Sandy Springs Community Profile

Government - Population - Transportation - Large Employers
Downtown Market Profile - Taxes

The City of Sandy Springs is situated in Fulton County, just 15 miles north of downtown Atlanta. Sandy Springs is a desirable residential area with many retail businesses and commercial properties. Sandy Springs is home to world-class health care facilities and quality schools. With its central location and transportation resources, residents of Sandy Springs have easy access to most parts of Atlanta with a short drive or MARTA ride.

Form of Government: The new City of Sandy Springs operates under the direction of Mayor Eva Galambos and six City Council Members, all of whom will be elected every four years starting November 8, 2005. Complete staff info can be found at www.sandysprings.org/city

Population: The city of Sandy Springs is Georgia’s 7th largest city with a population of 86,698 in the year 2005. (Source: Fulton County Department of Environment & Community Development, U.S. Census Data from 1990 and 2000.)

Year	Population	Per Capita Income	Median Age	Race	Median Home Value	Unemployment
1990	67,842	$33,637	N/A	89.6% White 7.6% African American 2.2% Hispanic	$231,700	2.4%
2000	85,781	$45,494	33.2	77.5% White 12% African American 9.9% Hispanic	$345,200	2.1%

Transportation: The major arteries of I-285 and Georgia 400 intersect in Sandy Springs. Additionally, the area contains four MARTA stations (Sandy Springs, Medical Center, North Springs, and Dunwoody) and contains several MARTA bus routes. Information on transportation options is available in the Visitor Center section of this website.

Prominent Companies: Sandy Springs is home to three Fortune 500 Companies: UPS (42), Newell Rubbermaid (304), and Cox Communications (322)*. Five Sandy Springs Companies are in the Top 40 of Georgia’s Public Companies as listed by the Atlanta Business Chronicle: UPS, Newell Rubbermaid, Beazer Homes, Superior Essex Inc., and Spectrum Brands Inc. Sandy Springs is also the home of Cingular Wireless, a joint venture between BellSouth and SBC, and Cox Enterprises, one of the nation’s top private companies. *Privatized since publication of last Fortune 500.

Largest Employer: UPS

Health Care: Sandy Springs has the largest concentration of major health care facilities in metro Atlanta including three major hospitals: Northside Hospital, St. Joseph's Hospital, and Childrens Healthcare of Atlanta.

Business District Market Profile: The Downtown Business District in Sandy Springs is centered around the intersection of Hammond Drive and Roswell Road and extends along the Roswell Road Corridor. Through redevelopment, the area is becoming a more vital live-work environment with improved pedestrian capabilities, more fashionable retail, and trendier restaurants. View demographic and stats.

Business Licenses: Business licenses are issued by the City of Sandy Springs.

Public Library: Sandy Springs is the home of the Sandy Springs Regional Library.

 Parks and Recreation: Public recreation facilities account for 678 acres (2.7%)* of Sandy Springs land use. Sandy Springs holds three sections of the Chattahoochee River national Recreation Area and eight county parks: Abernathy Park Arts and Crafts Center, Allen Road Park, Big Trees Forest Preserve, Hammmond Park, Morgan Falls, North Fulton Tennis Center, The Sandy Springs Historic Site, and Ridgeview Park (http://www.co.fulton.ga.us/departments/parks_rec_div_T154_R14.html). More information about these sites can be found in the Visitors Center Section of this Site (http://www.sandysprings.org/visitor/parks/index.html). (* Fulton County Land Use Plan for Sandy Springs through 2025)

Police and Fire Protection: The City of Sandy Springs will provide police and fire protection for the community once the new city government is in place.

Education: The Fulton County School System serves Sandy Springs. There are 90 schools in all of Fulton County. Sandy Springs is served by 4 public elementary schools, 2 public middle schools, and 2 public high schools. In addition, the residents of Sandy Springs have easy access to 41 private schools in the Metro Atlanta area. More information on schools in Sandy Springs is available in the Visitors Center.

Property Taxes: The property values are assessed by Fulton County. Properties are taxed by Fulton County, the Fulton County Board of Education, and the City of Sandy Springs. Fulton County taxes are due on October 15.

2005 Sandy Spring Property Tax Rates

City of Sandy Springs	$4.731*     or 4.731 mills
Fulton County	$11.645*  or 11.645 mills
Fulton County Schools	$13.107*  or 13.107 mills -------------------------------------
Sub Total County Millage	$29.483*  or 29.483 mills
State Taxes (5.00 + .25 mills)	$  5.25*
Total Millage with State Taxes	$34.733*  or 34.733 mills

*Per $1000 of assessed value of property.
From Fulton County Tax Commissioner Office.

Compiled by
SSPC July 2005
Author: Scott Sherrill