Metro Atlanta Population, August 2008: 5.5 million
Unemployment Rate, July 2008: 6.3 percent, the highest in 16 years.
Metro Atlanta Foreclosures, August 2008: 7,103, or one in every 289 homes (down from 8,015 foreclosures in August 2007).
Metro Atlanta Median Home Value, September 2008: $215,000
Fortune 500 Companies Based in Atlanta: 13, the fifth-highest concentration in the U.S. Includes Home Depot, UPS, Coca-Cola and Delta Airlines.
Dry Run: Lake Lanier, Atlanta’s main water supply, has dropped 15 feet since August 2006.
Sources: Forbes Magazine, Forbes.com, Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau, RealtyTrac’s U.S. Foreclosure Market Report, U.S. Department of Labor