The population of Georgia was 10.6 million people in 2019, about 1 million more than 2010, by U.S. Census estimates, and the 29-county metro Atlanta region sits at about 6 million.
The 2020 decennial Census results released in April reported that had reached 10.7 million.
But for the first time since 1990, the state will not add a congressional seat, as population growth slowed from the pace of the previous two decades.
Census 2020: Interactive map shows how Georgia counties changed since 2010
The state’s population is more diverse, better educated and older than it was in 2010. The city of Atlanta also reversed a decades-long trend of stagnant or even declining population, adding about 50,000 people from 2010 to 2019, according the Atlanta Regional Commission.
“The past decade in Atlanta has been defined by the rapidly growing entertainment and technology industries, and the influx of new residents those and other industries bring,” Mayor Bottoms said. “In each of the past two years, Atlanta has added roughly 10,000 residents. Looking ahead, as Atlanta continues to grow and prosper, we must ensure that longtime residents are able to remain in their neighborhoods.”
With the population growth, gentrification and displacement are major concerns.
The suburbs also are booming.
Georgia is the nation’s 8th largest state, according to the Census Bureau. The state has 159 counties.
RELATED: What is the population of metro Atlanta?
Cobb, Fayette, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry and Rockdale counties all grew by more than 10% since 2010, according to ARC estimates. Cherokee and Forsyth grew even more.
“The 2010s were the decade where we saw metro Atlanta slip from majority white to majority non-white,” said Mike Carnathan, a top number-cruncher at the ARC. “The younger cohorts are more diverse than the older cohorts. We’re not having as many babies. The growth is going to be from people of color.”
Through 2050, the ARC forecasts that the 21-county Atlanta region could add another 2.9 million people. The ones the region already has added and the millions to come all have to go somewhere.
>> RELATED | Map: Demographic patterns in every Georgia county, 1990-2050
Georgia’s largest counties (updated)
- Fulton County: 1,066,710
- Gwinnett County: 957,062
- Cobb County: 766,149
- DeKalb County: 764,382
- Clayton County: 297,595
- Chatham County: 295,291
- Cherokee County: 266,620
- Forsyth County: 251,283
- Henry County: 240,712
- Muscogee County, 206,922
Source: US Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census
Compiled and updated by Brian O’Shea
