Where affluence is heading in the metro (Atlanta, Smyrna: homes, neighborhoods)

[netdragon]

Based on this map from City-Data, affluence in metro Atlanta is shifting from the large-lot, new mega-home areas of the 400 corridor to the older neighborhoods of the NW metro and intown. This map is change in median household income from y2k on.



Much of the increase tends to be around homes in the $400k range or less (or far less, such as Mechanicsville, which is bright purple on the map). However, there are more expensive homes and castles peppered into some of the more established areas. Sometimes a lot (such as midtown).

It's interesting the difference in where castles are built between existing affluent areas and new ones: Whereas most of the castles built along the 400 corridor (including East Cobb and John's Creek) tended to be in new subdivisions since land was amply available, in the NW (including NW Atlanta and Smyrna) along with intown and the Decatur area tend to be single-lot teardowns or renovations of existing homes turned into large homes and castles.

However, there are exceptions: West Cobb has been heavily developed since y2k, and most castles are being built in subdivisions.

[mattee01]

Why spend half a million for a home you can get less than half that a few miles away? I could see if you were talking about buying Buck head as opposed to Duluth but here were talking Buck head vs downtown.