The Largest City in Georgia Now and in 30 Years

Georgia is a southern state that is undergoing some significant population growth. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the population in this state rose from 9,687,653 to 10,711,937 between the years 2010 and 2020. The state’s growth is particularly concentrated in its cities and their suburbs. Discover the largest city in Georgia now and in 30 years! Find out how many people will live in the area in 2050 and the challenges such growth will bring.

Just as a quick note, we will be using the largest city by population in the state rather than the city’s footprint.

What Is the Largest City in Georgia?

The largest city in Georgia is Atlanta. The city of Atlanta experienced a fair amount of growth between 2010 and 2020, and then again from 2020 to 2022.

Atlanta’s initial population in 2010 was 420,003 people. By the 2020 Census, that number rose to 498,715 people. That represents a change of 78,712 or 18.74%. With this population, Atlanta is the 28^th largest city in the country.

The time from 2020 to 2022 also saw an increase in the number of people in the city. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated the area had a population of 499,127 people in 2022. That is a growth of about 0.1% or 405 people.

At first glance, that number is not very impressive. However, when one considers that many large cities saw a population decrease in the same period from COVID-19, remote work, and housing market disturbances, the fact that Atlanta grew at all is impressive.

Another thing to consider is that Atlanta is not just a city but a part of a larger metro area. Specifically, the Atlanta Metropolitan Area represents an area including Atlanta, Sandy Springs, and Alpharetta in Georgia. The population in this region exceeds 6 million people, the majority of the population in the state. This is the 8^th-largest metro area in the entire country. However, the metro area is defined in different ways by different entities. We’ll touch on that in the following section, but it’s important to know that the metro area’s population can differ across sources.

Overall, Atlanta is a growing city with almost 500,000 people living within its borders and the surrounding area. Will it remain that way, though?

What Will Be Georgia’s Largest City in 2050?

Atlanta will be the largest city in Georgia in 2050. A large part of the reason this city remains in the top spot is that it already has such a large lead against other cities in the state. Atlanta’s population in 2022 was close to 500,000 people. Cities like Columbus and Augusta only had about 200,000 people living in them.

Since there is no way that those cities would have the ability to double in size within 30 years, it seems far more likely that Atlanta will keep the top spot.

Yet, it’s not simply the fact that Atlanta already has such a large population that keeps it in first place, though. Instead, the Atlanta Metropolitan Area is poised to continue growing well into the future.

Predicting the Population in Atlanta in 2050

The population in the Atlanta Metropolitan Area will grow well into the future. Currently, the area is home to about 6,089,815 people as of the 2020 Census for the region. This population depends on which counties are included in the metro area. The Atlanta Regional Commission recognizes 11 counties as part of the metro area while other entities say that over 20 areas contribute to the metro area’s population. We’ll use the ARC data for this case.

According to the Atlanta Regional Commission, the population in the Atlanta Region, a set of 11 counties comprising the metro area, is set to grow to between 7.9 to 8.6 million people by 2020.

The Atlanta Regional Commission believes that between 1.8 and 2.5 million more people will move to the Atlanta area in the next few years. The lower population growth estimate could be more likely due to falling birth rates and people trickling back into cities rather than returning more swiftly following the COVID-19 pandemic and its various side effects.

Any way we look at it, the population in the Atlanta Metropolitan Area is set to increase by a substantial amount.

Reasons Atlanta Will Continue to Grow

Atlanta is the largest city in Georgia now and in 30 years. Why is that the case, though? Well, several elements are drawing people to the region now and in the future.

For one thing, the jobs market in Atlanta is blazing hot. The city is home to Coca-Cola, UPS, Delta Air Lines, The Home Depot, and several other Fortune 500 companies. Industries like retail, education, healthcare, and technology are booming in this area.

In 2023, the housing market in this area is harsh. Homes are more expensive than in other parts of the country. However, the same can be said about many other places in the U.S. Fortunately, builders are filing new house-building permits at a very high rate. A new influx of homes will help the market, giving people more incentive to move to this region.

The warm weather, culture, and access to natural areas like forests and national parks also make Atlanta a very enticing place to live. For all these reasons, the city’s metro area will grow over the next 30 years.  

Issues Facing Atlanta in 2050

A major issue facing Atlanta right now is the housing market. Currently, home prices are too high, and that could temper the number of people moving to the area in the coming years. Housing costs and availability could continue to be a problem for Atlanta in 2050.

Other issues that could affect the population are the falling birth rate and the increasing age of the population. Both factors can diminish the population outright and make Atlanta a less desirable place to live.

If the housing market issues are fixed, then people will probably flock to the area looking for high-quality work in the future.

All in all, Atlanta is the largest city in Georgia now and it will be in 30 years as well. The city is already large on its own, and the thriving metro area will continue to bolster the region’s population. Whether we look at the city itself or the metro area, the future outlook is the same: more people are coming to the area to live, work, and play.