs per capita formula, it looks like the inner counties pull their weight, but outer ones like Cherokee, Newton, and Paulding still define "bedroom communities."
Surprise! Or not. Those working in Fulton County are pulling in the highest average weekly wages - $1,238 per worker. Combined with Cobb, Gwinnett, and Dekalb, 80% of the metro area's income creation is concentrated in our four central counties. It's interesting to note the disparity between where the highest earners work and where they live: markedly affluent counties such as Forsyth and Fayette sport not-so-impressive wage statistics.
· Metro Atlanta: Where the Money Is Made [The Atlanta Monitor]
· County Employment and Wages in Georgia [BLS]