Key Industries

See which industries meet in Atlanta

A powerhouse of higher education

Atlanta’s higher education institutions are numerous, spanning from historically black colleges and universities to technical colleges, top research institutions and schools of art, medicine and theology.

• 66 colleges and universities enrolling more than 275,000 students each year and seven technical colleges enrolling more than 60,000 students
• #1 metro for industrial/manufacturing/operations engineering Bachelor Degrees awarded
• According to CBRE: Commercial Real Estate Services, Metro Atlanta is the No. 3 market for educational attainment.
• Forbes named Atlanta to its top 10 cities for young graduates list in 2016.
• In 2017, NerdWallet ranked Atlanta as one of the top 10 cities for recent college grads noting its relatively low cost of living and abundance of jobs in high-tech industries.

Global leader in supply chain management

With numerous resources and companies dedicated to the supply chain, manufacturing and automotive business, Atlanta is a hub for the industry in the Southeast and United States.

• Atlanta ranks among the top 20 metro areas in the U.S. for manufacturing jobs.
• Georgia is the No. 1 state for distribution and supply chain hubs.
• Atlanta is home to the world’s most traveled passenger airport, which houses 1.3 million square feet of cargo warehouse space. Georgia’s 1,248 miles of interstate highways place Atlanta and its airport among the nation’s major trucking hubs.
• Atlanta is the rail center of the South, and Georgia’s 4,643 miles of rail make it the most extensive rail system and largest intermodal hub in the East.
• Deloitte ranked Atlanta the No. 2 metro city for supply chain in the country.

Leader in innovation and implementing technologies

Metro Atlanta is a world-class hub for technology and internet mobility, leading the way in creating a national center for innovation and industry growth.

• Atlanta is the No. 4 fastest-growing metro area in the U.S. Powered by the strength of more than 13,000 technology companies, the city is established for its strengths in telecom, cybersecurity, digital media and a thriving mobility ecosystem.
• Atlanta is also home to the third-highest concentration of FORTUNE 500 company headquarters.
• Atlanta is an entrepreneurial hub for more than 1,000 technology startups.
• According to Forbes, Atlanta is the No. 3 American city poised to become one of tomorrow’s tech meccas.
• One of the fastest-growing metros for technology in the nation, Atlanta has 17,000 technology companies employing 206,000 high-tech professionals.

Nation’s health IT capital

Atlanta is often referred to as the nation’s health IT capital and is at the forefront of consumer digital health.

• The Health IT industry in Georgia already leads the nation with more than 200 companies and more than $4 billion in annual reported revenue and 16,000 employees.
• With a solid base of software, biotechnology and telecommunication companies and more than 20 incubators, Atlanta is a hotbed for innovation and a hatchery for high-tech startups.
• Atlanta ranks third in research facility space among all U.S. bioscience clusters.
• The Bioscience industry is firmly rooted in the state, with more than 100,000 jobs and an annual economic impact of $23 billion.
• Atlanta is among the top 20 metros in the nation for employment in research, testing and medical laboratories.
• The HIT sector in Georgia is one of the strongest in the U.S. because of the state’s robust telecommunications infrastructure, healthcare system, skilled workforce and pro-business environment.
• The region’s bioscience community, which has grown substantially, is equally active and is recognized as the center for global health.

Rich religious and cultural landscape

Atlanta has embraced its identity as a welcoming and hospitable city through its diverse communities, global presence and hundreds of organizations dedicated to faith, fraternity and culture.

• Atlanta has more than 100 churches, 20 mosques, nearly as many Buddhist centers and five Hindu temples,including the largest Hindu temple outside of India.
• Atlanta is home to more than 20 interfaith organizations.
• Atlanta has dozens of organizations dedicated to the gathering of different groups of people with special interests and celebrating everything from heritage, race and gender to occupation.