Articles

ARC: Regional population rises to 3.93 million

Atlanta Business Chronicle
August 10, 2006

The 10-county metro Atlanta region grew at its fastest rate in more than five years in 2006, while Gwinnett County overtook DeKalb County a the second-largest metro county.

The region added 111,700 new residents to push the population to 3,925,400, according to estimates from the Atlanta Regional Commission released Aug. 10.

The increase of 111,700 new residents between April 2005 and April 2006 eclipsed population increases seen since 1999-2000. This annual increase is the fourth-largest annual increase in the history of the 10-county region. Population in the fast-growing Atlanta region has averaged nearly 82,670 new residents a year between 2000 and 2006.

The region's population was 1,896,182 in 1980, 2,557,800 in 1990 and 3,429,379 in 2000.

"People are confident in the strength of the regional economy and attracted to metro Atlanta's diverse offerings and housing values," said Bart Lewis, chief of ARC's Research Division. "The fact that we are experiencing the biggest population growth since 2000 shows the effects of the recession earlier this decade are over."

All 10 of the Atlanta region's counties -- Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry and Rockdale -- as well as the city of Atlanta grew in population. The region's current population of 3.93 million exceeds that of 24 states, according to U.S. Census estimates for 2005. The population estimates are preliminary until adopted by the ARC Board on Aug. 23.

The city of Atlanta added 9,500 people -- the biggest increase in more than 30 years. Its population is now 451,600 -- the largest since the 1970s. Over the past six years, Atlanta has reversed the population losses it experienced in the 1980s and 1990s, adding an average of 5,854 new residents a year.

With the addition of 26,100 new residents, Fulton County led the region in population growth, slightly outpacing the 25,700 new residents in Gwinnett County. Fulton remains the region's largest county with an estimated population of 900,200.

Gwinnett County had led the region in growth since 2000, averaging 21,859 new residents each year. Gwinnett, now home to an estimated 719,600 people, surpassed DeKalb County's population to become the second-largest county in the region.

Cobb County ranked third in population growth, adding 11,200 new residents for a total of 654,900 people.

Douglas County experienced the highest rate of growth in the region, at 6.6 percent, increasing its population from 112,900 in 2005 to 120,300 in 2006. Henry followed with 5.9 percent growth for a total population of 176,900 residents in 2006 and Cherokee at 5.5 percent for a population total of 189,100 people.

But, between 2000 and 2006, Henry led the region with a 6.8 percent average annual increase in population. Cherokee ranked second in rate of growth with an average of 4.9 percent and Douglas third at 4.5 percent.

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