Mableton is a town in Cobb County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2010 census, Mableton had a population of 37,115. When Brookhaven became a city in December 2012, Mableton became the largest unincorporated community in Metro Atlanta. It was named for Robert Mable, who on September 11, 1843, bought 300 acres of land. The Southern Railway opened a railroad station in Mableton in December 1881, and on June 28, 1882, the post office opened replacing the Bryantville post office about southeast. On August 19, 1912, Mableton was incorporated as a town but was disincorporated on August 17, 1916. The Robert Mable House and Cemetery, located off U.S. 78 on Floyd Road just north of Clay Road, now includes an amphitheater which hosts public events. Roy Barnes, governor of Georgia from 1999 to 2003, is from Mableton.
Geography
Mableton is located at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of, of which is land and, or 0.82%, is water.
Demographics
As of the census of 2010, there were 37,115 people in Mableton. The 5-year estimates of the 2018 American Community Survey state that 39.2% of the population was White, 48.5% African American, 0.2% Native American/Alaska Native, 2.2% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, 6.2% from some other race alone, and 3.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 18.0% of the population. Individuals who identified as White alone, not Hispanic or Latino, were 30.3% of the population. There were 2,115 identified veterans in the area as of 2018. Foreign born persons made up 18.1% of the population. As of 2018, the median income for a household in the CDP was $64,790. Males had a median income of $50,610 versus $46,239 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $31,474. About 11.9% of the population was below the poverty line. Among those aged 25 or older in 2018, 87.2% graduated from high school and 36.5% obtained a bachelor's degree or higher. As of the census of 2000, the population density was 1,444.4 people per square mile. There were 11,339 housing units at an average density of 550.8/sq mi. There were 10,894 households out of which 34.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.5% were married couples living together, 14.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.9% were non-families. 21.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.12. In that year, the population was spread out with 26.0% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 34.4% from 25 to 44, 21.2% from 45 to 64, and 9.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.2 males.
Recreation
The Silver Comet Trail runs through Mableton's northern border with Smyrna. The Mableton Community Garden is located at 5178 Floyd Road. Governor Roy Barnes provided a state grant for construction of a 2,500-seat amphitheater shortly after his appointment in 2000, fulfilling residents' desire dating back from the 1970s. The Mable House Barnes Amphitheater is a $7 million state and local investment and attracts numerous high-profile acts.
Education
operates public schools. The Georgia Japanese Language School, a part-time supplementary Japanese school, holds its classes at the Lindley 6th Grade Academy in Mableton; Lindley used to be the W. H. Barnes Education Center. The GJLA opened with nine students in 1974 at Oglethorpe University, serving grades 1 through 9. The school moved to W.H. Barnes in 2002. Whitefield Academy, a Christian preparatory school, is near Mableton and Smyrna. The SAE Academy is an "independent project-based learning school" for pre-school to 8th grade students located in Mableton. Primrose Schools, a private school for early preschool children, is in the Providence Pavilion neighborhood of Mableton.
Mableton Design Charette
In the summer of 2010, more than a hundred residents, bureaucrats, politicians, architects, designers and traffic engineers spent a week designing a vision for what downtown Mableton will look like. It was then formalized by Duany Plater-Zyberk into a plan that was unanimously approved by Cobb County's Board of Commissioners
Cityhood
As of 2020, a local initiative known as the South Cobb Alliance is fostering a debate for cityhood. A feasibility study conducted by the Carl Vinson Institute of Government stated that the potential city would generate $11.3 million in operating expenses and $14.6 million in revenue. Alternatively, nearby Smyrna is considering annexing parts of Mableton. This move would make Smyrna the largest city in Cobb County, surpassing the county seat of Marietta, and ultimately disrupt Mableton's cityhood efforts.
