Stonecrest is a city in DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The boundaries of the city generally lie in the far southeastern corner of the county, and a smaller portion just north of Interstate 20. The city borders the existing municipality of Lithonia, as well as Rockdale and Henry counties.
Stonecrest, Georgia | |
---|---|
Stonecrest in Metro Atlanta | |
Coordinates: 33°42′04″N 84°10′19″W / 33.70111°N 84.17194°W | |
Country | United States |
State | Georgia |
County | DeKalb |
Government | |
• Type | Mayor-Council |
• Mayor | Jazzmin Cobble |
Area | |
• Total | 37.97 sq mi (98.34 km2) |
• Land | 37.40 sq mi (96.87 km2) |
• Water | 0.57 sq mi (1.47 km2) |
Elevation | 883 ft (269 m) |
Population (2020) | |
• Total | 59,194 |
• Density | 1,582.60/sq mi (611.05/km2) |
Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
FIPS code | 13-73784[2] |
GNIS feature ID | 2786722[2] |
Website | stonecrestga.gov |
The city's population was 59,194 at the 2020 census,[3] which makes it the 15th-largest city in the state as well as the largest city that is entirely within DeKalb County, as Atlanta, the state capital, is located mostly within Fulton County.
History
editResidents in the area voted in the November 2016 General Election to approve the city. In March 2017, elections were held to elect representatives for five city council districts as well as mayor. Jason Lary, a former insurance executive, concert promoter, and advocate of incorporation was elected the city's first mayor.[4]
The area is home to the Mall at Stonecrest, for which it is named, as well as the Davidson-Arabia Nature Preserve, Flat Rock Archives, and Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area.[5][6][7]
The city had voted a plan to deannex 345 acres of its territory so that the Georgia Legislature could create a new city, to be called Amazon, Georgia, if Stonecrest had been selected to host Amazon's new corporate headquarters, a project which would result in billions of dollars of investment and the creation of 50,000 jobs,[8] a number equal to the estimated population of Stonecrest.[9]
Jason Lary, the former Mayor of Stonecrest pleaded guilty in federal court to stealing COVID-19 relief funds that were supposed to go to struggling businesses. Jason Lary, whose resignation went into effect at 10 a.m. Wednesday, January 5, 2022, pleaded guilty to three counts involving wire fraud, theft of government funds and conspiracy. Lary agreed that he diverted at least $650,000 in relief money by requiring Stonecrest churches and businesses to kick back a portion of their grant money to companies he controlled.[10]
Demographics
editCensus | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
2020 | 59,194 | — | |
U.S. Decennial Census[11] |
Race | Num. | Perc. |
---|---|---|
White (non-Hispanic) | 1,394 | 2.35% |
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 54,099 | 91.39% |
Native American | 67 | 0.11% |
Asian | 220 | 0.37% |
Pacific Islander | 10 | 0.02% |
Other/Mixed | 1,769 | 2.99% |
Hispanic or Latino | 1,635 | 2.76% |
In the 2020 United States census, there were 59,194 people, 20,325 households, and 11,759 families living in the city. Stonecrest in 2019 had a median household income of $49,865[13] and a median age of 32.9 years. 18.6% of the population live in poverty. The median property value in the city was $111,400. 43.3% of the population owns homes.
Places of Interest
editThe Mall at Stonecrest
editThe Mall at Stonecrest opened in 2001 and is home to over 100 stores and eateries.
Flat Rock Archives
editThe Flat Rock Archives is an African American museum which mission is to preserve the rural African American history in Georgia.
Arabia Mountain
editArabia Mountain is a part of the Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area and is the northern of two peaks in the Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve.
Education
editThe DeKalb County School District is the area school district.[14][15]
Elementary schools serving parts of Stonecrest and located in Stonecrest include: Murphy Candler, Fairington, Flat Rock, Panola Way, and Stoneview. Parts are also in the Redan, Princeton, and Rock Chapel elementary zones.[16]
Middle schools serving parts of Stonecrest include Salem Middle School (in Stonecrest), Lithonia Middle School (in Lithonia), and Miller Grove Middle School (near Stonecrest).[17]
High schools serving parts of Stonecrest include Lithonia High School (in Stonecrest), Miller Grove High School (in Stonecrest), and Martin Luther King High School (across from Stonecrest).[18]
A magnet school, Arabia Mountain High School, is in Stonecrest.
References
edit- ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
- ^ a b "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
- ^ "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Stonecrest city, Georgia". www.census.gov. Retrieved April 19, 2023.
- ^ Rosen, Sam (April 26, 2017). "The Border Battles of Atlanta". The Atlantic. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
- ^ "Information Lookup". Interdevgis.maps.arcgis.com. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
- ^ "The City of Stonecrest". stonecrestcityalliance.com. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
- ^ "Stonecrest Yes Committee | Dedicated to Self Governance of Our Future!". Stonecrestga.gov. June 9, 2017. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
- ^ "Town wants Amazon's new HQ so much it plans to split off new town called 'Amazon'". The Register. Retrieved October 4, 2017.
- ^ "City of Stonecrest designed for businesses". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved October 30, 2017.
- ^ "Former Stonecrest Mayor Jason Lary pleads guilty to federal fraud charges". FOX 5 Atlanta. January 5, 2022. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
- ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
- ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
- ^ "United States Census Bureau QuickFacts, Stonecrest City, Georgia". US Census Bureau. January 7, 2021. Retrieved March 7, 2022.
- ^ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: DeKalb County, GA" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved February 19, 2023.
- ^ "2020 CENSUS - CENSUS BLOCK MAP: Stonecrest city, GA" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved February 19, 2023. - Compare city map to DeKalb County school boundary maps.
- ^ "Elementary School Attendance Areas 2018 - 2019 School Year." DeKalb County School System. Retrieved on February 19, 2023.
- ^ "Middle School Attendance Areas 2018 - 2019 School Year." DeKalb County School System. Retrieved on February 19, 2023.
- ^ "High School Attendance Areas 2018 - 2019 School Year." DeKalb County School System. Retrieved on February 19, 2023.