Atlanta population boom
After decades of decline, Atlanta now among 25 fastest growing cities.
A new AP report on census figures shows Atlanta is among the 25 fastest growing cities in the U.S.
The bureau found the population shifted from 520,368 persons in July 2007 to 537,958 in July 2008, about 3.4 percent.
We’re all so accustomed to gridlocked traffic and construction cranes that “Atlanta is growing” doesn’t seem like news.
It is.
Remember, despite the metro area’s half century of uninterrupted rapid growth, City of Atlanta lost population from the 1970s until the turn of the millennium. Barring war or locusts, the 2010 U.S. Census will the first since 1970 to show an increase in the city’s population.
Also of noted: Last week the Atlanta Regional Commission released a report showing metro Atlanta is the second fastest-growing metro area in the country this decade after Dallas. By 2040, metro Atlanta is expected to be home to 8.3 million people.
Good thing local and state leaders are working so well together to meet our transportation and water needs.