Cobb County Ranks High in Quality of Life

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Cobb County, your new home.

Welcome Home!

Cobb County, the third largest county in Georgia at nearly 350 square miles, is more than just part of the metro Atlanta area. It is a place rich in history, culture and entertainment, a leader in business and education and a great place for people of all ages to call home.

The history of Cobb spans nearly 185 years. The state legislature founded the county in 1832 after confiscating the land from Cherokee Nation—nearly five years before the city of Atlanta was established. It was named for former U.S. Representative, U.S. Senator and Georgia Superior Court Judge Thomas W. Cobb. Marietta, the county’s seat, was founded just two years later. When the construction of the railroad line began, shanty towns for workers evolved into permanent settlements, which eventually became some of the county’s first towns. In the pre-Civil War years, parts of the county like Marietta and Powder Springs enjoyed popularity as resort towns due to the area’s unique geographical features.

Like many parts of Georgia, Cobb County played an important role during the Civil War, as part of Gen. Sherman’s route from Chattanooga to Atlanta. The most well known local battle, the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain, occurred on June 27, 1864. Confederate Gen. Joseph E. Johnston and his troops were attempting to protect their position near the railroads leading to Atlanta. The two-week battle resulted in 3,000 Union casualties and only 1,000 Confederate casualties. Despite his losses, Sherman continued south into Atlanta, burning many towns and crops along the way.

After the war ended, the entire area began to rebuild, and industry replaced farming as the primary economic engine. In the early 1940s, the federal government opened a plant to manufacture B-29 bombers. While the plant closed after World War II, it reopened during the Korean War and was subsequently renamed Dobbins Air Force Base. Nearby Lockheed Martin Aeronautics led the nation in the manufacture military transport planes. Even today, it is still one of the top employers in the county due to its Department of Defense contracts.

Cobb County boasts a temperate climate, with hot summers and cool—but not too cold—winters. In the spring, dogwoods, Bradford pears and azaleas burst into bloom in the spring and stay lush and green throughout the summer months. Fall in the area is marked with bright oranges and reds on the trees.

Only in Cobb County
In the 1960s and 1970s, the population of Cobb County exploded, as more and more people left the city for the suburbs, and it has been steadily growing ever since. Now with a population of nearly 700,000, the county holds vast influence in the metro area. As the home of The Home Depot’s global headquarters, as well as numerous other industries both large and small, the county is widely known as a business-friendly area. In January 2014, the Cobb Chamber of Commerce, which has more than 2,500 members, was awarded 5-Star Accreditation from the United States Chamber of Commerce, putting it in the top 1 percent of chambers in the country.

In addition to traditional businesses, Cobb also has some unique economic attributes. While sometimes overshadowed by Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, which has held the title of world’s busiest airport for more than 10 years, Cobb is home to McCollum Airfield. This public airport averages 475 takeoffs and landing each day, making it the third busiest airport in the state.

Education is another priority in Cobb. As the 24th largest district in the country, the Cobb County School District operates 112 schools, while the Marietta City Schools system operates 11. Students who want to stay local have plenty of options when it comes to institutes of higher learning, with Kennesaw State University and Chattahoochee Technical College earning high marks in various fields.

While it is only 20 miles from downtown Atlanta, Cobb County has a vibe all its own. Its six incorporated cities—Acworth, Austell, Kennesaw, Marietta, Powder Springs and Smyrna—along with the unincorporated areas of Vinings and Mableton, strike a solid balance between honoring and preserving their history and welcoming innovation and change. Many of its municipalities, including Marietta and Smyrna, have old-fashioned town squares that host a variety of concerts, parades, festivals, farmers markets and other events throughout the year.

In addition to their small-town sensibilities, many of Cobb’s cities have been recognized for their efforts in everything from keeping residents healthy to operating strong family businesses. For example, the city of Kennesaw was named one of the 50 safest cities in Georgia and is also home to the Fit City Kennesaw initiative. This city-wide initiative kicked off in 2011 in order to address the rising rates of obesity and other health concerns. With free outdoor workouts at area parks and a wide range of annual road races and other events, Fit City Kennesaw has earned local and national attention.

For many people who are relocating to the area, health care is a big concern. Fortunately, Cobb is home to WellStar Health Systems, which operates a number of hospitals, clinics and other facilities. WellStar Kennestone Hospital was the first in the state of use the CyberKnife and da Vinci robotic surgical systems to reduce scarring and recovery time for a variety of surgical procedures.

Health care is of particular concern to baby boomers, as they begin to retire. According to realtor.org, the number of Americans 65 or older will nearly double between now and 2030, and the share of the population that is 85 and older will increase by 52 percent. With that in mind, Cobb County has many resources for its older population as well. Many facilities are embracing the “aging in place” concept, which allows residents to stay at the same facility even as their health needs change. The unincorporated community of Mableton was recently awarded the Lifelong Communities designation from the Atlanta Regional Commission. That means Mableton provides a wide range of housing options, as well as parks, transportation alternatives for those who can no longer drive and services for older residents.

No matter their age, Cobb residents know how to have fun, and the county’s many entertainment venues draw visitors from all over the metro area. World-class performing arts venues like the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre and the Six Flags and Six Flags White Water amusement parks provide access to some of the region’s best performances and roller coasters.

The city of Atlanta hosts several professional teams, including the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks and the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons. In 2017, Cobb County—specifically the Cumberland/Galleria business district—will become the new home for MLB’s Atlanta Braves, the team that currently calls Turner Field in downtown Atlanta home. The move was announced in fall 2013, and plans are already underway for the new stadium and entertainment complex that will complement the team’s new home at the intersection of interstates 285 and 75.

In addition to these venues, Cobb County has some unique geographical features that make it stand out from other parts of the metro area. Residents can water ski on Lake Acworth, sun themselves on the beach, then hike a mountain or ride a bike all the way to Alabama. Locals also know how much fun it can be to “shoot the ‘Hooch,” or tube down the Chattahoochee River. As the only federally-run national park in the area, the Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park is a great place to hike, bike, picnic or just take in stunning views. The Cobb County government oversees more than 30 parks, so recreation is never far away.

Like many other parts of the Atlanta area, Cobb County has myriad restaurants to satisfy every type of craving, with outposts of nearly every major chain restaurant as well as unique local fare.

In addition to some Cobb-only restaurants like Seed Kitchen & Bar, diners can also enjoy some of metro Atlanta’s best restaurants, like Noche and South City Kitchen, all without going inside the Perimeter. The burgeoning immigrant population in Cobb means that cuisine from every corner of the world is easy to find.

While the Atlanta housing market took a hit during the recent economic downturn, the suburban real estate market has bounced back to healthy levels in the past year. Housing options in Cobb run the gamut from new construction, single family homes, condos in historic areas, and apartments near the local colleges and universities. Prices are historically lower than within the Atlanta city limits, so buyers can get more for their money.

Business, culture, education, greenspace, town squares, easy access to the city of Atlanta—Cobb County truly has it all. Residents enjoy a high quality of life and make the most of the area’s geography, history and recreational opportunities. As a place that is both in touch with its history and looking forward to the future, Cobb has much to offer families, young professionals and retirees alike.