DeKalb County will be home to more than 1 million people by 2050 and see a rise in the percentage of Hispanic residents, according to projections released this week by the Atlanta Regional Commission.
ARC predicts that over the next several decades, DeKalb’s population will grow by more than 277,000, from 735,000 in 2015 to just over 1 million in 2050.
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It follows a forecast trend of growth across the 21-county metro area, which ARC predicts will add 2.9 million more people by 2050, pushing the total population to about 8.6 million. The region is also expected to grow older and more diverse.
In DeKalb, the Hispanic population is expected to double and reach nearly 20% of the population, the fastest rise among racial groups. The share of white and black residents are both expected to decrease.
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Notably, the percentage of black residents will fall under 50%, from 53% to 43%, ARC predicted. And the county is expected to have an older population; the share of residents over age 75 is expected to rise to 10% by 2050, up from 4% in 2015.
DeKalb would still be the fourth most populous county in the state, behind Gwinnett, Fulton and Cobb.
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