County facts · Population growth · October 24, 2026
Fastest Growing Counties in the Southeast, 2020 to 2025
The fastest growing Southeast counties from April 2020 to July 2025 by percent and people added, state by state, with each official parcel map.
Looking for the fastest growing counties in the Southeast? There is no single official "Southeast," so this page uses the Bureau of Economic Analysis's Southeast region: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. Together its 1,063 counties and county equivalents went from about 85,311,619 residents on April 1, 2020 to 89,981,930 on July 1, 2025 (+4,670,311, +5.5%), according to the Census Bureau's Vintage 2025 estimates.
The fastest growing county by percent was Jasper County, South Carolina (+33.7%), and Polk County, Florida added the most people (+149,748). 672 of the 1,063 counties grew and 391 lost residents. Each table links the county's Platbookmapper page and its official parcel viewer.
The 25 fastest growing Southeast counties by percent
| # | County | State | Apr 2020 | Jul 2025 | Change | % change | Parcel viewer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jasper County | South Carolina | 28,811 | 38,533 | +9,722 | +33.7% | Beacon (Schneider Geospatial) |
| 2 | Long County | Georgia | 16,150 | 21,557 | +5,407 | +33.5% | qPublic (Schneider Geospatial) |
| 3 | Dawson County | Georgia | 26,797 | 35,365 | +8,568 | +32.0% | qPublic (Schneider Geospatial) |
| 4 | Jackson County | Georgia | 75,945 | 99,265 | +23,320 | +30.7% | qPublic (Schneider Geospatial) |
| 5 | Brunswick County | North Carolina | 136,695 | 174,702 | +38,007 | +27.8% | ArcGIS Web AppBuilder |
| 6 | St. Johns County | Florida | 273,426 | 346,328 | +72,902 | +26.7% | qPublic (Schneider Geospatial) |
| 7 | Osceola County | Florida | 388,647 | 481,718 | +93,071 | +23.9% | ArcGIS Experience Builder |
| 8 | Walton County | Florida | 75,305 | 93,288 | +17,983 | +23.9% | qPublic (Schneider Geospatial) |
| 9 | St. Lucie County | Florida | 329,226 | 402,449 | +73,223 | +22.2% | county web map |
| 10 | New Kent County | Virginia | 22,942 | 28,022 | +5,080 | +22.1% | CivQuest |
| 11 | Hendry County | Florida | 39,623 | 48,276 | +8,653 | +21.8% | ArcGIS Experience Builder |
| 12 | Horry County | South Carolina | 351,036 | 427,551 | +76,515 | +21.8% | county web map |
| 13 | Flagler County | Florida | 115,378 | 140,360 | +24,982 | +21.7% | qPublic (Schneider Geospatial) |
| 14 | Sumter County | Florida | 129,752 | 157,772 | +28,020 | +21.6% | county web map |
| 15 | Jasper County | Georgia | 14,599 | 17,632 | +3,033 | +20.8% | qPublic (Schneider Geospatial) |
| 16 | Polk County | Florida | 725,042 | 874,790 | +149,748 | +20.7% | county web map |
| 17 | Pasco County | Florida | 561,909 | 674,516 | +112,607 | +20.0% | ArcGIS Experience Builder |
| 18 | Pender County | North Carolina | 60,203 | 72,111 | +11,908 | +19.8% | ArcGIS Experience Builder |
| 19 | Franklin County | North Carolina | 68,625 | 82,037 | +13,412 | +19.5% | county web map |
| 20 | Berkeley County | South Carolina | 229,779 | 274,666 | +44,887 | +19.5% | ArcGIS Experience Builder |
| 21 | Barrow County | Georgia | 83,575 | 99,773 | +16,198 | +19.4% | qPublic (Schneider Geospatial) |
| 22 | Lancaster County | South Carolina | 96,012 | 114,296 | +18,284 | +19.0% | Beacon (Schneider Geospatial) |
| 23 | Lake County | Florida | 383,959 | 456,068 | +72,109 | +18.8% | county web map |
| 24 | Johnston County | North Carolina | 216,014 | 256,448 | +40,434 | +18.7% | county web map |
| 25 | Limestone County | Alabama | 103,563 | 122,928 | +19,365 | +18.7% | KCS GIS |
By state, the top 25 includes Florida (10), Georgia (5), South Carolina (4), North Carolina (4), Virginia (1) and Alabama (1).
The 15 Southeast counties that added the most people
| # | County | State | People added | % change | Jul 2025 | Parcel viewer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Polk County | Florida | +149,748 | +20.7% | 874,790 | county web map |
| 2 | Wake County | North Carolina | +127,879 | +11.3% | 1,257,235 | county web map |
| 3 | Mecklenburg County | North Carolina | +117,829 | +10.6% | 1,233,383 | county web map |
| 4 | Lee County | Florida | +114,780 | +15.1% | 875,607 | county web map |
| 5 | Hillsborough County | Florida | +114,342 | +7.8% | 1,574,115 | county web map |
| 6 | Pasco County | Florida | +112,607 | +20.0% | 674,516 | ArcGIS Experience Builder |
| 7 | Miami-Dade County | Florida | +100,267 | +3.7% | 2,802,029 | county web map |
| 8 | Orange County | Florida | +98,092 | +6.9% | 1,528,002 | county web map |
| 9 | Osceola County | Florida | +93,071 | +23.9% | 481,718 | ArcGIS Experience Builder |
| 10 | Palm Beach County | Florida | +83,535 | +5.6% | 1,575,726 | county web map |
| 11 | Horry County | South Carolina | +76,515 | +21.8% | 427,551 | county web map |
| 12 | St. Lucie County | Florida | +73,223 | +22.2% | 402,449 | county web map |
| 13 | St. Johns County | Florida | +72,902 | +26.7% | 346,328 | qPublic (Schneider Geospatial) |
| 14 | Lake County | Florida | +72,109 | +18.8% | 456,068 | county web map |
| 15 | Broward County | Florida | +68,941 | +3.5% | 2,013,317 | county web map |
These 15 added about 1,475,840 residents between them.
