New MSA estimates for 2023 (Atlanta, Augusta-Richmond County: suburbs, health, commuting)

[UptwnRsdnt]

New MSA estimates from the Census Bureau

The population estimates are from April 1, 2020, then July 1 of 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023

There is the Annual Change, July 1, 2022 to July 1, 2023
Then Cumulative Change, April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023"


Athens-Clarke County, GA Metro Area
215,422 215,712 218,314 220,331 222,060
Annual Change 1,729 0.8
Cumulative Change 6,638 3.1

Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA Metro Area
6,106,847 6,120,849 6,159,696 6,238,676 6,307,261
Annual Change 68,585, 1.1%
Cumulative Change 200,414, 3.3%

Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC Metro Area
610,978 612,172 616,187 623,985 629,429
Annual Change 5,444, 0.9%
Cumulative Change 18,451, 3.0%

Columbus, GA-AL Metro Area
328,887 329,196 326,478 323,826 323,768
Annual Change -58, -%
Cumulative Change -5,119, -1.6%

Macon-Bibb County, GA Metro Area
233,808 233,610 233,159 233,952 236,074
Annual Change 2,122, 0.9%
Cumulative Change 2,266, 1.0%

Savannah, GA Metro Area
404,803 405,301 409,428 418,277 424,935
Annual Change 6,658, 1.6%
Cumulative Change 20,132, 5.0%

[cwkimbro]

It is worth noting that this puts the Atlanta MSA at #6 in population after going ahead of DC and Philadelphia.

[Fountain-of-youth]

Census estimates continues to under count Columbus population. It's probably due to new census tracts NOT being track AGAIN. ACS 5 year estimates had Columbus city pop 204,366.

[masonbauknight]

Other metros should be listed here, especially fast-growing Gainesville and Warner Robins. Along with those two, metro Savavannah is the fastest-growing metro in the state (+5% in three years is significant). Atlanta and Augusta are growing too, but more modestly in terms of percentage. Metro Savannah still attracts more new residents than metro Augusta, and Augusta is one-third larger in population.

@Fountain. No, metro Columbus is not "undercounted." The MSA is affected by BRAC movements as few metros in the country are besides Fayetteville, NC. Most components of the Columbus MSA and the Columbus CSA have been down since the 2020 census. Others here might have the answer for that, but it seems a bit much to blame a three-year drop on "new census tracts."

[UptwnRsdnt]

I got lazy copying and pasting, but here they are. Years ago, I thought of them as suburbs, but they certainly have grown. Also added Albany, which continues to lose population.

Warner Robins, GA Metro Area
191,628 192,392 195,473 198,261 200,779
Annual 2,518 1.3
Cumulative 9,151 4.8

Gainesville, GA Metro Area
202,889 203,473 207,080 212,621 217,267
Annual 4,646 2.2
Cumulative 14,378 7.1

Albany, GA Metro Area
148,915 148,249 144,933 145,796 145,508
Annual -288 -0.2
Cumulative -3,407 -2.3

[KSM0984]

Columbus is definitely impacted by BRAC. One year the numbers are up and others the numbers are down. Doesn't help that a lot of the growth in that area is over in Lee County, Alabama just across the river. Maybe one day the Columbus and Auburn/Opelika MSA's will merge. Seems like only a matter of time.

Happy to see Atlanta jump to #6. Super impressive.

[masonbauknight]

Originally Posted by KSM0984

Maybe one day the Columbus and Auburn/Opelika MSA's will merge. Seems like only a matter of time.

I don't think that will happen soon. Both of those MSAs together form the Columbus-Auburn-Opelika CSA, which gained only around 1,600 people from 2020 to 2023. (For comparison, Savannah's core county alone, Chatham, gained about the same number of residents. The entire Savannah-Hinesville-Statesboro CSA gained 31,000 people.) The Census Bureau never joins MSAs with flat growth. It sure will de-couple them though, as happened with the old Macon-Warner Robins MSA, which are now separate.

[KSM0984]

Originally Posted by masonbauknight

I don't think that will happen soon. Both of those MSAs together form the Columbus-Auburn-Opelika CSA, which gained only around 1,600 people from 2020 to 2023. (For comparison, Savannah's core county alone, Chatham, gained about the same number of residents. The entire Savannah-Hinesville-Statesboro CSA gained 31,000 people.) The Census Bureau never joins MSAs with flat growth. It sure will de-couple them though, as happened with the old Macon-Warner Robins MSA, which are now separate.

Looks to be closer to 10,000 people over that time for Lee County. Source https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fa...bama/PST045223

The Auburn/Opelika area has been growing at a healthy rate. I would imagine the drop in the Columbus MSA comes from fluctuations in Chattahoochee County, where Fort Moore in located.

Definitely anticipate the CSA to be one metro in the future. Both areas are heavily tied to each other.

Hard to believe Statesboro is included with Savannah but guess it is. There is a huge swath of nothing for at least an hour between both cities.

[masonbauknight]

Originally Posted by KSM0984

Looks to be closer to 10,000 people over that time for Lee County. Source https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fa...bama/PST045223

The Auburn/Opelika area has been growing at a healthy rate. I would imagine the drop in the Columbus MSA comes from fluctuations in Chattahoochee County, where Fort Moore in located.

Definitely anticipate the CSA to be one metro in the future. Both areas are heavily tied to each other.

Hard to believe Statesboro is included with Savannah but guess it is. There is a huge swath of nothing for at least an hour between both cities.

I agree. The Columbus MSA and CSA do have good growth spots, but also several counties with declining populations (Muscogee in some years, Chattahoochee most years). For the areas as a whole -- MSA or CSA -- good net gains are lacking this decade.

Statesboro's economic ties to Savannah are strong, like Auburn's to Columbus. Much more commuting now, I've read. It's growing fast, and might meet Savannah MSA criteria one day. But again, the OMB is pretty tough about MSA/CSA criteria and redefinitions.

[Fountain-of-youth]

Originally Posted by masonbauknight

Other metros should be listed here, especially fast-growing Gainesville and Warner Robins. Along with those two, metro Savavannah is the fastest-growing metro in the state (+5% in three years is significant). Atlanta and Augusta are growing too, but more modestly in terms of percentage. Metro Savannah still attracts more new residents than metro Augusta, and Augusta is one-third larger in population.

@Fountain. No, metro Columbus is not "undercounted." The MSA is affected by BRAC movements as few metros in the country are besides Fayetteville, NC. Most components of the Columbus MSA and the Columbus CSA have been down since the 2020 census. Others here might have the answer for that, but it seems a bit much to blame a three-year drop on "new census tracts."

Lol BRAC happened last decade and the yearly estimates for Columbus had a net loss for five straight years. However,once the 2020 census number was released it showed a different story! A 17k+ growth in city pop. Out pacing,Savannah,Macon and Augusta in that category.