Jackson and Forsyth among fastest growing counties in northeast Georgia
New estimates released by the U.S. Census Bureau show Habersham County’s population has increased by slightly more than 5% over the past eight years.
As of July 1, 2018, the Census Bureau estimates Habersham’s population was 45,388, up from 43,041 in 2010 when the last census was taken. That’s an increase of 2,347. Between 2017 and 2018 the county added 841 new residents.
White County’s percentage population growth is nearly double that of Habersham’s for the same time frame. In 2010, census figures showed White County had a population of 27,144. Its current estimated population is 29,970. That’s an increase of 2,826 or 9.8%.
Other northeast Georgia counties showed similar growth, except for Stephens and Elbert. Census figures show the populations in those two counties have seen an overall decrease during the past eight years.
Fastest growing counties in NEGA
Jackson and Forsyth are among the fastest growing counties in north Georgia.
Jackson ranks 10th on the Census Bureau’s list of top 10 counties in the nation in year-to-year percentage growth. Between 2017 and 2018, census estimates show Jackson County’s population increased by just over 2,700 for an overall increase of 4%.
Forsyth ranks 9th on the bureau’s list of top 10 counties in percentage growth between 2010 and 2018. The county added 61,101 new residents during that time frame for a near 39% increase.
More than half of Georgians live in metro Atlanta
Since 2010, Georgia’s population has risen by nearly 832,000. As of July 1, 2018, the U.S. Census Bureau estimates Georgia’s population to be 10,519,475. More than half of those people live in the metro Atlanta area.
The Atlanta/Sandy Springs/Roswell area now ranks as the 9th most populous metropolitan area in the country. It has an estimated population of 5,949,951, or 56% of Georgia’s entire population.