Fastest growing among counties with 100,000+ residents
Small counties can post big percentages on a modest number of newcomers. Limited to counties with at least 100,000 residents in July 2025:
| # | County | State | % change | People added | Jul 2025 | Parcel viewer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brunswick County | North Carolina | +27.8% | +38,007 | 174,702 | ArcGIS Web AppBuilder |
| 2 | St. Johns County | Florida | +26.7% | +72,902 | 346,328 | qPublic (Schneider Geospatial) |
| 3 | Osceola County | Florida | +23.9% | +93,071 | 481,718 | ArcGIS Experience Builder |
| 4 | St. Lucie County | Florida | +22.2% | +73,223 | 402,449 | county web map |
| 5 | Horry County | South Carolina | +21.8% | +76,515 | 427,551 | county web map |
| 6 | Flagler County | Florida | +21.7% | +24,982 | 140,360 | qPublic (Schneider Geospatial) |
| 7 | Sumter County | Florida | +21.6% | +28,020 | 157,772 | county web map |
| 8 | Polk County | Florida | +20.7% | +149,748 | 874,790 | county web map |
| 9 | Pasco County | Florida | +20.0% | +112,607 | 674,516 | ArcGIS Experience Builder |
| 10 | Berkeley County | South Carolina | +19.5% | +44,887 | 274,666 | ArcGIS Experience Builder |
Where the growth came from
Totals for April 2020 to July 2025 in the 10 fastest growing Southeast counties, split into births minus deaths, net moves from elsewhere in the US and net moves from abroad:
| County | Births minus deaths | Net domestic moves | Net international moves | Total change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jasper County, South Carolina | +56 | +8,183 | +1,414 | +9,722 |
| Long County, Georgia | +761 | +4,464 | +130 | +5,407 |
| Dawson County, Georgia | +287 | +8,027 | +220 | +8,568 |
| Jackson County, Georgia | +1,418 | +20,899 | +991 | +23,320 |
| Brunswick County, North Carolina | −4,453 | +41,765 | +521 | +38,007 |
| St. Johns County, Florida | −468 | +70,554 | +3,491 | +72,902 |
| Osceola County, Florida | +9,090 | +44,248 | +39,448 | +93,071 |
| Walton County, Florida | +342 | +16,332 | +1,387 | +17,983 |
| St. Lucie County, Florida | −3,127 | +66,288 | +9,881 | +73,223 |
| New Kent County, Virginia | +179 | +4,850 | +10 | +5,080 |
In all 10, moves from elsewhere in the US were the biggest source of growth. The 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
Counties with at least 10,000 residents in July 2024, ranked by one-year growth. The region as a whole changed by +722,941 (+0.8%) that year.
- Jasper County, South Carolina: +6.0% (+2,195)
- Jackson County, Georgia: +5.3% (+4,963)
- Long County, Georgia: +5.2% (+1,064)
- Brunswick County, North Carolina: +4.7% (+7,813)
- Dawson County, Georgia: +4.2% (+1,420)
- St. Johns County, Florida: +3.9% (+12,994)
- Banks County, Georgia: +3.7% (+761)
- Trousdale County, Tennessee: +3.6% (+434)
- Walton County, Florida: +3.5% (+3,192)
- Hendry County, Florida: +3.5% (+1,635)
Growth by state
How many counties grew in each Southeast state between April 2020 and July 2025, with the statewide change. State names link to our fastest-growing-counties guide for that state.
| State | Counties that grew | Counties | Statewide change | Fastest growing county |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 33 | 67 | +3.3% | Limestone County (+18.7%) |
| Arkansas | 37 | 75 | +3.4% | Benton County (+17.0%) |
| Florida | 63 | 67 | +8.9% | St. Johns County (+26.7%) |
| Georgia | 122 | 159 | +5.5% | Long County (+33.5%) |
| Kentucky | 73 | 120 | +2.2% | Warren County (+11.0%) |
| Louisiana | 14 | 64 | −0.9% | Livingston Parish (+9.0%) |
| Mississippi | 29 | 82 | −0.2% | George County (+8.1%) |
| North Carolina | 86 | 100 | +7.2% | Brunswick County (+27.8%) |
| South Carolina | 32 | 46 | +8.8% | Jasper County (+33.7%) |
| Tennessee | 87 | 95 | +5.8% | Wilson County (+18.5%) |
| Virginia | 88 | 133 | +2.9% | New Kent County (+22.1%) |
| West Virginia | 8 | 55 | −1.5% | Berkeley County (+14.3%) |
What growth looks like 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
- Fastest growing counties in Alabama
- Fastest growing counties in Arkansas
- Fastest growing counties in Florida
- Fastest growing counties in Georgia
- Fastest growing counties in Kentucky
- Fastest growing Louisiana parishes
- Fastest growing counties in Mississippi
- Fastest growing counties in North Carolina
- Fastest growing counties in South Carolina
- Fastest growing counties in Tennessee
- Fastest growing counties in Virginia
- Fastest growing counties in West Virginia
- Fastest growing counties in the US
- US counties losing population
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).
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, BEA regions (Southeast: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia).
- Platbookmapper county GIS directory (live data file behind our county pages, pulled October 24, 2026) for each official parcel viewer.