Here’s how many people now estimated to live in metro Atlanta counties. Spoiler: It’s a lot

ATLANTA — The Atlanta Regional Commission said close to 63,000 new Atlantans called the metro area home as of April 2024.

According to ARC, the 11-county Atlanta region grew to 5.2 million people, based on population estimates the organization released Wednesday.

Across the metro area, the City of Atlanta, Cherokee, Henry, Forsyth and Douglas counties had the biggest population increases, ranging between 1.59% growth to 2.1%.

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Of the regional population increases, the city itself had the largest proportional growth, though DeKalb and Fulton counties both include parts of the City in their own population estimates.

While the increased population from April 2023 to April 2024 was close to 63,000, ARC said the area grew a little more slowly than the previous year.

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“The 11-county region’s growth slowed a bit compared to 2022-2023, when the region added 66,730 people. This reflects a slowdown in housing permit activity and a slight moderation in jobs growth. High housing prices have also acted as a brake on population growth,” ARC said in a release.

Among the noteworthy data points, ARC said Gwinnett County broke past 1 million residents for the first time.

“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 Andre Dickens, who also serves as Mayor of the City of Atlanta. “Of course, our continued growth is not guaranteed. We must continue to invest in our region’s infrastructure to ensure a successful future.”

The organization said Atlanta’s regional economy is driving the growth level, citing increased employment in the area since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020.

ARC also said that while new building permits across the area were up, the City of Atlanta again led the area in how many permits were issued, with more than 7,600 permits issued and the majority, 85%, for multifamily housing units.

ARC’s Board will be voting to certify those estimates at its next scheduled meeting on Aug. 28.

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