Study: Metro Atlanta population jumps to 5.2 million, Gwinnett crosses 1 million

July 11th, 2024

The gold dome of the Georgia Capitol gleams in the sun, Aug. 27, 2022, in front of the skyline of downtown Atlanta. (AP Photo/Steve Helber, File)

The metro Atlanta region has welcomed nearly 63,000 residents over the course of 12 months, according to new population data estimates by the Atlanta Regional Commission.

The report estimates that 62,700 people moved to the metro region between April 2023 and April 2024, bringing the total population up to 5.2 million.

The commission is required by state law to develop population estimates for the City of Atlanta, as well as the 11 counties in the region. The counties documented include Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry and Rockdale.

Fulton County saw the highest increase among the counties in the report with an estimated 17,400 residents, followed by Gwinnett and Cherokee at 13,510 and 7,120 respectively. Gwinnett is now the second county in Georgia to cross the 1 million resident mark, trailing Fulton by about 100,000 people.

The City of Atlanta has seen the fastest rate of growth with 2.1%, or 10,800 people, followed by Cherokee County (1.9%) and Henry County (1.8%).

“People from around the country are choosing metro Atlanta because of our great quality of life and our dynamic, diverse economy,” said ARC Board Chair and Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens. “Of course, our continued growth is not guaranteed. We must continue to invest in our region’s infrastructure to ensure a successful future.”

The main cause of growth has been driven by the region’s economy, according to ARC, with job growth increasing by 6.4% since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020.

The population growth in metro Atlanta from 2023-2024 fell behind the growth recorded from 2022-2023, when 66,730 people moved into the region. The commission attributes this change to increasing housing prices and slower job growth in that period.

The population estimates are expected to be approved by the ARC Board in August.