Atlanta population hits half a million, data shows

ATLANTA — If it feels like there are more people in Atlanta, that’s because there are.

Atlanta saw one of the largest population increases between 2022 and 2023, according to newly released census data. So much so that it was named among the 15 cities with the highest increase. The Census Bureau defines cities on this list as areas with a population of 20,000 or more.

The numbers show that cities continue to grow – and Atlanta is no exception.

It slipped to 6th place after adding another 12,052 people. Apparently they didn’t get the memo: “We’re full.”

This additional growth brought the city’s population to more than half a million residents in 2023, proving that there was some wiggle room in Atlanta to accommodate its new transplants.

Although the traffic can make it seem like there are millions of people in the city, Atlanta is not comparable to many cities in Texas.

San Antonio was crowned number one for the largest population increase. After nearly 22,000 people settled in the Lonestar State’s famous city, San Antonio is now poised to hit the 1.5 million population milestone.

Georgia’s capital is the only city in the Peach State to make a list in this latest report.

Maybe that’s not a bad thing.

As several major U.S. cities rebound from earlier population declines, officials are trying to figure out where people are moving to. This latest data shows that the South is still popular, but people are flocking to the Midwest.

It is worth noting that the Census Bureau shows that the country’s housing stock increased by about 1.6 million units last year, following a similar increase seen the year before, indicating that housing is trying to keep up with the increase in population.

Georgia also ranks among the top 10 states in housing stock. This means that Georgia has grown so much that it now represents a decent share of the United States’ housing stock.

It is ultimately up to cities to juggle housing and population growth. As the census tracks where people go, it prepares for its next big count in 2030. It predicts several new cities will hit the million mark by then.

In six years, Atlanta could be one of them.