Kennesaw Demographics

The City of Kennesaw's demographics and statistics are useful for a variety of research purposes. Below are the most frequently asked for facts and figures. If you require further information, please do not hesitate to contact the Community Development Department at (770) 429-4554.

Education Demographics

One of the most striking features Kennesaw's growth over the last 25 years has been the advances in educational levels. In 1970, for example, about 20% of residents had only elementary school education and just 220, or six percent of 3,548 residents, were college graduates. Now the situation is reversed and around 20% of city residents are college graduates and five percent have elementary-level education. Although national educational levels have also risen since 1970, Kennesaw's levels have surpassed national, state and regional increases. Between 1980 and 1990 the percentage of high school graduates in Kennesaw grew by 27%, compared to 20% for the Atlanta Region, 18% for Cobb County and 13% for the United States.

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The growth in educational achievement rates can be attributed to the suburbanization of Kennesaw. Most of the new residents are employed and, as typical workers in the Atlanta economy, have roughly the same demographics of the region as a whole. The typical new resident has at least some college. Judging from trends in Cobb County as a whole and allowing for the local situation, as many as one-third of new residents are college graduates. As the price of the average house in Kennesaw continues to rise-- there are more $200,000+ houses for sale in the City than ever before-- educational levels can be expected to rise even more due to the strong relationship between income and education.

Employment Demographics

Kennesaw is not just an area with impressive job growth, it is an area that will share in more jobs during the next 20 years than any other part of the Atlanta Region. The growth is a direct consequence of Town Center Mall, which is located at the convergence of I-75 and I-575, just over a mile from the western end of Kennesaw. The area in Census Tract 302.05, which contains the mall and the stretch of I-75 near the mall, will grow from 7,383 jobs in 1990 to 44,000 in 2020, while the Kennesaw Census Tract will grow from 3,000 jobs in 1990 to 12,000 jobs in 2020. It is important to note the differences in employment by sector for the two tracts.

Retail is the dominant sector in both tracts, but in the Town Center tract it accounts for 54% of all jobs, while only 41% in the Kennesaw tract. By 2020 both economies will diversify in relative terms, with retail to account for 44% of Town Center jobs and 35% of Kennesaw jobs, along with 28% for services and 13% for government.

Income Demographics

Per capita income in Kennesaw has usually been a little higher than Georgia's average except for the late 1970's to the mid 1980's. Probable reasons for the resurgence of Kennesaw's per capita income in the mid-1980's include its growing function as a bedroom community to Fulton County, which has the highest wages in the region, and job growth in Cobb extending all the way up to the Kennesaw area. When Town Center Mall opened in 1986 the area became a job center in its own right.

Since 1969 Kennesaw's median household income has been even higher than the per capita income in comparison to Georgia. The higher household income can in part be attributed to higher per capita incomes, but also significant is the larger household size and higher labor force participation rates for Kennesaw. The combined factors provide for more people in a house with more of them in the work force. Both of Kennesaw's income measures have traditionally been lower than Cobb County's, though due to Kennesaw's larger household size, household incomes have been closer to Cobb's level than the per capita income measure. The 2000 Census will more than likely show Kennesaw's income measures will be closer to Cobb County's than ever, though Kennesaw has quite a way to go to catch up. While the number of households in Kennesaw and Cobb making under $30,000 is about the same, 33% to 32% respectively, 28% of Cobb's households make over $60,000 compared to 16% of Kennesaw's.

Population Demographics

Kennesaw's population growth is intense. Kennesaw's population increased from 5,095 in 1980 to 21,675 in 2000, an increase of 325% in just 20 years; the Kennesaw Census Area also increased approximately 271% for that same period. The City began a growth spurt in 1985 which will last through the turn of the century. The growth of the Metropolitan region encouraged the rapid expansion of housing and ancillary businesses, leading to the population explosion in and around Kennesaw. Furthermore, Kennesaw is developing as its own commercial center to further expand the metro boundary.
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Kennesaw's gun ordinance, adopted in March 1982, reads as follows:

Code of Ordinances & Gun Law

Sec. 34-1 Heads of households to maintain firearms.

(a) In order to provide for the emergency management of the City (county), and further in order to provide for and protect the safety, security and general welfare of the city (county) and its inhabitants, every head of household residing in the City (county) limits is required to maintain a firearm, together with ammunition therefore.

(b) Exempt from the effect of this section are those heads of households who suffer a physical or mental disability, which would prohibit them from using such a firearm.

Further exempt from the effect of this section are those heads of households who are paupers or who conscientiously oppose maintaining firearms as a result of beliefs or religious doctrine, or persons convicted of a felony.
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