Currently, metro Atlanta’s population of nearly 5.8 million ranks it ninth among the 10 largest U.S. metros. However, over the next 30 years, recently released third-party forecasts predict that metro Atlanta will move into the 6th spot on that list, with a total population exceeding 8.6 million (and potentially as high as 9.1 million), representing a percent change in population between 48.7 and 56.8 percent.
The chart below compares population forecasts from IHS Markit, who recently released their forecast as a segment of a larger report for the U.S. Conference of Mayors and The Council on Metro Economies and the New American City, with the annual population forecasts produced by Woods & Poole Economics. While the methods of each firm yield different results in terms of the population number forecasted, in both scenarios, metro Atlanta ranks 6th by population size among the 10 largest metros as forecasted.
Click here to read the full U.S. Metro Economies: Past and Future Employment report released by the U.S. Conference of Mayors and The Council on Metro Economies and the New American City which includes IHS Markit’s population forecasts.
For further information, detailed population and employment forecasts for the 10- and 20-county metro Atlanta region produced by ARC Research & Analytics can be explored using The Atlanta Region’s Plan interactive data dashboard.
And, stay tuned for updated 10-county and City of Atlanta population estimates, which will be featured in the August 2017 Regional Snapshot.