Metro Atlanta

Carroll County is in the catbird seat: close enough to Atlanta to share in its spillover growth, but not too close for comfort.

Fast facts about Carroll County: population, municipalities, unemployment rate, per capita income, higher education, top employers.

Calling the next Bill Gates: Carroll County may just have what you're looking for.

New Urbanism jumped to the forefront last October when Metro Atlantans witnessed the opening of Atlantic Station.

A rich diversity of students, a small campus and a rigorous liberal arts education are hallmarks of Oxford College of Emory University, says Joe Moon, dean of student life at Oxford.

Fast facts about Newton County: population, unemployment rate, per capita income, municipalities, top employers.

Cobb County is maturing into an efficient, multifaceted blend of urban and suburban cultures.

Fast facts about Cobb County: population, municipalities, unemployment rate, per capita income, top employers.

Austell is Cobb's ultimate paradox - the county's smallest city, with an official population around 6,000, is also the closest to Atlanta and Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

Marietta Redevelopment Director Gary Mongeon is anticipating a lot of action out of this year's Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) referendum, which passed in September. As he puts it, "There's a ton of stuff going on in Marietta right now."