Decatur has released its entire “Diversity Report,” authored by Christian Perry and Casie Yoder, with a number of startling if not entirely surprising demographic studies.

Most significant, since 1990 the city’s white population has grown from 60 percent to 73.5 percent while nationally whites have declined from 80 to 72 percent. Decatur’s black population has decreased from 39 percent to 20 percent over the same span, while nationally blacks have comprised roughly 12 percent since 1990.

Oakhurst has shown the most dramatic change, blacks falling from almost 4,000 in 1990 to 1,400 in 2010, whites rising from about 900 to 2,900.

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Angie McBrayer, ex-wife of James Aaron McBrayer, leans her head on her son Sam McBrayer as she and her three children and two grandchildren (from left) Jackson McBrayer, 3, Piper Jae McBrayer, 7, Katy Isaza, and Jordan McBrayer, visit the grave of James McBrayer, Thursday, November 20, 2025, in Tifton. He died after being restrained by Tift County sheriff's deputies on April 24, 2019. His ex-wife witnessed the arrest and said she thought the deputies were being rough but did not imagine that McBrayer would die. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC