Decatur

Decatur is a city in, and the county seat of, DeKalb County, Georgia, which is part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. With a population of 24,928 in the 2020 census, the municipality is sometimes assumed to be larger since multiple ZIP codes bear Decatur as the address. The city is served by three MARTA rail stations (Decatur, East Lake, and Avondale) The unofficial motto of Decatur used by some residents is "Everything is Greater in Decatur." Decatur was established at the intersection of two Native American trails: the Sandtown, which led east from the Chattahoochee River at Utoy Creek and the Shallowford, which followed today's Clairmont Road. In July 1864, Major-General James McPherson occupied the town to cut off the Confederates' supply line from Augusta. In the second half of the twentieth century the metropolitan area of Atlanta expanded into unincorporated DeKalB County, eventually surrounding two sides of the town. The 1960s and 1970s witnessed dramatic drops in property values. However, more recently the city has regained economic vigor, partially thanks to several long-term downtown development plans that have come to fruition. Over the past twenty years, it has gained a local and national reputation as a progressive city with a high level of citizen involvement that retains a small-town feel despite its proximity to Atlanta. The Eastern Continental Divide bisects the city along the CSX (formerly Georgia Railroad) trackage right of way.

History

Decatur was established at the intersection of two Native American trails: the Sandtown, which led east from the Chattahoochee River at Utoy Creek, and the Shallowford, which follows today's Clairmont Road. A site for the DeKalb County courthouse was designated in 1822 in what would become downtown Decatur; the city of Decatur was incorporated on December 10, 1823. It was named for United States Navy Commodore Stephen Decatur. During the American Civil War, Decatur became a strategic site in Sherman's Atlanta Campaign. In the second half of the twentieth century, the metropolitan area of Atlanta expanded into unincorporated De Kalb County, eventually surrounding two sides of the town ofDecatur. Over the past twenty years, it has gained a local and national reputation as a progressive city with a high level of citizen involvement that retains a small-town feel. The 1960s and 1970s witnessed dramatic drops in property values. However, more recently the city has regained economic vigor, partially thanks to several long-term downtown development plans that have come to fruition, making Decatur a trendy small mixed-use district with easy transit to downtown Atlanta. Decatur is home to the Georgia Museum of Natural History, which is housed in a former courthouse. The museum is open to the public and offers a wide range of exhibits, including a large collection of photographs of the city's history and culture. It is also home to a museum of African-American history, which dates back to the 1800s.

Geography

Decatur is located at 33°4617N 84°1752W (33.771355, -84.297732).According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.2 square miles (11 square kilometers), all land. The Eastern Continental Divide bisects the city along the CSX (formerly Georgia Railroad) trackage right of way. The city is located on the Georgia Turnpike, which runs through the city. The Georgia TurnPike was built in the early 1900s. The turnpike was originally built as a route for the Georgia and Georgia Railroad. It was later converted to a rail line in the 1930s. It is the only rail line that runs through Decatur. The town is home to the Decatur High School football team, which was founded in the mid-20th century. The school was named after Decatur, Georgia, which is located in the city's eastern suburbs. The football team is known as the "Decatur Falcons" and has won several state championships. It has also been known as "The Decatur Surge" and "The Georgia High School Football Team" for its success in the 1990s and early 2000s.

Demographics

As of the 2010 census, there were 19,335 people, 8,599 occupied housing units, and 4,215 families residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 73.5% White, 20.2% African American, 0.2%. Native American, 2.9% Asian, and 0.6% Pacific Islander. The city is popular with the lesbian community thanks in part to the Indigo Girls, Amy Ray and Emily Saliers. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was2.96. The median income for a household in theCity was $73,602. The per capita income for the city is $42,926. About 12.20% of families and 14.9%. of the population were below the poverty line, including 24. 2% of those under age 18 and 12.5%. The city has a population of 24,928 as of the 2020 U.S. census, with a population density of 4,603.6 inhabitants per square mile (1,777.5/km²) There are roughly 44 males for every 56 females. The population of Decatur has a median age of 38 years, with the median age for a Decatur resident being 38 years of age or older. It is the second-largest city in the state, after Atlanta, Georgia, with an average age of 39.7 years. Decatur is home to the Atlanta Falcons football team, which is one of the largest in the South.

Education

City Schools of Decatur has 224 full-time teachers and over 4,400 students from pre-K through grade 12. DeKalb County Public Library system operates the Decatur Branch and is also the Dekalb County Library Headquarters. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta operates St. Thomas More School in Decatur; it opened on September 1, 1950. Emory University was located in unincorporated De Kalb County before being annexed by the City of Atlanta in 2017. The Decatur City School District serves only students within the city limits, and consists of a pre- K early childhood learning center, five lower elementary schools, two upper elementary schools and a middle school. Decatur High School is the district's sole high school. St. Peter Claver Regional School has a Decatur mailing address but is in nearby Candler-McAfee CDP. Georgia State University's Perimeter College is located near Decatur. The city is home to the Georgia Institute of Technology, which was founded in 1876 and is one of the oldest colleges in the United States. It is also home to Georgia Tech's College of Information Technology and Information Sciences, which opened in 1883. The University of Georgia is based in the city and has a campus in downtown Decatur, Georgia. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has a training facility in the town. The town is the home of the Georgia Military Institute, which began its existence in 1875. The Georgia Institute Of Technology is located in the north. It was founded by the Georgia National Guard in 1881.

