According to a new population forecast, Atlanta has plenty of room to grow. The 21-county region’s population is expected to reach 7.9 million by 2050, according to a forecast released by the Atlanta Regional Commission.
It marks a 1.8 million increase over the 2020 U.S Census baseline, with the fastest growth in outer counties like Forsyth, which will see a 79 percent increase, Barrow and Paulding.
The 21 counties span a broad chunk of Georgia: Barrow, Bartow, Carroll, Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, Dawson, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Hall, Henry, Newton, Paulding, Rockdale, Spaulding and Walton.
ARC reported that the majority of the growth will come from “minority and ethnic groups,” with Latino residents expected to make up 21 percent of the population by 2050 compared to 12 percent today.
About half of the growth — 812,000 people — will happen in the “core” of the region, though, in Fulton County, Cobb County, DeKalb County and Clayton County.
Anna Roach, the executive director and CEO of ARC, said the forecasts show that a “great quality of life and vibrant economy will drive strong growth in the decades ahead.”
The commission also predicts an additional 856,000 jobs by 2050, with 68 percent coming from the arts, entertainment and recreation center, 38 percent in the professional and business sector, 36 percent in accommodation and food service and 35 percent in manufacturing.
“Metro Atlanta’s prosperity is not a given,” Road said. “We must keep investing in our infrastructure in our people to build a successful future.”
ARC uses the plan issued every four years to inform the Metropolitan Transportation Plan. At a Feb. 14 meeting, the board approved the plan and allocated $168 billion in federal, state and local funding through 2050 to transportation projects.
The transportation plan is “designed to accommodate significant growth” in the coming years.
In 2023,…
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