(a) In order to be designated as an enterprise zone, a nominated area shall meet at least three of the four criteria specified in subsections (b), (c), (d), and (e) of this Code section. In determining whether an area suffers from poverty, unemployment, or general distress, the governing body shall use data from the most current United States decennial census and from other information published by the Federal Bureau of the Census, the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the Georgia Department of Labor. In determining whether an area suffers from underdevelopment, the governing body shall use the data specified in subsection (e) of this Code section. The data shall be comparable in point or period of time and methodology employed.

(b) Pervasive poverty shall be evidenced by showing that poverty is widespread throughout the nominated area and shall be established by using the following criteria:

(1) The poverty rate shall be determined from the data in Table P121 contained in Census_of_Population_and_Housing,_1990:_Summary Tape_File_3A,_on_CD-ROM_(Georgia), prepared by the U.S. Bureau of Census (1992);

(2) For each census geographic block group within the nominated area, the ratio of income to poverty level for at least 20 percent of the residents shall be less than 1.0;

(3) In at least 50 percent of the census geographic block groups within the nominated area, the ratio of income to poverty level for at least 30 percent of the residents shall be less than 1.0;

(4) Census geographic block groups with no population shall be treated as having a poverty rate which meets the standards of paragraph (2) of this subsection but shall be treated as having a zero poverty rate for the purpose of applying paragraph (3) of this subsection; and

(5) All parcels of a nominated area must abut and may not contain a noncontiguous parcel, unless such nonabutting parcel qualifies separately under the criteria set forth under paragraphs (2) and (3) of this subsection.

(c) Unemployment shall be evidenced by the use of data published by the Office of Labor Information Systems of the Georgia Department of Labor indicating that the average rate of unemployment for the nominated area for the preceding calendar year is at least 10 percent higher than the state average rate of unemployment or by evidence of adverse economic conditions brought about by significant job dislocation within the nominated area such as the closing of a manufacturing plant or federal facility.

(d) General distress shall be evidenced by adverse conditions within the nominated area other than those of pervasive poverty and unemployment. Examples of such adverse conditions include, but are not limited to, a high incidence of crime, abandoned or dilapidated structures, deteriorated infrastructure, and substantial population decline.

(e) Underdevelopment shall be evidenced by data indicating development activities, or lack thereof, through land disturbance permits, business license fees, building permits, development fees, or other similar data indicating that the level of development in the nominated area is at least 20 percent lower than development activity within the local governing body's jurisdiction.