Warner Robins MSA: Potential Market for Industry

and Technology CorridorApril 2014

 Shermaine PerryChristian PerrySilvia Trejo

History

• Established in 1821. • Known as a train stop for local farmers. • During World War II it was named in honor of

Brigadier General Augustine Warner Robins.• Shortly after, it secured the military base currently

known as Robins Air Force Base (RAFB).• Became a town in 1943 and a city in 1956. • This former farming community would soon catapult

into the largest industrial complex in the state.

Warner Robins MSA

Total area is 379.92 square miles

Population: 139,900

Population density per square mile is 372.5 people.

Purpose/Objective

• Offer policy recommendations for business and economic development 

• Planners have ambitions of transforming the area into an industry and technology corridor. This research team will analyze the prospective market for these corridors.

Balanced Growth by Age &  Sex

Insights

• the average household size of 2.61, comparable to the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta MSA with 2.68, and Nationwide with 2.58

• 71.4%, lives in family households, either as a married-couple or with other family

• slightly over 40% of the population travel less than 20 minutes to work

Warner Robins vs Atlanta

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 20130.0%

2.0%

4.0%

6.0%

8.0%

10.0%

12.0%

Unemployment Rate

Warner Robins MSA Atlanta MSA

Warner Robins vs Atlanta

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 $-   

 $5,000.00 

 $10,000.00 

 $15,000.00 

 $20,000.00 

 $25,000.00 

 $30,000.00 

 $35,000.00 

 $40,000.00 

 $45,000.00 

Per Capita Income

Atlanta MSA Warner Robins MSA

Warner Robins vs Atlanta

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 20120.0%

2.0%

4.0%

6.0%

8.0%

10.0%

12.0%

14.0%

16.0%

Poverty Rate

Atlanta MSA Warner Robins MSA

Emerging IndustriesIndustry Current LQ LQ Growth Differential Shift

237 Heavy and civil engineering construction 1.26 +0.70 130.06%

446 Health and personal care 1.63 +0.33 87.41%451 Sports, hobby, music instrument, book stores 1.27 +.012 48.59%

441 Motor vehicle and parts dealers 1.8 -0.003 32.80%488 Support activities for transportation 1.73 -0.034 45.04%

442 Furniture and home furnishings stores 1.26 -0.07 22.42%

445 Food and beverage stores 1.41 -.14 22.42%447 Gasoline stations 1.27 -.435 1.07%453 Miscellaneous store retailers 1.01 -3 3.24%541 Professional and technical services 1.51 -.28 16.84%621 Ambulatory health care services

623 Nursing and residential care facilities 1.16 -.33 7.88%

722 Food services and drinking places 1.63 -.23 22.35%811 Repair and maintenance 1.77 -.40 10.15%812 Personal and laundry services 1.07 -.28 7.16%327 Nonmetallic mineral product manufacturing 3.66 -.61 11.46%

Strategy

• Continue to enrich cluster around industrial complex– Explore supporting sectors: transportation, warehousing, etc

• Continue to adapt to consumer demand– Keeps population & attracts new residents– Improves tax digest

Population Growth

Concerns:• The existing economy for Houston 

County is heavily dependent on government employment, particularly Robins Air Force Base, and the retail trade and service industries necessary for its survival.

• Despite representing a relatively small percentage of the total employment, manufacturing industries contribute significantly to Houston County’s economy

TransportationMeans of Transportation to Work    White Black or 

African American

American Indian and Alaska Native

Asian Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander

Some Other Race

Hispanic or Latino (any race)

  Estimate Estimate Estimate Estimate Estimate Estimate Estimate EstimateTotal: 29,798 16,727 10,534 28 701 64 1,275 2,504Car, truck, or van - drove alone 24,539 14,364 8,484 8 593 57 649 1,654Car, truck, or van - carpooled 4,167 1,756 1,622 20 88 0 626 804Public transportation (excluding taxicab) 62 13 39 0 10 0 0 0Walked 356 169 157 0 0 0 0 30Taxicab, motorcycle, bicycle, or other means 322 217 98 0 0 7 0 0Worked at home 352 208 134 0 10 0 0 16

• This has two implications, one the residents are under utilizing the public means of transports and/or the walkways. The second implication could be that there is not enough public transportation options available to the residents and/or the public walkways are also not being maintain at a standard where they may be utilized as a means of transportation.

• Both result in the need to expand and upgrade their water/sewer and transportation infrastructure in order to keep pace with the demand for new commercial and industrial development

Housing and Population• Owner vacancy rate was a low 2.1% 

in 2000; while the renter vacancy rate was 11.2%. Both rates were higher than the State of Georgia and the nation. This is an indicator of the transient nature of the population due to the large workforce at RAFB. 

• With the exception of the working low/moderate income households, as mentioned above, the county’s lower than average housing costs, combined with the higher than average vacancy rates, plus above average household wages indicate sufficient affordable housing is available within Houston County.

Housing

• The number of housing units in Houston County increased from 27,397 to 44,509 between 1980 and 2000. The 17,112 units that were constructed during this period represent a 38% increase. 

• Approximately two-thirds of the housing units in 2000 were single-family detached. Manufactured homes more than doubled from 1980 to 2000 and represented 12.9% of the total housing units in the County.  

• Multi-family homes represented only 13.8% of the County’s housing stock. 

Land Use

Concern• Lack of definable downtown 

area or town center in Warner Robins and Centerville.

• Agricultural/forestry land is gradually succumbing to urban-type development.

• The number and quality of the signs in the County is becoming an increasing concern. 

Opportunity• Establishing redevelopment 

strategies for the older strip commercial areas that correspond with the overall neighborhood redevelopment plan.

• Taking advantage of new state program to acquire land to set aside for conservation and open space purposes or for the development of greenways, particularly in major wetland and floodplain areas.

References

Blakely, E. J., & Leigh, N. G. (2013).Planning local economic development: theory and practice (Fifth ed.). Los Angeles: Sage.Myers, D. (1992). Analysis with local census data: portraits of change. Boston: Academic Press."Houston County, Georgia." Economic Development -. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2014. <http://www.houstoncountyga.com/business/houston-county-economic-development.aspx>.Social Explorer Tables (SE), Census 2010, Census Bureau; Social ExplorerSocial Explorer Tables:  ACS 2008 to 2012 (5-Year Estimates) (SE), ACS 2008 – 2012 (5-Year Estimates), Social Explorer; U.S. Census BureauSocial Explorer Tables:  ACS 2005 to 2009 (5-Year Estimates) (SE), ACS 2005 -- 2009 (5-Year Estimates), Social Explorer; U.S. Census BureauHouston County, Georgia (Economic Development Plan)