DeKalb County, Georgia: commercial real estate data.
DeKalb County, Georgia had an estimated 770,307 residents on July 1, 2024, up 0.8 percent since the 2020 census base of 764,532, across 268 square miles. County output reached $59.34 bn in 2024, 18,258 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 937 7(a) approvals worth $673.9 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
DeKalb County
How many people live in DeKalb County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024765,351
- Households287,239
- Average household size2.66
- Median household income$80,644
- Median age36.4
- Median gross rent$1,692 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$357,800
- Home value to household income4.4 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income25.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher47.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree21.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over526,378
- Population under 18174,042
- Share under 1822.7 percent
- Population 65 and over105,276
- Share 65 and over13.8 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64486,033
- Civilian labor force416,256
- Unemployment rate6.4 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over70.4 percent
- Rank by population among Georgia counties4th of 159
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included86th of 3,222
DeKalb County is the 4th largest of 159 Georgia counties by population. A median home costs 4.4 times median household income, which is seriously unaffordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 22.7 percent against 13.8 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
DeKalb County
Is DeKalb County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 2024770,307
- Census 2020 base population764,532
- Population change since the 2020 census base0.76 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 20242,260
- Births, 202410,016
- Deaths, 20245,200
- Natural change, 20244,816
- Net domestic migration, 2024-11,219
- Net international migration, 20248,755
- Total net migration, 2024-2,464
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-35,226
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1567th of 3,144
The county has grown 0.76 percent since the 2020 census base. Births exceeded deaths in 2024 by more than net migration took away, so the population grew even though more people left than moved in.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
DeKalb County
Where are people moving to DeKalb County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving33,527
- People arriving, from those returns52,602
- Tax returns filed by households leaving34,887
- Net household movement-1,360
- Adjusted gross income arriving$2.35 bn
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-461.9 m
- Average income of an arriving household$70,102
- Average income of a leaving household$80,609
- Largest single originFulton County (8,575 households)
- Largest single destinationFulton County (7,960 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fulton County | 8,575 | 12,787 | $857.5 m |
| Gwinnett County | 4,216 | 7,042 | $207.0 m |
| Cobb County | 1,821 | 2,687 | $120.5 m |
| Clayton County | 1,461 | 2,694 | $43.1 m |
| Henry County | 686 | 1,178 | $28.6 m |
| Rockdale County | 630 | 1,140 | $22.7 m |
| Newton County | 439 | 796 | $15.8 m |
| Los Angeles County | 316 | 476 | $26.5 m |
Households arriving report $10,507 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up. The largest single source of arrivals is Fulton County, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
DeKalb County
What is the DeKalb County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$59.34 bn
- County GDP, 2023$56.87 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.4 percent
- GDP change over five years36.4 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Georgia areas BEA publishes4th of 159
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes101st of 3,127
- GDP per resident$77,539
Output grew 4.4 percent in the latest year and 36.4 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
DeKalb County
Employment by industry in DeKalb County
- Covered employment, annual average310,019
- Establishments reporting23,556
- Average annual pay$76,011
- Average weekly wage$1,462
- Health care and social assistance, employment47,884
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$68,128
- Retail trade, employment33,681
- Retail trade, average annual pay$45,403
- Accommodation and food services, employment23,570
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$28,825
- Educational services, employment22,505
- Educational services, average annual pay$120,683
- Professional, scientific and technical services, employment22,054
- Administrative and support and waste management services, employment20,504
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 47,884 | 2,652 | $68,128 |
| Retail trade | 33,681 | 2,297 | $45,403 |
| Accommodation and food services | 23,570 | 1,764 | $28,825 |
| Educational services | 22,505 | 395 | $120,683 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 22,054 | 3,837 | $105,945 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 20,504 | 1,345 | $69,739 |
| Finance and insurance | 17,027 | 1,043 | $87,600 |
| Manufacturing | 13,200 | 635 | $73,839 |
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 47,884 jobs, 15.4 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
DeKalb County
How many businesses are in DeKalb County?
- Establishments, all industries18,258
- Employment at those establishments298,747
- Annual payroll$20.65 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents23.9
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
DeKalb County
Building permits in DeKalb County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20241,238
- Declared construction value permitted$330.9 m
- Single family units authorized853
- Multifamily units authorized385
- Multifamily share of units31.1 percent
- Average declared value per unit$267,306
- Units authorized per 1,000 households4.3
Single-family homes are 68.9 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
DeKalb County
SBA loans in DeKalb County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded937
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$673.9 m
- Average 7(a) approval$719,229
- Median 7(a) approval$343,600
- 10th percentile approval$40,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,998,500
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)9,502
- Jobs per approval10.1
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active110
- Distinct industries receiving approvals254
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer26.4 percent
- Loans on real estate terms247
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter643
- Franchise loans149
- Franchise share of approvals15.9 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (54)
- Most active lenderWells Fargo Bank National Association (58)
- 504 approvals recorded221
- 504 gross approval dollars$182.2 m
- Average 504 approval$824,213
- Median 504 approval$456,000
- Distinct CDCs active10
- 504 jobs per approval9.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved10.9
- Most active CDCFlorida Business Development Corporation (62)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$856.1 m
The average approval of $719,229 sits well above the median of $343,600, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. Only 26.4 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
DeKalb County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in DeKalb County
Do SBA loans in DeKalb County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded180
- Paid in full165
- Charged off15
- Charge-off rate on resolved loans8.3 percent
- Status: Exempt from disclosure578
- Status: Paid in full165
- Status: Charged off15
- Status: Cancelled132
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed47
Of the 180 loans that have reached a final outcome, 8.3 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
DeKalb County
SBA lending by place in DeKalb County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending33
- Atlanta, approvals308
- Decatur, approvals178
- Stone Mountain, approvals87
- Lithonia, approvals83
- Tucker, approvals79
- Brookhaven, approvals47
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta | 308 | $227,756,200 |
| Decatur | 178 | $131,197,700 |
| Stone Mountain | 87 | $63,470,600 |
| Lithonia | 83 | $57,754,800 |
| Tucker | 79 | $64,482,700 |
| Brookhaven | 47 | $18,212,900 |
| Doraville | 29 | $22,714,000 |
| Chamblee | 27 | $20,918,000 |
| 25 other borrower cities | 99 | $67,410,700 |
Atlanta accounts for 308 approvals against 178 in Decatur. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
DeKalb County
How large is DeKalb County?
