How large is metro Atlanta?
By the count of the U.S. Census Bureau, it’s 29 counties and more than 6 million people as of 2023 estimates.
The region tracked by the Atlanta Regional Commission, the region’s planning agency, is 11 counties and home to an estimated 5.2 million.
The 11 current counties in the ARC region are: Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry and Rockdale.
Fulton County, which includes the city of Atlanta is the region’s largest county, but Gwinnett County has the state’s largest school district.
Here is the population by county, based on latest ARC data for 2023:
- Cherokee County: 286,960
- Clayton County: 303,315
- Cobb County: 785,349
- DeKalb County: 779,442
- Douglas County: 150,697
- Fayette County: 124,284
- Forsyth County: 270,833
- Fulton County: 1,105,670
- Gwinnett County: 997,212
- Henry County: 257,802
- Rockdale County: 96,810
- City of Atlanta: 521,315
The Atlanta metropolitan area has leapfrogged both Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia to become the nation’s sixth-largest metropolitan region, according to 2024 population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau.
In the previous estimates metro Atlanta was the nation’s 9th largest.
[Source: U.S. Census Bureau]LEARN MORE
What is the population of Georgia?
Atlanta region 2020 population estimates, Atlanta Regional Commission
Metro Atlanta profile, Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce
29-county metro Atlanta Map (pdf) from the Georgia Department of Community Health
Georgia population estimates, Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget
A Decade of Growth
Population growth of core Atlanta area counties and the city of Atlanta from 2010 to 2020:
City of Atlanta: 18.7%
Cherokee: 24.4%
Clayton: 14.7%
Cobb: 11.3%
DeKalb: 10.5%
Douglas: 8.9%
Fayette: 11.8%
Forsyth: 43.2%
Fulton: 15.9%
Gwinnett: 18.8%
Henry: 18%
Rockdale: 9.8%
Sources: Atlanta Regional Commission estimates and the U.S. Census Bureau
Compiled and updated by Amanda Henry and Brian O’Shea