County facts · Population growth · October 23, 2026
Fastest Growing Counties in Georgia, 2020 to 2025
Georgia's fastest growing counties by percent and by people added, April 2020 to July 2025 Census estimates, with each official parcel map.
Looking for the fastest growing counties in Georgia? From the Census Bureau's April 1, 2020 estimates base to its July 1, 2025 estimate, Georgia went from about 10,713,861 to 11,302,748 residents, a change of +588,887 (+5.5%). The fastest growing county by percentage was Long County (+33.5%), while Gwinnett County added the most people (+60,714, +6.3%).
Every row below links to the county's Platbookmapper page and straight to its official parcel viewer, handy if growth is why you are looking at land there.
Georgia growth at a glance
- County: 159
- Statewide, April 2020 to July 2025: +588,887 residents (+5.5%); July 2024 to July 2025 alone: +98,540 (+0.9%)
- Grew: 122 of 159 · Lost residents: 37
- Fastest growing by percent: Long County (+33.5%); most people added: Gwinnett County (+60,714)
- Counties with more deaths than births over the period: 110 of 159
The 10 fastest growing Georgia counties by percent
| # | County | Apr 2020 | Jul 2025 | Change | % change | Parcel viewer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Long County | 16,150 | 21,557 | +5,407 | +33.5% | qPublic (Schneider Geospatial) |
| 2 | Dawson County | 26,797 | 35,365 | +8,568 | +32.0% | qPublic (Schneider Geospatial) |
| 3 | Jackson County | 75,945 | 99,265 | +23,320 | +30.7% | qPublic (Schneider Geospatial) |
| 4 | Jasper County | 14,599 | 17,632 | +3,033 | +20.8% | qPublic (Schneider Geospatial) |
| 5 | Barrow County | 83,575 | 99,773 | +16,198 | +19.4% | qPublic (Schneider Geospatial) |
| 6 | Banks County | 18,083 | 21,273 | +3,190 | +17.6% | qPublic (Schneider Geospatial) |
| 7 | Walton County | 96,598 | 112,696 | +16,098 | +16.7% | qPublic (Schneider Geospatial) |
| 8 | Bryan County | 44,741 | 52,062 | +7,321 | +16.4% | qPublic (Schneider Geospatial) |
| 9 | Effingham County | 64,789 | 74,397 | +9,608 | +14.8% | qPublic (Schneider Geospatial) |
| 10 | Monroe County | 27,959 | 32,023 | +4,064 | +14.5% | qPublic (Schneider Geospatial) |
These 10 added about 96,807 people combined. The median county changed by +3.1%.
The 10 counties that added the most people
| # | County | People added | % change | Jul 2025 | Parcel viewer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gwinnett County | +60,714 | +6.3% | 1,018,099 | county web map |
| 2 | Cherokee County | +32,658 | +12.2% | 299,273 | Spatialest |
| 3 | Fulton County | +32,232 | +3.0% | 1,098,791 | listed link under review |
| 4 | Forsyth County | +31,520 | +12.5% | 282,805 | qPublic (Schneider Geospatial) |
| 5 | Cobb County | +27,257 | +3.6% | 793,345 | ArcGIS Web AppBuilder |
| 6 | Henry County | +24,236 | +10.1% | 264,922 | qPublic (Schneider Geospatial) |
| 7 | Hall County | +23,755 | +11.7% | 226,568 | qPublic (Schneider Geospatial) |
| 8 | Jackson County | +23,320 | +30.7% | 99,265 | qPublic (Schneider Geospatial) |
| 9 | Paulding County | +22,366 | +13.3% | 190,996 | qPublic (Schneider Geospatial) |
| 10 | Chatham County | +16,594 | +5.6% | 311,855 | county web map |
The top 10 account for about 48% of all the gains in the counties that grew.
Where the new residents came from
The Census Bureau splits each change into natural change (births minus deaths), net domestic migration (moves from other parts of the US) and net international migration. Totals for April 2020 to July 2025 in the five fastest growing counties:
| County | Births minus deaths | Net domestic moves | Net international moves | Total change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Long County | +761 | +4,464 | +130 | +5,407 |
| Dawson County | +287 | +8,027 | +220 | +8,568 |
| Jackson County | +1,418 | +20,899 | +991 | +23,320 |
| Jasper County | −65 | +3,008 | +77 | +3,033 |
| Barrow County | +2,190 | +12,774 | +1,170 | +16,198 |
In all 5, moves from elsewhere in the US were the biggest source of growth. The three parts do not add up exactly to the total because the Census Bureau also carries a small residual.
The last year alone: July 2024 to July 2025
- Jackson County: +5.3% (+4,963)
- Long County: +5.2% (+1,064)
- Dawson County: +4.2% (+1,420)
- Banks County: +3.7% (+761)
- Wheeler County: +3.3% (+245)
4 of these 5 are also in the 2020–2025 top 10, so the growth is not a one-year blip.
Counties losing residents
37 of Georgia's 159 counties had fewer residents in July 2025 than in April 2020. The steepest declines:
- Stewart County: −12.8% (−682, now about 4,631)
- Chattahoochee County: −11.5% (−1,103, now about 8,465)
- Telfair County: −10.2% (−1,276, now about 11,195)
- Irwin County: −6.7% (−644, now about 9,020)
- Mitchell County: −6.0% (−1,300, now about 20,467)
What fast growth means on a parcel map
- New lots show up as plats first. When land is subdivided, the plat is recorded with the county and the parcel layer catches up on its own schedule, so a brand-new lot may not appear on the map for a while. Check the recorder's recent plats if a parcel looks missing.
- Parcel numbers change after splits. A tract that was one parcel last year can be several today. Search by owner name or address as well as by an old parcel number.
- City limits move. Growing cities annex land, which changes who handles zoning and permits even though the county still keeps the deed and the tax map.
- Percent is not the same as people. A small county can post a big percentage on a modest number of new residents, so read the people-added column too.
Related guides
- Largest counties in Georgia
- Georgia county GIS websites by viewer
- Georgia plat maps
- Georgia landowner maps for hunting
- Fastest growing counties in the US
- US counties losing population
More: All Georgia counties on Platbookmapper
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, county totals, Vintage 2025 (April 1, 2020 estimates base and July 1, 2020–2025 estimates, with components of change). Percent change is from the April 1, 2020 estimates base to the July 1, 2025 estimate.
- Platbookmapper county GIS directory (live data file behind our county pages, pulled October 23, 2026) for each official parcel viewer.