EXHIBIT 99.1

MEMPHIS,  TN,  August  22nd,  2003 -  Mid-America  Apartment  Communities,  Inc.
(NYSE:MAA;  "Mid-America"  or "the  Company")  announced  today that it has sold
700,000 shares of its common stock to certain advisory clients of Cohen & Steers
Capital  Management,  Inc.  The sale is being  made  pursuant  to the  Company's
existing  shelf  registration  statement  previously  filed with,  and  declared
effective by, the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Pricing was set at $28.40 per share,  representing  a discount of 2% from its 10
day trading average of $28.97,  and net proceeds from the sale,  after deducting
expenses,  are expected to be  approximately  $19,870,000.  The proceeds will be
used to fund part of the purchase price of the limited partnership interest held
by Blackstone Real Estate Advisors  ("Blackstone") in BRE/MAAC  Associates,  LLC
("BreMaac")  which is expected to be completed  August 25th. The Company expects
to purchase Blackstone's partnership interest for approximately $21.8 million.

Blackstone  has a 2/3 interest in BreMaac,  which owns 10 properties  with 2,793
apartments.  Mid-America  owns the balance of BreMaac and manages the properties
on behalf of the partners.

Simon  Wadsworth,  CFO,  said "we expect the purchase to be accretive and add to
the safety of our common dividend. Once the refinancing of the ten properties is
completed  during next year,  we expect that it will add 4 cents of FFO/share to
the second half of next year, and 8 to 10 cents on a full-year  basis. Our prior
guidance anticipated this transaction and incorporates its impact".

The Company  does not  forecast  net income.  It is not  possible to  reasonably
predict the timing and certainty of  acquisitions  and  dispositions  that would
materially affect  depreciation,  capital gains or losses and minority interest,
or to forecast  extraordinary  items, which,  combined,  generally represent the
difference between net income and FFO.

Mid-America Apartment Communities is a NYSE traded multifamily REIT specializing
in  the  acquisition,  redevelopment  and  management  of  apartment  properties
throughout the southeast and south central US with 34,735 units under  ownership
and management. For further details, please refer to our website at www.maac.net
or contact Simon R. C.  Wadsworth at  901/682-6668,  ext. 105. 6584 Poplar Ave.,
Suite 300, Memphis, TN 38138.

The  Blackstone  Group, a private  investment  bank with offices in New York and
London,  was founded in 1985.  Blackstone's  Real  Estate  Group has raised four
funds representing  approximately $4 billion in total equity. The group has made
over 100 separate investments in hotels, offices and other commercial properties
with a total transaction value of about $13 billion. In addition to real estate,
The  Blackstone  Group's  core  businesses  include  Private  Equity  Investing,
Corporate Debt Investing,  Marketable Alternative Asset Management,  Mergers and
Acquisitions Advisory, and Restructuring and Reorganization Advisory.

Certain matters in this press release may constitute  forward-looking statements
within the meaning of Section 27-A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E
of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934. Such statements include, but are not
limited to, statements made about  anticipated  market  conditions,  anticipated
acquisitions,   redevelopment  opportunities,  and  property  financing.  Actual
results and the timing of certain  events  could  differ  materially  from those
projected in or contemplated by the  forward-looking  statements due to a number
of factors,  including a downturn in general economic  conditions or the capital
markets,  competitive  factors  including  overbuilding  or other  supply/demand
imbalances  in some or all of our markets,  changes in interest  rates and other
items that are difficult to control, as well as the other general risks inherent
in the  apartment  and real estate  businesses.  Reference is hereby made to the
filings of  Mid-America  Apartment  Communities,  Inc.,  with the Securities and
Exchange  Commission,  including quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, reports on Form
8-K, and its annual report on Form 10-K, particularly including the risk factors
contained in the latter filing.