Cobb Chamber

It’s not difficult to figure out why people move to Cobb County. 

We’ve got the lowest tax rate in the metro Atlanta area. We’ve got the highest bond ratings possible. We are home to the state’s largest non-academic, nonprofit health system.

We have the benefits of both city and rural living. We have more than 5,000 acres of federally-owned park lands, 35 county-owned park facilities and extensive multi-use trail systems that wind for miles throughout the community. Four major interstates and a modern county-owned airport give us stellar transportation access while numerous major shopping districts place retail close at hand.

We have public transit and public universities. We encourage private enterprise. Fortune 500 companies such as Home Depot and Lockheed Martin make Cobb County their home, as do entertainment giants such as Six Flags over Georgia and Six Flags White Water.

We have a convention center to rival any in the metro area. Just around the corner from that, we have the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. And that same area will soon host the Atlanta Braves’ new $672 million stadium.

By itself, this deal will bring an estimated $400 million of investment to Cobb for the creation of a mixed-used entertainment district on the site, thousands of construction jobs and millions in revenues coming to county government and schools.

Meanwhile, we recently marked the 18th consecutive year that the nation’s top bond rating agencies each recognized us with their “Triple A” ratings, keeping us in the top 1 percent of counties nationwide. Likewise, our Water System is the first AAA-rated county water/sewer utility in America to gain this recognition by the same bond rating agencies.

These singular achievements have become so commonplace to our longtime residents, the public barely thinks of them as news anymore. Instead, our strong sense of fiscal responsibly has become a fact of life and expected by taxpayers.

Our accomplishments are enhanced by our conservative policies and investments by the business community. Our partnership in the EDGE program demonstrates our commitment to job creation and economic development.

Cooperative efforts by our economic development community are credited with 18 corporate locations and expansions, generating more than $1 billion in new investment, creating more than 5,300 new and retained jobs in 2013.

Education points to our bright future. For instance, 44 percent of residents have earned bachelor’s degrees, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The national average is only 28 percent.

The Cobb County School District SAT average score of 1515 is 63 points higher than the state average and 17 points higher than the national average. With a composite ACT score of 22.1, last year marked the eighth consecutive year Cobb graduates exceeded national and state averages on in all four subject areas.

More than two-thirds of Cobb County schools received scores of 80 or higher on the 2012 Georgia College and Career Ready Performance Index. For the 2013 Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests, the percentage of Cobb students meeting or exceeding standards was higher than the state in every content area and grade level.

We pay attention to our quality of life and it shows by the number of people who move here. Our steadily increasing population is estimated at more than 720,000 with a median household income of $58,150 in January 2013. This is higher than the median national income of $51,017.

For those few looking for something outside the county, we have excellent access to the rest of metro Atlanta. Cobb County is less than 20 miles from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and a 15-minute drive from downtown Atlanta.

Nevertheless, it would appear that Cobb County will continue to draw visitors who want to enjoy its own attractions. Travel and tourism here amounts to an economic impact of $2.02 billion, according to the Cobb County Chamber of Commerce.

Frankly, there are too many reasons to list showing why Cobb County is one of the greatest communities in the nation. Whether you want to tour the hallowed grounds of Kennesaw National Battlefield Park, buy a home without having to pay exorbitant property taxes or enjoy a gourmet meal at a restaurant in the Cumberland area, we have much to offer.