Government

Decatur has operated under a Commission-Manager form of government since 1920. A five-member City Commission is elected for four-year terms on two-year cycles. At their organizational meeting each January, the Commissioners elect a mayor and mayor-pro-tem from among their own membership for a one-year term. The current mayor is Patti Garrett. Previous mayors have included Leslie Jasper Steele (1915), Jack Hamilton, Walter Drake, Mike Mears, Ann A. Crichton, Elizabeth Wilson, William Floyd, Jim Baskett and Scott Candler, Sr. (known as Mr. DeKalb). The Commission appoints a professional City Manager to carry out the policies, directives and day-to-day business of the city. The U.S. Postal Service operates the Decatur Post Office. The Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice has its headquarters in Avondale Estates, near Decatur, in an unincorporated area of the state. the Georgia Bureau of Investigation has its. headquarters in the uninc incorporated city of Decatur. The city is home to the Georgia State Museum, which has a collection of more than 1,000,000 books, maps, and other items. It is also the home of the National Museum of Natural History, which is housed in a historic building. The state's oldest public library is located in the city, which dates back to the 18th century. It was opened in 1881. It has since been converted into a museum.

Festivals, special events and arts

Decatur holds the annual AJC Decatur Book Festival, which claims to be one of the largest independent book festivals in the United States. Other events throughout the year include parades, Concerts on the Square, wine crawls, art walks, runs, and races. Public art in Decatur includes Celebration (artist Gary Price), Valentine (artist George Lundeen), Thomas Jefferson (George Lundeen) Commodore Stephen Decatur (artist unknown), Roy A. Blount Plaza, and Living Walls Murals (various artists). Decatur is home to Eddie's Attic, which is a live music venue hosting shows almost every night. The Decatur Arts Alliance provides gallery space for local artists, producing YEA!, which is an event for young emerging artists, and supporting arts and arts education throughout the City. Decatur has a thriving art and festival scene, with many festivals and special events held each year. The city also hosts the Decatur BBQ, Blues & Bluegrass Festival, and theDecatur Maker's Faire. It is the home to the annual Decatur Wine Festival, as well as the annual Summer In The City festival and the annual Christmas in the City festival. It has a reputation for being a great place to hang out for the holiday season, especially during the Christmas season. It also has a history of hosting the World Series of Music, which has been held every year since it began in 1876. It was the first city to host the Winter Olympics, which took place in 1884.

Dining, breweries and distilleries

Decatur is known for its food scene and was named one of the South's "Tastiest Towns" in 2012. In 2016, the New York Times called it "Atlanta's gastronomic equivalent of Berkeley or Brooklyn" Decatur has a growing beer scene with the award-winning Brick Store Pub, Wild Heaven Beer, and Three Taverns Brewery. Decatur is also home to Independent Distilling Co. and The Pinewood Tippling Room, recipient of OpenTable's Diners' Choice Award. The Decatur Craft Beer Festival was named a top ten beer festival in the U.S. by Beer Advocate. The city is home to many restaurants, coffee shops, pubs, ice cream and yogurt parlors and bakeries, including Kimball House, twice recognized by Bon Appetit as one of best new restaurants in the US. It also has a number of wineries and distilleries, as well as a winery and a cider and wine distillery. The town is located on the banks of the Chattahoochee River, which flows into the Little Piedmont River. It is located in the central part of the city and has a population of around 3,000 people. In 2012, Decatur was ranked as the second-largest city in the South by CNN.com. It was ranked No. 3 in the nation in 2013 by CNN's "Restaurateur of the Year" list. It has a reputation for being a great place to eat and drink.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Decatur, DeKalb County, Georgia = 6.9. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 31. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 90. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Decatur = 5.2 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 24,928 individuals with a median age of 40.2 age the population grows by 6.69% in Decatur, DeKalb County, Georgia population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 5,422.67 residents per square mile of area (2,093.77/km²). There are average 2.14 people per household in the 8,525 households with an average household income of $58,644 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 10.50% of the available work force and has dropped -6.39% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 16.72%. The number of physicians in Decatur per 100,000 population = 284.2.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Decatur = 48.6 inches and the annual snowfall = 2.2 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 115. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 218. 89 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 34.1 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 34, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Decatur, DeKalb County, Georgia which are owned by the occupant = 52.19%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 50 years with median home cost = $249,480 and home appreciation of -9.47%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $8.13 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $7,198 per student. There are 13.1 students for each teacher in the school, 380 students for each Librarian and 324 students for each Counselor. 3.86% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 28.68% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 26.91% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).