Powder Springs relocation (Atlanta, Marietta, Smyrna: apartment complexes, condos, crime)

[Cobb]

I just moved to ATL and I am looking at moving to Powder Springs along with some friends from Michigan. How is the city to live in and the things to offer and housing costs. Any info is a help.

[AtlantaAbbey]

Hi!! I've lived in Smyrna, Ga, about 12 miles from downtown, for 20+ years, and Powder Springs is maybe 8 miles from me....my sister lives in Powder Springs.....I can't find anything to say about Powder Springs...I never hear about anyone moving to Powder Springs since 1995, or so. There might be a Family Dollar Store there, and a McDonalds......and maybe some old "antique" shops, and lots of unemployed 20-30somethings.......I can't think of any apartment complexes there...its convenient to Hiram, Ga and thats all I can say....good luck.

[sprtsluvr8]

In the demographic information below you'll notice 3.8% unemployment, below the state of Georgia's.

Demographic Info:

Median resident age: 32.0 years
Median household income: $56,486 (year 2000)
Median house value: $114,800 (year 2000)

High school or higher: 87.4%
Bachelor's degree or higher: 28.7%
Graduate or professional degree: 7.2%
Unemployed: 3.8%
Mean travel time to work: 37.5 minutes
Population (year 2000): 12,481. Estimated population in July 2005: 14,507 (+16.2% change)

Wikipedia page for Powder Springs:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powder_Springs,_Georgia - with links to other sites also

[chiefs fan]

There's a lot of retail shops going in on Dallas Hwy (120) just a few minutes north of Powder Springs. There is The Avenue at West Cobb that is located at Dallas Hwy and Due West Rd that has a lot of upscale chain stores. A Chili's and a Panera Bread just opened up in this shopping center. There are several fast food restaurants and some dine-in style restaurants in this area as well.

Our zip code is technically Powder Springs, but we are actually in unicorporated Cobb County so I can't tell you much about Powder Springs proper. It seemed to have an interesting Main Street area when we have driven through there, but haven't had time to explore.

[atlantagreg30127]

I've lived in Powder Springs for 12 years. My take on it:

The first few years it was very rural. Lots of farms and trees and lower traffic and all that. In the last 4-5 years though, it's pretty much catching up with the growth patterns of the rest of the metro area. Just within the last couple of years, I've seen a couple of shopping centers, a new 4 lane road, a Home Depot, pharmacies, and "ranch condos" built just within a few blocks of my house!

With that there's good and bad. On the good side, things like road improvements here and there, more choices in stores and shopping, etc. On the bad side, crime has increased. The rate of teen crime issues has gone up quite a bit in certain areas (mailbox theft, petty theft, some home break in increases, etc). It's not as bad as some other metro areas or inner-Atlanta, but it's definately higher than it was just a few years ago. The police here are "ok" in dealing with it, but stuff slips through the cracks as well.

Home prices are lower than some other areas, but high end stuff is going in the area too. Older brick ranch homes can be found for around $140,000 or so, but newer stuff can range from $175,000 to well over $350,000. They've done their best to keep apartment complexes out of the city limits because they (city leaders) associate apartments with higher crime and traffic, but here are a couple of condo developments around with more planned. The completed East/West connector goes directly to Cumberland Mall if you stay on it going south, or Barrett Parkway/Kennesaw if you stay on it going North. Powder Springs Road goes right through town and takes you to Marietta Square 10 or so miles north.

"Downtown" Powder Springs is really just a few antique stores, a couple of restaurants, fast food joints, etc etc.. nothing real exciting. A few miles West though, is the busy business area of Hiram, with multiple stores and restaurants lined up alone Highway 278 up there, and more being built every day.

When I moved here I would have rated living here an 8.5. Now I'd give it a 6.5. Still "above average" but not exceptional. You could do worse.