- Land area268 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Georgia counties112th of 159
- Width, east to west18.8 mi
- Height, north to south22.6 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land2,856
- Establishments per square mile68.13
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
DeKalb County
Flood risk in DeKalb County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Dekalb County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 130065
- Community Rating System class of the county's own communityClass 7
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book14
- Of those, participating in the NFIP14
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Best Community Rating System class in the county A lower CRS class is a larger flood insurance premium discount.Class 6
- Communities carrying a CRS class3
- Radon levels in DeKalb County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/LZone 1
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Dekalb County (community 130065), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries Community Rating System class 7, a flood insurance premium discount for policies written there. The EPA places DeKalb County in radon zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. The best Community Rating System class among the county's communities is 6, which carries a flood insurance premium discount for policies written in that community. 100.0 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a DeKalb County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a DeKalb County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024765,351
- Households287,239
- Average household size2.66
- Median household income$80,644
- Median age36.4
Common questions
DeKalb County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in DeKalb County, Georgia?
The Census Bureau estimates 770,307 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 765,351, in 287,239 households, ranking 4th of 159 Georgia counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is DeKalb County's population growing?
The population has grown 0.76 percent since the 2020 census base of 764,532, to 770,307 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 10,016 births against 5,200 deaths, with net migration of -2,464. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in DeKalb County?
$80,644. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $357,800, which is 4.4 times income, and median gross rent is $1,692 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in DeKalb County?
18,258 establishments, employing 298,747 people with an annual payroll of $20.65 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in DeKalb County?
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 47,884 jobs, 15.4 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 310,019 jobs at an average annual pay of $76,011, or $1,462 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in DeKalb County?
937 7(a) approvals totaling $673.9 m since FY2020, across 110 lenders, with a median approval of $343,600, plus 221 504 approvals worth $182.2 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in DeKalb County get paid back?
Of the 180 loans that have reached a final outcome, 165 were paid in full and 15 charged off, a charge-off rate of 8.3 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
How many building permits were issued in DeKalb County?
1,238 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $330.9 m. Multifamily was 31.1 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for DeKalb County?
Zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to DeKalb County come from?
The largest single origin is Fulton County, with 8,575 households. Arriving households report an average income of $70,102 against $80,609 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for DeKalb County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for DeKalb County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
DeKalb County
Cities and places in DeKalb.
22 Census places lie wholly or partly in DeKalb County. All 22 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta | city | 505,268 | 308 | 6.6 percent here, 93.4 percent Fulton County |
| Stonecrest | city | 60,501 | 12 | Wholly in this county |
| Brookhaven | city | 57,855 | 47 | Wholly in this county |
| Dunwoody | city | 51,758 | 21 | Wholly in this county |
| Tucker | city | 37,123 | 79 | Wholly in this county |
| Redan | CDP | 31,017 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Chamblee | city | 30,895 | 27 | Wholly in this county |
| Decatur | city | 24,518 | 178 | Wholly in this county |
| Candler-McAfee | CDP | 20,905 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| North Decatur | CDP | 18,442 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| North Druid Hills | CDP | 17,997 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Clarkston | city | 14,557 | 12 | Wholly in this county |
| Belvedere Park | CDP | 14,181 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Doraville | city | 11,134 | 29 | 97.7 percent here, 2.3 percent Gwinnett County |
| Scottdale | CDP | 10,542 | 9 | Wholly in this county |
| Panthersville | CDP | 9,053 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Druid Hills | CDP | 8,169 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Gresham Park | CDP | 6,935 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Stone Mountain | city | 6,623 | 87 | Wholly in this county |
| Avondale Estates | city | 3,530 | 14 | Wholly in this county |
| Lithonia | city | 2,622 | 83 | Wholly in this county |
| Pine Lake | city | 882 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 30 of the county's 937 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in DeKalb County, the largest being Ellenwood (7), Conley (4), Lilburn (2). Those are postal cities, unincorporated areas and cities outside the county, so no place row claims them; they are counted in the county total above.
Nearby