ATLANTA — If it feels like there are more people in Atlanta - it's because there are.
Atlanta saw one of the largest population jumps between 2022-2023, according to newly released Census data. So much so that it was named one of the top 15 cities with the largest increase. The Census Bureau defines cities on this list as areas with populations of 20,000 or more.
Numbers show that cities keep growing - and Atlanta is no exception.
It slid into the No. 6 spot after adding another 12,052 people. Apparently, they didn't get the memo: "We full."
This extra growth inched the city's 2023 population past half a million, proving there was some wiggle room in Atlanta to fit its new transplants.
Though the highway traffic can make it feel like there are millions of people in the city - Atlanta doesn't come close to several cities in Texas.
San Antonio was crowned the No. 1 spot for the largest population increase. After nearly 22,000 people moved to the famed city in the Lonestar State - San Antonio is now close to reaching the 1.5 million population milestone.
Where are people moving to
The capital of Georgia is the only Peach State city to be ranked on any list in this latest report.
Maybe that's not a bad thing.
With several large U.S. cities rebounding after earlier population declines, officials are trying to figure out where people are moving to. This latest data shows that the South is still popular, but people are flocking to the Midwest.
To note, the Census Bureau shows that the nation's housing stock grew by about 1.6 million units last year, following a similar increase seen the year prior, signaling that housing is trying to keep up with population increases.
Georgia also ranks among the top 10 states when it comes to housing stock. This means that Georgia has grown so much that it now accounts for a decent portion of the housing stock in the U.S.
Juggling housing and population growth is ultimately up to the cities. As the census tracks where people are headed, it's gearing up for its next big count in 2030. It anticipates several new cities to hit the 1 million mark by then.
In six years, Atlanta could be one of them.
