Summary presentation of key findings from ARC's annual Metro Atlanta Speaks survey, which gauges opinions and beliefs about life in Metro Atlanta.

1. 2021 Results Overview
Research & Analytics, Center for Livable Communities, ARC
jskinner@atlantaregional.org
Regional Snapshot:

2. 2021 Highlights
Crime is top of mind in 2021…everywhere and for (almost)
everyone
Economic Equity: Some positive signs, and propping (from
stimulus), but pressures in some areas
Racial Equity: Is the window for change opening or closing? Results
suggest either trend is possible
The pandemic’s ongoing presence and its past effects play a part in
clouding beliefs about the future

3. Genesis, Goals, Methods
• Origin was 2013 LINK Trip to Houston (now 9th year)
• Goals: Assess Perceptions, Gauge Opinions, Define Priorities
– Demographic Crosstabs Critical
• Method 2013-2019: Random digit dial (RDD) sample survey of residents in the Atlanta
Region
– Added cell phone segment in 2015
– 5,200 surveyed in 2019
• New 2020-21 Method: Mixed-Mode
– 2021: RDD of 2,700 respondents (targeted); online panel of 2,100 (targeted)
• 2021 Focus: Pandemic Impacts and Equity
• 2021 Sponsors:

4. Our Perceived Biggest Problem Changed
4%
4%
8%
7%
5%
7%
9%
10%
18%
28%
12%
5%
5%
17%
5%
15%
8%
8%
16%
10%
7%
3%
4%
13%
3%
12%
10%
7%
32%
10%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%
Race Relations
DK
Taxes
Public Health
Other
Economy
Human Services
Public Education
Crime
Transportation
2021
2020
2019
Our biggest story is a change in perception about our biggest problem. With rare exceptions,
transportation has been Metro Atlantans #1 concern since the outset of the survey. Above, we
can see that the unprecedented times we live in have shifted that. Crime took position #1 by a
an unusually wide margin. In 2020, public health barely edged out crime for the #1 position.

5. The Biggest Problem? 2021 by Area
26.0%
27.3%
28.5%
31.3%
31.3%
31.8%
32.3%
33.1%
33.1%
34.1%
35.8%
36.8%
40.3%
12.5%
10.0%
12.8%
14.0%
15.0%
12.3%
12.7%
12.4%
13.6%
13.5%
11.7%
16.3%
9.5%
9.0%
18.0%
12.8%
15.0%
12.8%
10.8%
12.4%
8.5%
12.7%
10.7%
10.5%
14.8%
11.8%
12.0%
9.8%
6.3%
10.0%
9.0%
6.3%
9.5%
5.5%
9.2%
10.7%
10.4%
8.0%
8.3%
7.5%
11.0%
13.5%
4.5%
8.3%
13.8%
9.5%
10.2%
11.1%
8.9%
10.9%
5.8%
9.5%
8.5%
7.8%
5.3%
6.3%
7.3%
10.0%
7.3%
8.7%
6.9%
6.8%
7.7%
5.0%
6.3%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Cherokee
Cobb
Rockdale
Forsyth
Gwinnett
Douglas
ARC 11
Clayton
City of…
Fulton
DeKalb
Fayette
Henry
Crime Public Health Economy Transportation Human Services Race Relations Public Education Taxes DK Other
Above, we are looking at county level variation in responses, ordered from highest to lowest share of
area responses that perceived crime as the biggest problem. While crime is the #1 response in all
counties, the shares do vary widely.

6. “High levels of income inequality have a negative
impact on the economy”: 2021 by Area
73.0% 72.7%
68.0% 65.8% 65.8% 65.6% 65.5%
61.0% 60.3% 58.0% 58.0% 58.0%
52.4%
20.4% 22.0%
25.9% 29.7% 26.7% 28.0% 26.8%
31.5% 33.8% 35.8% 36.5% 36.3%
42.1%
6.7% 5.3% 6.1% 4.5% 7.5% 6.4% 7.8% 7.5% 6.0% 6.3% 5.5% 5.8% 5.5%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
City of
Atlanta
DeKalb Fulton Clayton Cobb ARC 11 Gwinnett Henry Douglas Rockdale Cherokee Fayette Forsyth
Agree/Strongly Agree Disagree/ Strongly Disagree DK
The 2021 survey sought to better understand resident perceptions about the economy and about
different options to address economic equity. Here, we can see county-level variation in belief that
income inequality has a negative effect on the economy.

