What do Georgia’s cities mean to their local leaders and residents? How can we communicate why they matter? The Georgia Municipal Association provides an annual data snapshot to help answer these questions and tells a brief but comprehensive story of the achievements – and challenges – in its 538 member cities.

Cities play a vital role in the state’s economy by providing jobs and producing the vast majority of Georgia’s gross domestic product. They do so despite taking up a small proportion of the state’s land, containing less than half of the state’s population, and being predominantly small in terms of population size.

Georgia’s cities are attractive places to live, so much so that their population growth outpaces that of the state. City populations also increase by about a quarter every day due to commuting.

Cities provide important services to residents and visitors alike. But revenue streams to fund essential items such as water, sewer, or fire and police protection are limited because most of the state’s tax-exempt property is located in cities.

Cities are doing their part to invest in the future. Local governments receive overwhelming voter approval for special local option sales taxes (SPLOST) to fund capital projects. Whether on a county-wide or regional basis, cities collaborate with other local governments to maintain and improve Georgia’s infrastructure.

And yet, local funds will not always be enough. Use this document in your advocacy efforts for a long-term, strong local-state-federal partnership and help GMA and your city address local infrastructure needs.