Atlanta region to grow 1.2% from 2023 to 2024 | Georgia

(The Center Square) — The Atlanta region grew 1.2% between April 2023 and April 2024 and now has 5.2 million residents, according to new population estimates released by the Atlanta Regional Commission.

Estimates show the 11-county region added 62,700 people. However, its growth slowed slightly from 2022-23, when it added 66,730 people. Fulton and Gwinnett counties have more than 1 million residents, and Gwinnett County’s population surpassed 1 million for the first time.

“People across the country choose metro Atlanta because of our excellent quality of life and our vibrant, diverse economy,” Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, chairman of ARC’s board of directors, said in a statement. “Of course, our continued growth is not guaranteed. We must continue to invest in our region’s infrastructure to ensure a prosperous future.”

The economy is the region’s growth engine, according to the ARC. However, the ARC said the numbers reflect a slowdown in building permits and moderating job growth, and that rising home prices have contributed to slowing growth.

Atlanta saw the fastest growth rate in the region at 2.1%, followed by Cherokee County at 1.9% and Henry County at 1.8%.

Although the region’s employment base has grown 6.4% since the start of the pandemic, it ranks seventh nationally “among select peer metro areas,” behind Austin, Dallas, Houston, Las Vegas, Miami and Orlando.

Additionally, the 11-county region saw a 21% decline in the number of residential building permits issued. The 28,595 permits issued represent about 7,500 fewer than those issued in 2022, and the number remains below permit levels prior to the so-called “Great Recession” and below the average annual level of 33,430 from 1980 to 2023.

Atlanta leads the region with 7,621 building permits issued, 85 percent of which were for multifamily housing, according to the ARC. Gwinnett comes in second with 5,423 permits issued, ahead of Cobb with 2,956 permits and DeKalb with 2,276 permits.