Acworth, Georgia
Seal of Georgia
Acworth · Cobb County, Georgia
Population 22,370 (est. 2026: ~22,700)
Source: Census ACS 2023 · ACS 2023 + 0.46% annual growth projection

Acworth, Georgia

Cobb County, Georgia · Population 22,440

Acworth sits at the northern edge of Cobb County, about 30 miles northwest of downtown Atlanta, where suburban development meets the older rhythms of a lakeside mill town. Lake Allatoona — a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reservoir — defines much of Acworth's identity and its weekends. The town incorporated in 1860, grew around the Western & Atlantic Railroad, and spent the late twentieth century absorbing Atlanta's sprawl. Today it occupies an unusual position: genuinely part of the metro, with commuters flowing south toward Marietta and Atlanta every morning, yet with a walkable historic downtown and a waterfront that give it something most edge cities lack. Kennesaw is the immediate neighbor to the south. Cherokee County begins just to the north. Everything from high school sports to hospital coverage ties Acworth into the broader northern Cobb corridor.

People & Demographics

The city's population of 22,440 makes it a mid-sized municipality inside Cobb County, which at 766,149 residents ranks among Georgia's largest counties. The median age of 36.8 reflects a working-age, family-oriented community. Of 8,260 occupied households, 5,194 are family households, and the average household size of 2.70 persons is consistent with that family character — 6,030 residents are children under 18.

Racially and ethnically, Acworth is notably diverse. White residents number 13,170; Black residents 5,029; Hispanic or Latino residents 3,796; and Asian residents 720. That mix is more diverse than much of the Cobb County suburban core, which has historically been among Georgia's whiter suburban counties. Acworth's demographic shift accelerated through the 2010s and continues.

Economy & Employment

Median household income stands at $74,643, above the Georgia statewide median, though per capita income of $35,413 tells a more modest individual story — a function of larger household sizes and a workforce that skews toward trades, logistics, and service jobs rather than high-wage professional concentrations. Of 12,458 residents in the labor force, 525 are unemployed. Some 1,811 residents live below the federal poverty line.

Most residents work outside Acworth itself, commuting into the broader Atlanta metro. The local economy supports retail, construction, and some manufacturing, but the major employment centers — Marietta, Kennesaw, and Atlanta — pull the bulk of the working population outward each day.

Housing

Acworth's 8,810 total housing units carry a vacancy rate of about 6.2 percent (550 vacant units), a reasonably tight market. Owner-occupied units number 5,142; renters occupy 3,118. The median home value of $270,600 is meaningful in Atlanta metro context — it sits below the broader metro's escalating median, making Acworth a relative entry point for buyers priced out of closer-in Cobb County communities like Smyrna or Marietta. Median rent of $1,419 per month reflects regional pressure and has climbed alongside demand from households seeking lake access and lower prices than southern Cobb.

Schools

Acworth falls within the Cobb County School District, one of Georgia's largest. The public school pipeline serving the area:

Allatoona High is the primary secondary school for the northern Cobb corridor. The density of elementary schools in this list reflects both the city's size and the surrounding unincorporated areas that share these facilities.

Getting Around

Acworth is car country. Of 11,757 workers, 9,179 drive alone to work — 78 percent. Another 1,053 carpool. Only 110 use public transit, and just 16 walk to work. A meaningful 1,198 work from home, roughly 10 percent of the workforce. Total aggregate commute time across all workers is 320,590 minutes, which works out to roughly 27 minutes average per commuter — consistent with a long but not brutal Atlanta-area drive. The nearest transit options connect south toward Marietta and the MARTA system, but Acworth has no direct rail service.

Healthcare

Cobb County residents, including those in Acworth, are served by WellStar Kennestone Regional Medical Center and WellStar Cobb Medical Center — both part of the WellStar Health System, which is the dominant hospital network in northwest metro Atlanta. Ridgeview Institute, a behavioral health facility, also operates in the county. For a searchable directory of individual physicians and providers registered in Acworth, the NPI Registry maintains current listings.

Library

The Crossroads Public Library serves Acworth and is reachable at 770-975-0197. It operates as part of the Cherokee County system given Acworth's position near the county line, supplemented by Cobb County Library System branches to the south.

Parks & Recreation

Lake Allatoona is the central recreational draw — boating, fishing, and swimming throughout the warmer months. Several Army Corps day-use areas border the lake; Galt's Ferry Day Use Area is one of the closest access points.

Three National Park Service units sit within reasonable distance:

Kennesaw Mountain in particular is a practical weekend destination for Acworth residents — heavily used trails, visible from much of northern Cobb.

Natural Hazards

Cobb County has a substantial FEMA disaster declaration record, and Acworth sits within that risk envelope. Declared events affecting the county since 1993:

The practical hazard profile for Acworth is ice storms in winter (infrastructure shuts down faster here than in northern states), severe thunderstorms and flooding in spring and summer, and periodic tropical remnants in late summer and fall. Lake Allatoona's dam system provides some flood buffering for downstream areas.

Government & Municipal Code

Acworth's municipal code is published and maintained through Municode: https://library.municode.com/ga/acworth

The city does not maintain a separate municipal building code in its Municode publication — state and county building standards govern construction.

Weather

Current forecasts and conditions for Acworth are available through the National Weather Service: NWS Forecast for Acworth · Active Weather Alerts

The nearest weather observation station is Acworth 5.5 NE, located 3.7 miles from the city center.

References

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