7. “Increasing the minimum wage would be good
for the local economy”: 2021 by Area
54.3% 57.0%
64.8%
68.6% 69.8% 71.0% 73.0% 73.5% 74.7%
80.5% 80.8% 82.3%
86.2%
42.8% 40.0%
33.5% 25.7% 27.8% 27.3% 21.3% 22.4% 22.6% 15.3% 15.7% 16.0% 10.6%
3.0% 3.0% 1.8%
5.7% 2.5% 1.8%
5.8% 4.1% 2.8% 4.2% 3.6% 1.7% 3.2%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Cherokee Forsyth Fayette Gwinnett Douglas Henry Cobb ARC 11 Rockdale Fulton DeKalb Clayton City of
Atlanta
Agree/Strongly Agree Disagree/Strongly Disagree DK
This chart is arranged by agreement with the belief that increasing the minimum wage would help
Atlanta’s economy. We can see that a majority of respondents in all counties agree, ranging from 54
percent in Cherokee County to 86 percent in the City of Atlanta. Three in four across the region agree.

8. Could Pay for a $400 Emergency with Cash/ Debit:
Comparing 2021 to 2020
41.0%
43.0%
44.1%
45.9%
49.4%
49.9%
50.0%
52.5%
52.8%
52.9%
56.0%
58.9%
43.5%
51.1%
50.6%
49.6%
50.1%
52.1%
50.5%
46.0%
50.1%
64.3%
52.1%
60.1%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
Clayton
Rockdale
City of Atlanta
Fulton
Cobb
Douglas
ARC*
DeKalb
Gwinnett
Cherokee
Henry
Fayette
2021
2020
* ARC Region 10
Counties in in 2020;
11 counties in 2021
Economic stimulus and financial support were two of the biggest measures to help those suffering
from pandemic-related job loss and other financial stressors. Here, we can get a guess about the
effects locally, with more respondents able to absorb the cost of a $400 expense in 2021 than 2020.

9. Share Less than Very Confident in Ability to Pay Next
Mortgage or Rent Payment: Comparing 2021 to 2020
20.9%
23.8%
23.9%
29.8%
30.8%
31.7%
33.3%
33.3%
34.9%
38.8%
42.3%
44.1%
37.3%
14.0%
19.5%
35.5%
28.2%
31.8%
31.3%
31.5%
28.3%
34.7%
32.7%
41.0%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50%
Cobb
Fayette
Cherokee
Gwinnett
Douglas
ARC*
Rockdale
Henry
Fulton
DeKalb
City of Atlanta
Clayton
2021
2020
* ARC Region 10
Counties in in 2020;
11 counties in 2021
Across the region as a whole, even with mounting costs, about the same share of respondents in 2021
are worried about making payments as in 2020. Significant improvement is evident in higher-poverty
areas like Clayton and DeKalb. However, it is notable that in the two of our larger counties (Gwinnett
and Cobb) housing payment stress increased from 2020 to 2021.

10. Confidence in Ability to Pay Mortgage or Rent:
2021 by Race/Ethnicity
27.9%
35.0%
35.9%
41.1%
54.9%
55.7%
54.8%
52.0%
17.1%
9.3%
9.2%
6.9%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
White
Other
Black
Hispanic
Less than Very Confident Very confident Other*
Here we can see differences in how confident respondents of different races and ethnicities are in
handling their housing costs, with Hispanic respondents feeling most concerned about their ability to
afford housing.

11. Received Food from a Food Bank:
Comparing 2020 and 2021 by Area
7.5%
8.5%
12.5%
14.0%
15.5%
17.0%
17.9%
21.3%
23.5%
25.0%
26.1%
31.7%
10.3%
25.8%
20.9%
24.1%
26.8%
21.3%
23.9%
25.7%
26.0%
25.8%
36.9%
33.1%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40%
Fayette
Cherokee
Gwinnett
Cobb
Henry
Douglas
ARC*
Fulton
Rockdale
DeKalb
Clayton
City of Atlanta
2021
2020
* ARC Region 10
Counties in in 2020;
11 counties in 2021
Respondents were far more likely to have turned to a food bank for assistance in 2021 than 2020,
with the majority of geographies seeing around a fifth to a quarter of all respondents needing this
service in 2021. This is another area where the stimulus checks in 2020 may have made a direct
impact in increasing the ability of households to pay for food.

12. “Ensuring racial equity is essential to maximizing
economic growth in our region”: 2021 by Area
60.4%
69.8% 71.3% 74.3% 74.5% 74.5% 77.0% 77.5% 79.8% 80.8% 81.0% 81.9%
86.4%
31.1%
24.8% 24.0% 19.8% 18.3% 20.3% 16.7% 15.5% 14.0% 12.8% 16.0% 12.1%
8.8%
8.5% 5.5% 4.8% 6.0% 7.3% 5.3% 6.4% 7.0% 6.3% 6.4% 3.0% 6.0% 4.8%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Forsyth Cherokee Fayette Douglas Gwinnett Henry ARC 11 Cobb Rockdale Fulton Clayton DeKalb City of
Atlanta
Agree/Strongly Agree Disagree/Strongly Disagree DK
The 2021 survey also sought to understand beliefs about race relations and equity in the metro area.
Above, geographies are arranged from lowest to highest shares of residents who responded in the
affirmative to the idea that racial equity is an essential element of economic vitality.

