Atlanta is still growing, but not as fast as we were 10 years ago
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In an aerial view, the Atlanta skyline is seen from the I-75/85 Downtown Connector. Photo: Alex Slitz - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images
People are still moving to Atlanta, though the city's growth rate is slower than it was a decade ago.
Why it matters: More people in the region means increased demand for housing and additional stress on existing infrastructure.
Driving the news: A report released Wednesday by the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) shows that 64,400 residents moved to the 11-county region between April 2024 and April 2025.
- That's slightly more than the 62,700 people who relocated between 2023 and 2024, but down from 66,730 in 2022 to 2023.
By the numbers: The city of Atlanta and all 11 counties added more people within the last year.
- Fulton County led the way with 18,000 people, followed by Gwinnett (15,200), Atlanta (10,600), Cherokee (7,100), Forsyth (6,700) and Henry (4,600).
- ARC's estimates show Atlanta (2%) and Cherokee (2.4%), Forsyth (2.4%) and Henry (1.75%) counties grew at faster rates than other metro areas.
What they're saying: Ann Carpenter, the ARC's chief research and information officer, told Axios she wasn't surprised by growth on the outer ring of the region.
- "I think this indicates what we know about there being more affordable, developable land in those outlying counties," she said.
State of play: The region isn't growing as fast as it was in previous decades. It grew at a rate of 1.2% between 2020 and this year, compared with 1.5% during the 2010s, 2% from 2000 to 2010 and 3.1% from 1980 to 1990, per the ARC.
Yes, but: The city of Atlanta is moving in the opposite direction. Its annual growth rate was 1.7% between 2020 and 2025, which is similar to what it experienced during the 2010s.
- It's also a marked difference from the "flat" growth it experienced in the '80s, '90s and 2000s, the ARC said.
- Atlanta's growth is largely fueled by multi-family housing projects in Midtown and along the Beltline.
Threat level: Increasing housing costs and the dwindling supply of affordable housing are primary factors in what's causing the metro area's growth rate to slow, according to the ARC.
- The 11-county region issued more than 29,000 residential permits in 2024, a 3% increase from 2023.
- Building permit activity is still lower than levels reported before the Great Recession and below the average annual level of 33,430 between 1980 and 2024.
- Paul Donsky, the ARC's communications director, said the planning agency uses its Metro Atlanta Housing Strategy to help counties and cities understand the residential landscape in their areas.
- The toolkit has been effective, as local jurisdictions have adopted zoning regulations that open up housing options, Donsky said.