Pine Lake, Georgia
Seal of Georgia
Pine Lake · DeKalb County, Georgia
Population 915 (est. 2026: ~800)
Source: Census ACS 2023 · ACS 2023 + -3.61% annual growth projection

Pine Lake, Georgia

DeKalb County, Georgia · Population 752

Pine Lake sits inside the Atlanta metro, tucked between Decatur and Stone Mountain in eastern DeKalb County. It is one of the smallest incorporated cities in Georgia — a single square mile of residential streets, mature trees, and a genuine lake at its center. The lake itself is the social anchor: neighbors swim in it, kids grow up around it, and the community maintains it with an intentionality that sets Pine Lake apart from the surrounding suburban sprawl. This is not a pass-through place. People move here deliberately, often because they want a small-town feel without leaving one of the country's largest metro areas.

People & Demographics

The ACS 2022 estimates put Pine Lake's population at 888. Median age is 42.4, running notably older than DeKalb County's broader population base — a reflection of long-term homeowners who have stayed put. The town is majority white (650 residents), with a Black population of 166, 13 Hispanic or Latino residents, and 5 Asian residents.

The 429 households average 2.07 people each, which is small even by DeKalb standards. Of those households, 249 are family households. Children under 18 number 173, representing just under 20% of the population — a modest but present family contingent.

Economy & Employment

Median household income in Pine Lake is $68,359, and per capita income sits at $39,280. For context, Georgia's statewide median household income runs in the low-to-mid $60,000 range, placing Pine Lake slightly above average. Sixty-six residents fall below the poverty line out of 888 counted — a rate of roughly 7.4%, which is low relative to DeKalb County overall.

Of 512 residents in the labor force, 23 are unemployed, an unemployment rate around 4.5%. The workforce here is notably educated: among the 666 residents 25 and older, 263 hold a bachelor's degree and 102 a master's. Sixteen residents hold doctorates. The combined share of residents with at least a bachelor's degree is high enough to suggest that professional and knowledge-sector employment dominates. Only 45 residents' highest credential is a high school diploma.

Housing

Pine Lake has 519 total housing units, of which 429 are occupied and 90 are vacant — a vacancy rate of about 17.3%. Owner-occupied units number 251; renters occupy 178. That 58/42 owner-to-renter split leans toward ownership, consistent with the town's character as a stable residential enclave.

Median home value is $258,800. Median gross rent runs $1,370 per month. Both figures are meaningful in the Atlanta metro context, where values in adjacent Decatur and Stone Mountain vary widely. Pine Lake's housing stock is relatively modest in size but appreciating alongside broader metro trends.

Schools

The school data attached to this record references Dooly County Elementary School (grades pre-K through 5, 507 students) and Dooly County Middle School (grades 6–8, 251 students) — both assigned to a different Georgia county than DeKalb, which suggests a data mismatch at the source. Residents should verify current school assignments directly with DeKalb County School District, which serves the incorporated city of Pine Lake.

Getting Around

Of 483 workers, 297 drive alone to work. Another 47 carpool. Only 7 use public transit — a strikingly low number for a place inside the Atlanta metro, where MARTA rail and bus service exists nearby. The standout figure: 132 workers — about 27% — work from home, well above state and national averages. Aggregate commute time across all workers totals 10,430 minutes, averaging roughly 21.6 minutes per worker. That's a manageable Atlanta-area commute, but the car is essentially required for most trips.

Healthcare

Pine Lake has no hospital within its limits. Residents draw on the dense network of DeKalb County hospitals and Atlanta health systems — Emory Decatur Hospital is among the closest major facilities. Morehouse School of Medicine, a historically Black medical school with clinical programs, is reachable at 404-752-1500. A full search of licensed providers in Pine Lake is available through the CMS NPI Registry.

Library

The Flat Shoals Branch of the DeKalb County Public Library system is the nearest branch, 1.0 mile from Pine Lake. Phone: 404-244-4370.

Parks & Recreation

Three National Park Service sites are within reasonable driving distance of Pine Lake:

The lake at the heart of Pine Lake itself provides swimming and community gathering space that most Atlanta-area suburbs simply don't have.

Natural Hazards

DeKalb County has accumulated fifteen FEMA disaster declarations since 1993, giving a clear picture of what Pine Lake residents have faced:

The winter storm and hurricane pattern is the defining hazard profile. Georgia's ice storms are disproportionately disruptive relative to snowfall totals, and DeKalb County's elevation and tree canopy make power outages a serious recurring risk.

Government & Municipal Code

Pine Lake's municipal code is published through Municode and accessible at library.municode.com/ga/pine_lake. The city does not have an adopted local building code on record. Residents and contractors should confirm which state-level codes apply for permitting purposes.

Weather

Current forecasts and conditions for Pine Lake are available from the National Weather Service: NWS Forecast · Active Alerts. The nearest reporting station is Decatur 3.9 SE, approximately 2.5 miles from town.

References

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