13. “Ensuring racial equity is essential to maximizing
economic growth in our region”: 2021 by Age Group
44.9%
39.9%
7.8%
2.6%
4.8%
27.2%
38.5%
17.4%
8.5% 8.4%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree DK
18-34 35-49 50-64 65+
Here, we are looking at the same question and considering responses by age of the respondent. More
respondents in every age group agreed with the statement than disagreed, though the rates of
"strongly agree" varied significantly by age—decreasing the older the cohort.

14. “Discrimination against Black People is a
Serious Problem”: Comparing 2020 and 2021
57.9%
64.1%
67.0%
71.1%
72.5%
72.7%
76.5%
76.8%
83.0%
83.8%
87.6%
89.5%
59.5%
66.9%
72.6%
72.7%
79.3%
71.8%
74.3%
75.7%
82.0%
86.3%
84.9%
88.0%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Cherokee
Fayette
Henry
Cobb
Rockdale
Gwinnett
Douglas
ARC*
Fulton
Clayton
DeKalb
City of Atlanta
2021
2020
* ARC Region 10
Counties in in 2020;
11 counties in 2021
A majority of respondents in all our counties agreed that discrimination against Black people is a
serious problem in both 2020 and 2021. Furthermore, these shares increased in half of ARC’s member
counties between 2020 and 2021.

15. “Discrimination against Black People is a Serious
Problem”: 2021 by Age Group
29.4%
42.6%
48.0%
59.4%
32.8%
27.0%
29.4%
28.2%
21.7%
16.6%
10.7%
7.2%
12.4%
10.4%
8.4%
4.3%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
65+
50-64
35-49
18-34
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree DK
This chart shows that the likelihood of saying that discrimination against Blacks is a serious problem
varies significantly by age. While the majority of respondents in all age groups say it is a serious
problem, the highest rate of those who strongly agree are in the 18 to 34 age range.

16. “How safe does respondent feel resuming normal
activities as community recovers from COVID-19?”
2021 by Area
15.4%
17.9%
21.5%
22.0%
22.4%
22.5%
22.7%
24.1%
24.6%
25.3%
25.5%
29.8%
41.3%
66.9%
64.4%
62.5%
64.3%
60.1%
62.0%
62.5%
53.9%
62.5%
60.8%
61.3%
60.3%
50.3%
15.4%
16.2%
15.0%
12.3%
16.5%
14.5%
13.4%
20.1%
11.9%
13.0%
12.2%
9.8%
6.3%
2.3%
1.5%
1.0%
1.5%
1.0%
1.0%
1.4%
2.0%
1.0%
1.0%
0.9%
0.3%
2.3%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
DeKalb
Clayton
Cobb
Gwinnett
Henry
Douglas
ARC 11
Rockdale
Fulton
Forsyth
City of Atlanta
Fayette
Cherokee
Very safe Moderately/Somewhat Safe Not safe at all DK
When it comes to getting back to normal, it’s safe to say that few respondents are feeling very safe. On a
better note, however, a vast majority of respondents in all geographies feel somewhat or very safe.

17. Looking Ahead 3-4 Years… “Better?”:
Comparing 2021 and 2020
25.6%
30.3%
29.8%
29.8%
32.7%
32.2%
29.9%
30.7%
27.9%
39.7%
31.1%
41.1%
19.0%
21.2%
22.4%
23.0%
25.6%
27.9%
29.0%
29.7%
30.2%
33.5%
35.2%
38.0%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45%
Henry
Fayette
Gwinnett
Rockdale
Cobb
ARC*
Douglas
Cherokee
DeKalb
Fulton
Clayton
City of Atlanta
2021
2020
* ARC Region 10
Counties in in 2020;
11 counties in 2021
While people might be feeling better about COVID, the same can’t be said about the future of the area
overall. Here, we can see that in most geographies, there was a decrease this year in shares of
respondents who are feeling that things will be better short-term. Only in Clayton and DeKalb did a
higher share feel more optimistic about short-term prospects this year than last year.

18. Looking Ahead 3-4 Years: 2021 by Race
25.7%
25.9%
28.1%
30.7%
35.9%
37.1%
39.1%
30.0%
31.2%
32.7%
28.8%
34.4%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Other
White
Hispanic
Black
Better in 3-4 years Worse in 3-4 years About the same DK
Although responses didn’t vary dramatically by race, the chart above does reveal interesting differences,
with higher shares of Hispanic and White respondents believing things will be worse. Black respondents
are most likely to say things will be about the same or better.

19. For (Much) More Information…
Jim Skinner, Data Analyst Administrator
Research & Analytics, Center for Livable Communities, ARC
jskinner@atlantaregional.org
The highlights and more complete analysis:
The Atlanta Regional Commission site has a Metro
Atlanta Speaks page with overviews, slide decks,
the question set, and a downloadable report.
The data:
Our 33N research blog has a dashboard with
questions and responses dating to 2016.
Data stories:
The 33N blog has a page devoted to analysis
of Metro Atlanta Speaks results.