The 11-county Atlanta region added 64,400 residents between April 2024 and April 2025, bringing the total population to nearly 5.3 million, according to new estimates from the Atlanta Regional Commission.
The increase outpaced the prior year’s 62,700 gain, with growth strongest in Forsyth and Cherokee counties at 2.4% each, followed by the City of Atlanta at 2% and Henry County at 1.75%. Fulton County, including Atlanta, saw the largest numeric increase, with 18,800 residents, while Gwinnett added 15,200.
“Metro Atlanta’s continued growth is a testament to our diverse and dynamic economy and great quality of life,” Atlanta Mayor and ARC Board Chair Andre Dickens said in a release. “But we can’t take our growth for granted. As a region, we must continue to address challenges like housing affordability and transportation and make the investments today needed to ensure a better tomorrow.”
The ARC report attributes much of the growth to the region’s economy, which has expanded its employment base by 8% since early 2020, ranking seventh among major U.S. metros. Still, overall population growth rates have slowed compared to past decades, though the city of Atlanta’s 1.7% annual growth since 2020 outpaces its historically flat population trends.
Housing costs and limited supply continue to be headwinds, ARC officials said. The region issued 29,482 residential building permits in 2024, a 3% increase from the prior year, but below the long-term annual average of 33,430.
The city of Atlanta led the region with 8,109 permits, followed by Gwinnett with 5,607. ARC’s estimates rely heavily on housing permit data, which continue to trail pre-recession levels despite the recent uptick.
