Friday, Aug. 12, 2005

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Growth in Atlanta region on the rise, ARC report indicates

In 2005, the Atlanta region grew at its fastest rate in five years, according to the latest population estimates by the Atlanta Regional Commission.

ARC’s latest estimates show the 10-county regional population reached 3,813,700 as of April 2005, growing by 97,600 during the past year. Previously, the largest single-year population increase was 101,621 in 2000-2001.

“This is the biggest population growth since 2000, which is somewhat surprising given that job growth remains slow,” said Bart Lewis, chief of ARC’s Research Division. “But it does imply that people are confident in the underlying strength of the Atlanta regional economy.”

Fayette’s population grew from 98,900 to 101,500 according to estimates. Fayette was the fifth-fastest growing county in the region, based on percentage of population increase.

Population in the fast-growing Atlanta region has averaged nearly 77,000 new residents each year between 2000 and 2005, Lewis added.

All 10 Atlanta region counties — Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry and Rockdale — grew in population last year, as well as the city of Atlanta. The Atlanta region’s population of 3.8 million exceeds that of 25 states, according to Census estimates for 2004. The population estimates are preliminary until adopted by the ARC Board Aug. 24.

Atlanta added 7,200 persons in 2005, continuing to increase in population over the five year period and bucking the trend of its declining population during the 1980s and 1990s.

Gwinnett County, which has for years been one of the fastest growing counties in the U.S., once again led the region in terms of population growth, with an increase of 23,100. Since 1980, Gwinnett’s population has grown faster than any other county in the region.

Fulton County continues to show strong population growth with an increase of 21,600 from 2004, coming in a close second to Gwinnett County

Henry County, also one of the fastest-growing counties in the nation, experienced the highest rate of growth in the region, at 6.8 percent, adding 10,700 new residents.

Fulton County remains the region’s largest county with 874,100 residents in 2005. DeKalb ranks second with 700,500 residents, but Gwinnett is closing the gap in third place with 693,900. Gwinnett, one of the fastest growing counties in the United States, became the region’s (and the state’s) third largest county in 2002.

All 10 of the Atlanta region’s counties have added population since 2000.

Four of the 10 Atlanta region counties — Fulton, DeKalb, Gwinnett and Cobb — are each home to more than a half million residents. Together, these four counties comprise just over half the land area in the 10-county region, but they account for 77 percent of its 2005 population.