Riverdale, Georgia
Seal of Georgia
Riverdale · Clayton County, Georgia
Population 14,866 (est. 2026: ~14,600)
Source: Census ACS 2023 · ACS 2023 + -0.5% annual growth projection

Riverdale, Georgia

Clayton County, Georgia · Population 15,129

Riverdale sits about 15 miles south of downtown Atlanta, close enough to feel the pull of the metro but distinct enough to have its own identity. It's a majority-Black suburban city — 84 percent of residents identify as Black — built around working families, a dense school system, and a housing market that remains accessible by metro Atlanta standards. Clayton County surrounds it, and the county's infrastructure — Southern Regional Medical Center, the county school district, MARTA connections — shapes daily life as much as anything Riverdale administers itself. This is not an affluent suburb. It's a functional, affordable, community-rooted city where the median household income clears $61,000 and homeownership edges out renting.

People & Demographics

Riverdale's population of 14,933 (ACS 2022) skews toward a working-age community, with a median age of 37.4. The racial breakdown is direct: 12,606 residents identify as Black, 984 as Asian, 810 as white, and 500 as Hispanic or Latino. That's a level of demographic concentration that reflects broader Clayton County patterns — the county of 297,595 is one of the most diverse in Georgia but similarly majority-Black.

The city holds 5,715 households, of which 3,507 are family households. Average household size is 2.59. Children under 18 number 3,429, meaning roughly one in four residents is a minor — a figure that explains the city's substantial school infrastructure.

Economy & Employment

The median household income of $61,622 positions Riverdale near the Georgia state median, though per capita income at $29,406 reflects a city of moderate earners rather than high-income professionals. Of 8,267 residents in the labor force, 249 are unemployed — a rate that has tracked relatively tightly in recent years. Poverty touches 2,157 residents, or roughly 14 percent of the population, above most suburban Atlanta norms but not unusual for a working-class Clayton County city.

Riverdale is not a major employment hub. Most residents work elsewhere — Atlanta, the airport corridor, or other parts of the county — and commute outward daily.

Housing

Housing in Riverdale is genuinely affordable by metro Atlanta standards. The median home value is $145,800, and median rent sits at $1,154 per month. Of 6,233 total housing units, 5,715 are occupied and 518 are vacant — a vacancy rate of about 8.3 percent, suggesting a reasonably tight market without the stress of near-zero inventory.

Owner-occupied units number 3,100; renter-occupied units total 2,615. That 54/46 split leans slightly toward ownership, which is notable for a city with this income profile and home price point — the math works for buyers here in a way it doesn't in most of metro Atlanta.

Schools

Riverdale falls under Clayton County Public Schools. The school footprint within and immediately adjacent to the city is substantial:

High Schools - Charles R. Drew High School — Grades 9–12, 1,652 students - Riverdale High School — Grades 9–12, 1,333 students

Middle Schools - Sequoyah Middle School — Grades 6–8, 842 students - Riverdale Middle School — Grades 6–8, 660 students

Elementary Schools - Harper Elementary School — 722 students - Church Street Elementary School — 698 students - Riverdale Elementary School — 635 students - Oliver Elementary School — 539 students - Pointe South Elementary School — 531 students - Lake Ridge Elementary School — 505 students

Charter/Alternative - Dubois Integrity Academy — Grades K–7, 1,320 students

Total enrollment across these schools exceeds 9,400 students. For a city of 15,000, that's a dense concentration of school-age population and reflects the county-wide commitment of infrastructure to this corridor.

Getting Around

Of 7,261 workers, 5,222 drive alone — about 72 percent. Another 574 carpool. Notably, 500 residents use public transit, which is higher than most Clayton County cities and reflects Riverdale's MARTA bus access and proximity to rail. Another 176 walk to work, and 499 work from home.

Aggregate travel time for all commuters totals 216,370 minutes. With 7,261 workers, that averages roughly 30 minutes per commute each way — consistent with a city that sends most workers into Atlanta or the airport corridor.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is among the closest major employment anchors for the region and is reachable in well under 30 minutes from Riverdale.

Healthcare

Southern Regional Medical Center serves as the primary hospital for this part of Clayton County and is located in Riverdale. It provides general acute care for the area.

Riverwoods Behavioral Health System, also in Riverdale, provides inpatient and outpatient psychiatric and behavioral health services — an important resource in a county with significant mental health infrastructure needs.

For a full list of licensed healthcare providers in Riverdale, the CMS NPI Registry can be searched directly: NPI Provider Search — Riverdale, GA

Library

The Riverdale Branch Library serves the city as part of the Clayton County Library System. Phone: (770) 472-8100. It functions as a community anchor for residents without home internet access and provides programming for the city's significant child population.

Parks & Recreation

No municipal parks data was available. The nearest National Park Service sites accessible from Riverdale include:

Natural Hazards

Clayton County has a long federal disaster history, and Riverdale has been in the impact zone for most of it. FEMA declarations affecting the county include:

The pattern is clear: Clayton County deals with tropical weather impacts, ice storms, and periodic severe flooding. Residents should carry flood and wind coverage and take winter storm advisories seriously — Atlanta's ice events have triggered federal declarations multiple times.

Government & Municipal Code

Riverdale's municipal code is published through Municode and available at library.municode.com/ga/riverdale. No separate local building code is on file — the city operates under state and county building standards.

Weather

Current forecasts for Riverdale are available through the National Weather Service: NWS Forecast — Riverdale, GA

Active weather alerts: NWS Alerts

The nearest weather observation station is Riverdale 3.0 WSW, approximately 2.9 miles from the city center.

References

The law belongs to the people. Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 590 U.S. (2020)