Census Bureau releases statistical snapshots of metro towns

By Ralph Ellis

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The U.S. Census Bureau on Tuesday released the latest version of the American Community Survey demographic estimates for 2006-2008.

For the first time, this ongoing statistical portrait of America included information from geographic areas with a population of less than 60,000.  The 2010 census and the ACS will help determine the distribution of more than $400 billion in federal tax funds yearly.

Here are snapshots of some of the metro Atlanta towns mentioned in the report. For a complete look at your town, visit the Census Web site and open the American Community Survey link.

College Park

• Pop: 15, 527

• Seventy-nine percent of people 25 years and over had at least graduated from high school, and 18 percent had a bachelor's degree or higher.

Duluth

• Pop: 25,000

• The median monthly mortgage was $1,560. Five percent of the city’s 10,000 households did not have telephone service.

Dunwoody

• Pop: 40,746

• Among people at least 5 years old living in Dunwoody in 2006-2008, 17 percent spoke a language other than English at home. Of those speaking a language other than English at home, 22 percent spoke Spanish

East Point

• Pop: 37,465

• For the employed population 16 years and older, the leading industries in East Point were educational services, health care and social assistance.

Kennesaw

• Pop: 28,000

• Families made up 69 percent of the households in Kennesaw. This figure includes both married-couple families (48 percent) and other families (21 percent).

Lawrenceville

• Pop: 29,000

• The average commute time for city residents was 35 minutes.

Smyrna

• Pop: 46,000

• Eighty-seven percent of the Smyrna residents employed worked in the private sector; 8 percent worked for federal, state or local governments; and 5 percent were self-employed.

Snellville

• Pop: 18,548

• Snellville had more than 6,400 occupied housing units, with about 5,700 (88 percent) owner-occupied and about 790 (12 percent) renter-occupied.