DeKalb District 2 Profile
Welcome to District 2 in DeKalb County!
Commissioner Michelle Long Spears has represented District 2 on the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners since 2023. Commission District 2 covers much of the middle-western portion of the county and includes the cities of Brookhaven and Decatur as well as a portions of the City of Atlanta. It is home to several landmarks such as the Fernbank Natural History Museum and the Callanwolde Fine Arts Center, as well as some of the county’s most popular parks.
A Quick Demographic Overview of District 2
According to the 2019-2023 American Community Survey, District 2 is home to almost 150,000 DeKalb residents, which is an increase of almost 18,000 since 2010. This 13.6 percent increase is slightly faster than the County’s growth rate since 2010.
Due to a diversity of housing types and a healthy mix of residential, institutional and commercial uses, District 2’s population density is significantly higher than the County as a whole and more than double that of the 11-county Atlanta region.
Age Profile of District 2 Residents
District 2 has a large presence of college-aged and early-career professionals, with about one in every four residents between the age of 20 and 34, a fact clearly aided by the proximity of Agnes Scott College and Emory University. Because of this age profile and the presence of high performing public schools, District 2 has seen an increase in children (those under 18) while the DeKalb and the 11-county Atlanta region has experienced decreases in this youngest age cohort.
Race/Ethnicity Profile of District 2 Residents
District 2 is diverse. While the majority of District 2 residents identify as White, it also has larger percentages of Asian, Hispanic/Latino and “other” (i.e. those identifying as Native American or two or more races) populations when compared to DeKalb County and the 11-County region. Since 2010, District 2 has actually seen a five-percentage point decline in White populations, a similar trend experienced throughout the region.
A Quick Look at the Socioeconomic Characteristics of District 2 Residents
A whopping 75 percent of District 2 residents have at least a bachelor’s degree, which is more than double than that for both DeKalb County and the 11-county Atlanta region. Again, with the proximity to both CDC and Emory University which require a highly educated workforce, this should come as no surprise. Because District 2 is highly educated, it also should come as no surprise that it has the highest median household income in the county.
Quality of Life in District 2
District 2 is home to many parks, restaurants, healthcare facilities, shopping centers, and educational institutions. The DeKalb County Department of Planning and Sustainability has created a profile of District 2 that highlights many of the features of District 2 that make it a great place to live. A quick overview of the numbers that indicate a high quality of life may be seen in this graphic created by the DeKalb County GIS Department:
District 2 Profile PDF
A downloadable pdf of the most recent District 2 profile from the DeKalb County Department of Planning and Sustainability provides additional information about the population, housing, economics, transportation, and community resources available in District 2.