The document analyzes the Warner Robins metropolitan statistical area for its potential as an industry and technology corridor. It finds that the area has a population of around 140,000 people and is currently heavily dependent on the Robins Air Force Base for employment. However, the area also has emerging industries like health care and engineering construction that could support future growth. The analysis recommends that officials continue developing industry clusters around the base and adapt to consumer demand to attract residents and businesses.

1. Warner Robins MSA:
Potential Market for Industry
and Technology Corridor
April 2014
Shermaine Perry
Christian Perry
Silvia Trejo

2. History
• Established in 1821.
• Known as a train stop for local farmers.
• During World War II it was named in honor of
Brigadier General Augustine Warner Robins.
• Shortly after, it secured the military base currently
known as Robins Air Force Base (RAFB).
• Became a town in 1943 and a city in 1956.
• This former farming community would soon
catapult into the largest industrial complex in the
state.

3. Warner Robins MSA
Total area is
379.92 square
miles
Population:
139,900
Population
density per
square mile is
372.5 people.

5. Purpose/Objective
• Offer policy recommendations for business
and economic development
• Planners have ambitions of transforming the
area into an industry and technology corridor.
This research team will analyze the
prospective market for these corridors.

6. Balanced Growth by Age & Sex

7. Insights
• the average household size of 2.61,
comparable to the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-
Marietta MSA with 2.68, and Nationwide with
2.58
• 71.4%, lives in family households, either as a
married-couple or with other family
• slightly over 40% of the population travel less
than 20 minutes to work

8. Warner Robins vs Atlanta
0.0%
2.0%
4.0%
6.0%
8.0%
10.0%
12.0%
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Unemployment Rate
Warner Robins MSA Atlanta MSA

9. Warner Robins vs Atlanta
$-
$5,000.00
$10,000.00
$15,000.00
$20,000.00
$25,000.00
$30,000.00
$35,000.00
$40,000.00
$45,000.00
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Per Capita Income
Atlanta MSA Warner Robins MSA

10. Warner Robins vs Atlanta
0.0%
2.0%
4.0%
6.0%
8.0%
10.0%
12.0%
14.0%
16.0%
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Poverty Rate
Atlanta MSA Warner Robins MSA

11. Emerging Industries
Industry Current LQ LQ Growth Differential Shift
237 Heavy and civil engineering construction 1.26 +0.70 130.06%
446 Health and personal care 1.63 +0.33 87.41%
451 Sports, hobby, music instrument, book stores 1.27 +.012 48.59%
441 Motor vehicle and parts dealers 1.8 -0.003 32.80%
488 Support activities for transportation 1.73 -0.034 45.04%
442 Furniture and home furnishings stores 1.26 -0.07 22.42%
445 Food and beverage stores 1.41 -.14 22.42%
447 Gasoline stations 1.27 -.435 1.07%
453 Miscellaneous store retailers 1.01 -3 3.24%
541 Professional and technical services 1.51 -.28 16.84%
621 Ambulatory health care services
623 Nursing and residential care facilities 1.16 -.33 7.88%
722 Food services and drinking places 1.63 -.23 22.35%
811 Repair and maintenance 1.77 -.40 10.15%
812 Personal and laundry services 1.07 -.28 7.16%
327 Nonmetallic mineral product manufacturing 3.66 -.61 11.46%

12. Strategy
• Continue to enrich cluster around industrial
complex
– Explore supporting sectors: transportation,
warehousing, etc
• Continue to adapt to consumer demand
– Keeps population & attracts new residents
– Improves tax digest

13. Population Growth
Concerns:
• The existing economy for Houston
County is heavily dependent on
government employment,
particularly Robins Air Force Base,
and the retail trade and service
industries necessary for its
survival.
• Despite representing a relatively
small percentage of the total
employment, manufacturing
industries contribute significantly
to Houston County’s economy

14. Transportation
Means of Transportation to Work
White Black or
African
American
American
Indian and
Alaska Native
Asian Native
Hawaiian and
Other Pacific
Islander
Some
Other
Race
Hispanic or
Latino (any
race)
Estimate Estimate Estimate Estimate Estimate Estimate Estimate Estimate
Total: 29,798 16,727 10,534 28 701 64 1,275 2,504
Car, truck, or van - drove alone 24,539 14,364 8,484 8 593 57 649 1,654
Car, truck, or van - carpooled 4,167 1,756 1,622 20 88 0 626 804
Public transportation (excluding taxicab) 62 13 39 0 10 0 0 0
Walked 356 169 157 0 0 0 0 30
Taxicab, motorcycle, bicycle, or other means 322 217 98 0 0 7 0 0
Worked at home 352 208 134 0 10 0 0 16
• This has two implications, one the residents are under utilizing the public means of
transports and/or the walkways. The second implication could be that there is not
enough public transportation options available to the residents and/or the public
walkways are also not being maintain at a standard where they may be utilized as a
means of transportation.
• Both result in the need to expand and upgrade their water/sewer and
transportation infrastructure in order to keep pace with the demand for new
commercial and industrial development

15. Housing and Population
• Owner vacancy rate was a low 2.1%
in 2000; while the renter vacancy
rate was 11.2%. Both rates were
higher than the State of Georgia
and the nation. This is an indicator
of the transient nature of the
population due to the large
workforce at RAFB.
• With the exception of the working
low/moderate income households,
as mentioned above, the county’s
lower than average housing costs,
combined with the higher than
average vacancy rates, plus above
average household wages indicate
sufficient affordable housing is
available within Houston County.

16. Housing
• The number of housing units in Houston County
increased from 27,397 to 44,509 between 1980
and 2000. The 17,112 units that were constructed
during this period represent a 38% increase.
• Approximately two-thirds of the housing units in
2000 were single-family detached. Manufactured
homes more than doubled from 1980 to 2000
and represented 12.9% of the total housing units
in the County.
• Multi-family homes represented only 13.8% of
the County’s housing stock.

17. Land Use
Concern
• Lack of definable downtown
area or town center in
Warner Robins and
Centerville.
• Agricultural/forestry land is
gradually succumbing to
urban-type development.
• The number and quality of
the signs in the County is
becoming an increasing
concern.
Opportunity
• Establishing redevelopment
strategies for the older strip
commercial areas that
correspond with the overall
neighborhood redevelopment
plan.
• Taking advantage of new state
program to acquire land to set
aside for conservation and
open space purposes or for
the development of
greenways, particularly in
major wetland and floodplain
areas.

18. References
Blakely, E. J., & Leigh, N. G. (2013).Planning local economic development:
theory and practice (Fifth ed.). Los Angeles: Sage.
Myers, D. (1992). Analysis with local census data: portraits of change. Boston:
Academic Press.
"Houston County, Georgia." Economic Development -. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr.
2014. <http://www.houstoncountyga.com/business/houston-county-
economic-development.aspx>.
Social Explorer Tables (SE), Census 2010, Census Bureau; Social Explorer
Social Explorer Tables: ACS 2008 to 2012 (5-Year Estimates) (SE), ACS 2008 –
2012
(5-Year Estimates), Social Explorer; U.S. Census Bureau
Social Explorer Tables: ACS 2005 to 2009 (5-Year Estimates) (SE), ACS 2005 --
2009
(5-Year Estimates), Social Explorer; U.S. Census Bureau
Houston County, Georgia (Economic Development Plan)