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ARC’s 2040 County Population Forecasts Show Robust Growth, More Diversity

Posted on: Apr 28, 2016

Contact: Jim Jaquish
Phone: 404-465-3194
E-mail: jjaquish@atlantaregional.com

(Atlanta – Apr 28, 2016)

In the next 25 years, metro Atlanta will experience robust growth, while a fast-growing Hispanic population will make the region even more diverse, according to county population forecasts issued by the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC).

The 20-county Atlanta region will add 2.5 million people by 2040, bringing the region’s population to more than 8 million.

“The Atlanta region will remain a desirable place to live, thanks to our low cost of living and a strong, diversified economy that continues to create jobs,” said Mike Alexander, director of ARC’s Center for Livable Communities. “We’ll see growth in existing suburban areas as well as the region’s core, as more people choose to live near jobs or transit.”

According to the forecasts:

Gwinnett County will be the region’s largest county in 2040, with a population of 1.35 million. Fulton County will be second-largest, with 1.26 million residents.
Forsyth County will grow at the fastest rate, seeing its population more than double by 2040, to 430,000.
The number of Hispanics in metro Atlanta will reach 1.75 million, an increase of more than 1 million. Most of this growth will occur in the region’s core counties of Fulton, Gwinnett, Cobb, DeKalb and Clayton.
The number of residents that are age 65 and over will nearly triple, approaching 1.6 million.
The Atlanta region is expected to add more than 1 million jobs by 2040. The top employment sectors in 2040 will be health care, retail, education and professional and scientific.

The forecasts helped inform the development of the Atlanta Region’s Plan, a long-range blueprint that details the investments that will be made in the next 25 years to improve the Atlanta region’s quality of life.

More information about the population and employment forecasts can be found at ARC’s interactive data dashboard and at ARC’s data and research blog, 33°N.

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CDAP
Community Planning Academy
ConnectA
Empowerline
Georgia Commute Options
Green Communities
LCI
LINK
MARC
Metro Atlanta Speaks
MNG Water Planning District
RLI
State of the Region
UASI
WorkSource GA