The Fastest-Growing Counties in Georgia, 2024 to 2025
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Georgia added an estimated 98,540 residents between July 2024 and July 2025, growing from 11,204,208 to 11,302,748, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's Vintage 2025 population estimates. Almost all of it is metro Atlanta, but the growth has pushed well past the core counties into a widening ring of exurbs, and the raw and percentage rankings tell noticeably different stories about where.
Fastest-growing Georgia counties by number of new residents
| Rank | County | July 2024 | July 2025 | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fulton (Atlanta) | 1,090,468 | 1,098,791 | +8,323 |
| 2 | Gwinnett (Atlanta) | 1,009,864 | 1,018,099 | +8,235 |
| 3 | Cherokee (Atlanta) | 294,030 | 299,273 | +5,243 |
| 4 | Jackson (Atlanta) | 94,302 | 99,265 | +4,963 |
| 5 | Henry (Atlanta) | 259,972 | 264,922 | +4,950 |
| 6 | Cobb (Atlanta) | 788,879 | 793,345 | +4,466 |
| 7 | Forsyth (Atlanta) | 278,797 | 282,805 | +4,008 |
| 8 | Houston (Warner Robins) | 174,904 | 178,214 | +3,310 |
| 9 | Paulding (Atlanta) | 187,933 | 190,996 | +3,063 |
| 10 | Hall (Gainesville) | 223,545 | 226,568 | +3,023 |
The two population giants, Fulton and Gwinnett, added the most people, but each grew less than 1 percent, the familiar big-base effect. The real energy is one ring out, in Cherokee, Forsyth, and Paulding to the north and west, and increasingly in Jackson County along Interstate 85 northeast of the city, where a wave of warehouse, manufacturing, and electric-vehicle investment has arrived.
Fastest-growing Georgia counties by percentage
By rate, limited to counties of at least 20,000 residents, the exurban frontier takes over the top of the list.
| Rank | County | July 2024 | July 2025 | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jackson (Atlanta) | 94,302 | 99,265 | +5.26% |
| 2 | Dawson | 33,945 | 35,365 | +4.18% |
| 3 | Banks | 20,512 | 21,273 | +3.71% |
| 4 | Barrow (Atlanta) | 96,969 | 99,773 | +2.89% |
| 5 | Bartow (Atlanta) | 117,924 | 120,800 | +2.44% |
| 6 | Walton (Atlanta) | 110,278 | 112,696 | +2.19% |
| 7 | Bryan (Savannah) | 51,080 | 52,062 | +1.92% |
| 8 | Henry (Atlanta) | 259,972 | 264,922 | +1.90% |
| 9 | Houston (Warner Robins) | 174,904 | 178,214 | +1.89% |
| 10 | Cherokee (Atlanta) | 294,030 | 299,273 | +1.78% |
Jackson County is the standout
Jackson County tops both lists, adding nearly 5,000 people and growing 5.26 percent, by far the fastest rate among Georgia's sizable counties. It sits on the I-85 corridor between Atlanta and Athens, and its surge is tied directly to the enormous logistics and advanced-manufacturing buildout along that highway, including the SK Battery plant in Commerce. Growth in Bryan County outside Savannah tells a parallel story, driven by the Hyundai electric-vehicle plant that opened nearby.
Beyond the job-driven counties, the list is otherwise pure Atlanta exurbia, Dawson, Barrow, Bartow, Walton, the outer edge of the metro spreading into what were farm counties a generation ago. It is the same diversifying, fast-growing region we covered in how Georgia is diversifying. See the full fastest-growing counties ranking, or explore Georgia's data profile.
Sources
Population figures are the July 1, 2024 and July 1, 2025 estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025 county totals. Both years come from the same vintage, so the change is measured on a consistent basis. The percentage ranking is limited to counties with at least 20,000 residents.
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Which Georgia county grew the most from 2024 to 2025?
By raw numbers, Fulton County (Atlanta) added the most residents at 8,323, just ahead of Gwinnett at 8,235, though both grew under 1 percent. By percentage, Jackson County grew fastest among sizable counties at 5.26 percent.
How much did Georgia grow between 2024 and 2025?
Georgia added an estimated 98,540 residents between July 2024 and July 2025, growing from 11,204,208 to 11,302,748, a 0.88 percent increase, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's Vintage 2025 population estimates.
Why is Jackson County growing so fast?
Jackson County sits on the Interstate 85 corridor between Atlanta and Athens, where a large wave of logistics and advanced-manufacturing investment has landed, including the SK Battery plant in Commerce. That job growth has made it the fastest-growing sizable county in Georgia at 5.26 percent.
