How Fast Will North Georgia Grow?

Now that the New Year is upon us, it is natural to look ahead and speculate about what is to come.  Will Donald Trump make a good president?  Will the economy grow?  Will terrorism be held in check and war be kept distant from our shores?

All of this is interesting, but in this column I intend to focus on what might be in store for North Georgia.  How will the larger events impact the local scene?  In this case, I am vaguely optimistic.

When a decade ago, my wife and I moved from Cobb to Cherokee County, the real estate market was afire.  Houses were being put up everywhere.  Prices were rising and people anticipated that they always would.  But then the bubble burst and many of us took a financial bath.

About a decade and a half before that, when I first arrived in Georgia, I asked my real estate agent to show me what was available in Cherokee.  She did, and I was disappointed.  The county was then extremely rural and few houses of the sort I desired were to be found.

What a difference a quarter of a century makes.  Cherokee now reminds me of what Cobb was then.  It is far more populous and sophisticated.  Although it retains the hospitable atmosphere of its earlier years, this has been supplemented by a host of amenities.

Will this transformation continue?  Will the population grow much larger?  Might light industry become more prominent?  Several factors will help decide.  One is the state of the economy.  Another is the state of the local infrastructure.

First to the economy.  Under Barack Obama it has been stagnant.  At virtually every turn, his decisions were calculated to slow growth.  This seems about to change.  If Donald Trump lives up to his word, he might unleash pent up forces that will accelerate business opportunities.

Should this occur, North Georgia is apt to be a prime beneficiary.  Before the Great Recession, this was one of the fasted growing regions in the nation.  Since the conditions that made this possible have not changed, there is reason to believe growth will resume.

In this case, Cherokee and Bartow will surely attract more residents.  Home construction ought to boom, as may the services needed to support a larger population.  Even light industry may surge.  Because fewer people want to make the long trip into Atlanta, businesses will go where workers are to be found.

One of the things that might slow this development is recent decisions regarding the widening of Route 20.  Not that many years ago, it seemed certain there would be a Northern Arc joining I 75 and I 85.  This intestate style highway would then move the metropolitan area’s center of gravity further north.

Once the arc was vetoed, however, it was thought that route 20 would still be bypassed by an entirely new construction.  The effect of this on the local economy would have been enormous.  Now that both of these projects have been set aside, there will surely be a reduced impact.

So what does this mean for the future?  North Georgia is now part of the Atlanta Metropolitan area.  This cannot be undone.  Moreover, it is becoming a solidly middle class part of the area.  This too cannot be undone.  Indeed, it will probably speed up.

With the Braves new stadium set to open in Cobb County, the northward progress is to receive further impetus.  The traffic nightmare that is north Fulton County should add to this.  More people will look for relief—and guess where it can be found.

Nonetheless, I do not expect the character of Cherokee County to change too drastically.  The general style of life should remain about the same, which means that it will be comfortable for those of us who reside here.

As a once upon a time New Yorker, this is fine by me.  I like my neighbors and the open countryside that remains.  As I some time ago wrote, I even like the deer that have taken to eating the flowers and tomatoes in my backyard.

Melvyn L. Fein, Ph.D.

Professor of Sociology

Kennesaw State University