Over the last several years, Atlanta has garnered a reputation as one of the country’s fastest-growing and most prolific technology hubs. Forbes Magazine named the metro area as one of the world’s elite tech towns, placing it in the number three spot of cities poised to become tech meccas in the near future. Cushman & Wakefield included Atlanta on its list of America’s 25 leading high-tech metro areas. The city has even been called the “Silicon Valley of the South.” And that’s just the beginning of Atlanta’s story as it continues its rise to becoming one of the nation’s top tech destinations.
Atlanta’s Tech Hot Spots
While the entire metro Atlanta area has the distinction of being integral to the growth of the local tech industry, there are a few locales that truly stand out.
- Midtown Atlanta: Home to Technology Square, Midtown has become one of the key districts of the local technology community. The area boasts 15 corporate innovation centers, several tech incubators and accelerators and more than 150 startups.
- Buckhead: Anchored by Atlanta Tech Village, a renowned technology incubator complex that is recognized as the fourth largest tech space in the nation, Buckhead is a major driver of Atlanta’s success in the tech arena.
- Alpharetta: Located 30 miles north of Atlanta, Alpharetta has emerged as a force to be reckoned with in the tech space. The metro city is home to 700 technology companies and has been called “The Technology City of the South.”
- Peachtree Corners: One of the first suburban areas to be recognized for its technology opportunities, Gwinnett County’s Peachtree Corners is home to such innovative spots as Atlanta Tech Park, which features space for more than 100 companies.
The Rankings
Atlanta is racking up an impressive list of accolades and acknowledgements in the tech arena. Here are just a few:
- #1 Metro Area Tech Hub (Business Facilities, 2020)
- #4 State for Percent of Female Workers in Tech Occupations (CompTIA, 2020)
- #4 Metro Area Cyber City (Business Facilities, 2020)
- #1 City for Startups That is Not New York or San Francisco (FitSmallBusiness.com, 2018)
- #1 Gaming Environment (WalletHub, 2019)
Atlanta also has the 11th largest tech talent labor pool nationally, as well as the highest growth rate of tech degree completion rates among the country’s leading tech hubs. (CBRE, 2021)
Metro Atlanta Incubators
Finding success in Atlanta’s tech sector begins with finding the best place to plant roots. The metro area is home to an array of incubators that are fostering the development of the city’s standout startups. Check out these innovative spaces:
- Atlanta Tech Village
Located in Buckhead - Atlanta Technology Development Center (ATDC)
Located at Georgia Tech in Midtown Atlanta - The Farm
Located at The Battery Atlanta - The Circuit
Located in Woodstock
Information Technology Programs
In recent years, students have flocked to metro Atlanta to study a wide array of subjects under the technology umbrella. Here’s where they go to access some of the best information technology and computer science programs in the country:
