Marietta, Georgia

Marietta is an Atlanta suburb located in central Cobb County, Georgia⁶, and is its county seat. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 58,748. Unfortunately, most visitors encounter Marietta only as a speed trap on Interstate 75.

Southern Polytechnic State University and Life University are located here, and the city operates its own school district, separate from the county. Dobbins Air Reserve Base is on the south side of town, separated from SPSU by a Lockheed-Martin manufacturing plant. The major local landmark in Marietta is the Big Chicken, a large, metal, animated chicken structure atop what is now a Kentucky Fried Chicken, located east of downtown at the city's busiest intersection. Even as the city has become more urbanized, locals still give directions by referencing it.

The city also operates Marietta FiberNet, a fiber optic network currently being sold to a company, and Marietta Power, both under the auspices of the Board of Lights & Water (BLW). The BLW is also party to the Cobb-Marietta Water Authority.

Downtown Marietta features Glover Park, the historic town square and former location of the county courthouse. The Strand Theatre on the square is being renovated back to its original design. CSX trains between Atlanta and Chattanooga still run a block west of the town square, past the train depot (now the visitor center) and the Kennesaw House, one of only two buildings in Marietta not burned to the ground in Sherman's March to the Sea.

Marietta's sister cities are Heredia, Costa Rica and Linz am Rhein, Germany.

The city's official website is located at http://www.city.marietta.ga.us.

Geography

Marietta is located at 33°57'12" North, 84°32'26" West (33.953353, -84.540614)¹.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 56.9 km² (22.0 mi²). 56.7 km² (21.9 mi²) of it is land and 0.2 km² (0.1 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.27% water.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there are 58,748 people, 23,895 households, and 13,022 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,036.2/km² (2,684.1/mi²). There are 25,227 housing units at an average density of 445.0/km² (1,152.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 56.49% White, 29.50% African American, 0.32% Native American, 2.97% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 7.99% from other races, and 2.65% from two or more races. 16.93% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 23,895 households out of which 27.8% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.4% are married couples living together, 13.8% have a female householder with no husband present, and 45.5% are non-families. 32.8% of all households are made up of individuals and 6.9% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.39 and the average family size is 3.05.

In the city the population is spread out with 22.4% under the age of 18, 14.1% from 18 to 24, 39.4% from 25 to 44, 15.7% from 45 to 64, and 8.3% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 30 years. For every 100 females there are 101.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 100.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $40,645, and the median income for a family is $47,340. Males have a median income of $31,186 versus $30,027 for females. The per capita income for the city is $23,409. 15.7% of the population and 11.5% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 21.3% are under the age of 18 and 10.2% are 65 or older.

Big Chicken

The extraordinary attention paid to the Big Chicken, a grotesque advertisement situated on an otherwise undistinguished intersection, reflects both the pervasive ugliness of unrestrained suburban growth and the pathetic emotional need to relate to a marker or place of orientation of any kind in a sea of sameness. Suburbs like Marietta have difficulty establishing identities separate from their core urban areas. This problem is exacerbated when they are suburbs of cities like Atlanta that are themselves poorly defined.

Further reading

Albert C. Smith and Kendra Schank, "A Grotesque Measure for Marietta", Journal of Urban Design, 13574809, Oct99, Vol. 4, Issue 3.