Atlanta's population boom slowing to a trickle

After years of rapid population increases, the pace of growth in the city of Atlanta appears to be slowing, according to new numbers from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Atlanta's population increased by 0.7 percent between July 1, 2008, and July 1, 2009, to 537,385 residents, one of its slowest growth rates in the first decade of the new millennium, according to figures from the bureau's survey of cities with populations over 100,000.

The recession is to blame, said University of Georgia demographer Doug Bechtel.

"From a demographic perspective, population changes in three ways: births, deaths and migration," he said. "Since the '60s, Atlanta's growth has been people moving here. What has happened is that because of the recession, that migration isn't happening as much. People are not moving around."

Instead, he said, the increases are coming from births, which grow at a slower pace.

Atlanta's tepid increase compares to a 3.3 percent increase between 2007 and 2008 and a 4 percent increase between 2006 and 2007, said Kathy Kinsella, a statistical research analyst for the state Division of Planning, Research and Evaluation.

"The growth was pretty substantial in the first part of the decade, with 2006 to 2007 being the high point,"  she said.

The slower growth rate between 2008 and 2009 could add to the woes of a city struggling to make ends meet due to the economic downturn and the loss of property tax revenue. The city also needs taxpayers' help to finish funding $4 billion for a sewer overhaul.

Overall Atlanta ranked the 33rd largest city in the nation. Between 2000 and 2009, Atlanta grew by 29.2 percent or by more than 122,000 people.

The country's biggest cities are New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston and Phoenix.

Bechtel said he believes Atlanta will continue to grow because it's a magnet for young professionals attracted to quality of life advantages like restaurants, nightlife and transportation ease. Where the city could face problems is in new job creation, which has shifted to suburban communities as of late.

"The difficulty is once that decline begins to spiral, it's hard to stop," he said.

Box stats:

Population July 1, 2009: 537,285

Population in 2000: 416,474

Increase: 29.2 percent

Percentage increases between: