Alpharetta Has More Jobs Than Roswell and Johns Creek

Alpharetta ranks 12th in population among Georgia cities, but it is seventh in the number of jobs within the city.

Fewer people work within the city limits of Roswell and Johns Creek–combined–than work in Alpharetta.

A Georgia State University Andrew Young School of Business report, "Jobs in Georgia's Municipalities:  Distribution, Type, and Quality of Jobs," confirms the trend of Alpharetta's daytime population increase.

A majority of the jobs in Alpharetta–56 percent–are considered premium quality according to the study, authored by Zackary Hawley. The premium job pays over $50,000 per year; the mid-range job pays between $35,000 and $50,000 per year; the low-paying job pays below $35,000.

"That doesn't surprise me," said Al Nash of Progress Partners of North Fulton Atlanta. He said it is "indicatory that Alpharetta infrastructure, quality of life and office product and infrastructure we have in place."

Nash said the area has approximately 40 data centers because of the great fiber optics and power grid here.

Georgia leads the southeast in health care technology companies, and a majority of those are based in North Fulton. And job growth in technology benefits Alpharetta and North Fulton, he said.

"We sort of are getting recognized of the technology city of the South," Nash said.

With 23 hotels and large retail centers on North Point Parkway (including North Point Mall) and Windward Parkway, the city has many jobs in those areas. But leisure and hospitality makes up 9.59 percent of the jobs, while wholesale and retail trade include 16.91 percent of the positions. Wholesale trade, however, is considered a premium job, but the report does not separate the two types of trade. Only 28 percent of the jobs in Alpharetta are considered low paying.

Considering premium jobs include management of companies; information; management, science and technology; and finance and insurance, and the conclusions of the report aren't too surprising. Almost 28 percent of the jobs are qualified as information, financial or real estate.

Milton is shown to be the more rural city that its residents prefer. Its population is approximately two thirds that of Alpharetta, but it only has about a 12th as many jobs. However, 34 percent of those jobs are considered premium, and another 31 percent mid-range.

Meanwhile, low-paying jobs–40 percent–make up the highest percentage of jobs in Johns Creek, while 36 percent of the jobs are premium and 24 percent mid-range.

North Fulton's six cities comprise 5.26 percent of all jobs in the state, which bodes well for a reemergence of Milton County, if politicians can ever agree to allow that to happen. (And then voters have to get involved.)