Decatur is a compact, historic city about six miles east of downtown Atlanta and the seat of DeKalb County. Incorporated in 1823 and named for naval hero Stephen Decatur, it developed as a county seat and rail town before being absorbed into the wider Atlanta metropolis. Today the city's four-square-mile core retains a small-town scale despite its urban location: a courthouse-anchored square, tree-lined streets and neighborhoods of early-twentieth-century homes sit a short rail ride from one of the Southeast's largest employment centers. The city's economy and identity are shaped by education and government. Agnes Scott College, a nationally recognized liberal-arts college, occupies a large campus in the city's heart, while Emory University and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lie just beyond the northwest border. DeKalb County government employs many residents, and the city's downtown supports a dense cluster of independent restaurants, shops and offices. Decatur's residential character is defined by its older housing stock and walkability. Craftsman bungalows, Victorian and Tudor homes, and a handful of townhouse and condo developments fill neighborhoods that grew along streetcar and rail lines in the early twentieth century. Five locally designated historic districts protect the most intact blocks. Oakhurst, with its own village-style commercial district, and Winnona Park, near Agnes Scott, are among the most sought-after areas. For homebuyers, Decatur offers a rare combination in the Atlanta region: an in-town, walkable community with its own highly regarded school system and rail transit. The trade-off is a small, largely built-out footprint with an older housing stock, historic-district guidelines and strong demand for a limited supply of homes. Residents tend to value proximity — to the square, to schools, to MARTA — over large lots or new construction, which defines the city's distinct character.