Census

Here’s how Georgia’s population has changed in the last 10 years

The United States, including Georgia, became more urban and more diverse during the last decade, according to U.S. Census results released Thursday. The first detailed data from the 2020 Census covering cities, counties and census blocks showed the concentration of Americans in the nation’s metropolitan areas increased from 84.3% in 2010 to 86.3% last year. Population growth in Georgia during the decade was limited primarily to the counties in metro Atlanta and along the coast. On the other hand, many of the counties in rural Georgia lost population between 2010 and 2020, including large swaths of South Georgia. That trend…

This Georgia community is shrinking the fastest in the state

The U.S. population grew by just 0.35% between July 2019 and July 2020, the smallest annual growth rate in well over a century. Driven in part by restrictions on immigration and a declining birth rate, stagnant population growth may have profound and far reaching consequences -- including reduced economic growth, stagnanting home values, and fewer workers to support an aging population. This trend is by no means unique to last year. Over the past decade, cities and towns across the country have reported rapid population decline. The unincorporated community of Druid Hills has the fastest shrinking population in Georgia, according…

Georgia is about to redraw voting districts

The Georgia House and Senate committees in charge of drawing new congressional and legislative district lines this year heard an earful Tuesday from activists calling for fairness in a process that is typically highly partisan. “As communities become more diverse, it is critical that district maps reflect that,” Michelle Zuluaga of the group Latinos for Democracy, told lawmakers during the first of 11 public hearings to be held across the state this summer and fall. “We want maps that will unite our state, not divide our communities.” The General Assembly draws new district boundaries every 10 years following the latest…

What to expect when Georgia redistricts Congressional seats

The once-a-decade process of redrawing Georgia’s congressional and legislative district lines is about to begin. The state House and Senate committees in charge of redistricting will hold a joint virtual town hall meeting next week to start gathering feedback from Georgia residents. The June 15 meeting, which will run from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m., will be the first chance for citizens to weigh in on the results they would like to see from the process. The committees are expected to hold additional hearings during the next few months across the state. By law, states must redraw their congressional and…

The Census results are in. Here’s what it means for Georgia

After months of delays, the U.S. Census Bureau on Monday gave states part of the critical data needed to redraw their U.S. House boundaries: an updated tally of how many people live within their borders, and the number of House districts that each state will have for the next decade. For six states, the long-awaited census results mean they’ll gain representation in Congress: Fast-growing Texas will add two seats, and five states will each add one seat: Florida (which surpassed New York to become the third-largest state), North Carolina, Colorado, Montana and Oregon. Because the House must remain at 435 lawmakers, seven…

Two Georgia cities challenge each other to Census battle

The race to finish strong with the 2020 Census just got more competitive. The City of Decatur has challenged Avondale Estates to a battle to see which city has the best participation rate. Less than 1% currently separates these two DeKalb County cities. As of today, 75.1% of households in Avondale Estates have responded compared to 74.4% of Decatur households. It's still a close race that will end Wednesday. At stake are more than bragging rights. In this friendly competition, the mayors of both cities have made a wager. Yet the real stakes are the future for DeKalb County. The Census…

You now have until October 31 to complete the Census

A federal judge has rejected the Trump administrations truncated Census schedule and has ruled that the national head count must continue until October 31. The previous deadline was September 30. Federal funding to the states is determined by population as gathered by the Census, which is constitutionally required every 10 years. That federal funding goes directly to public schools and transportation projects which receive money from the U.S. government. The census also determines how many seats Georgia gets in Congress. Georgia is currently 47th in the nation in completing the census, lagging behind most of the other states.

COVID, internet deserts and mistrust harm Georgia’s Census results

Last September, Gov. Brian Kemp named 66 state leaders to promote the 2020 Census as members of the statewide Complete Count Committee. In November he gave the committee a pep talk to urge that they give the high stakes headcount their all. Co-chaired by Anna Miller of the Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget and Rusty Haygood of the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, the committee’s motto is “Every. One. Counts.” But with the end of 2020 census approaching in a week, only an estimated 92.3% of Georgia households are counted as of Wednesday. Just a handful of states are faring worse. Officials say…

‘When we count, we matter.’ Census push continues in Georgia

Local leaders from Rome to Savannah pressed Georgians on Monday to complete the 2020 census with only 10 days left before the deadline. Georgia ranks near the bottom of states in its progress on the decennial count, which influences federal money allocations and political representation. The deadline is Sept. 30. As of Monday, nearly 91% of households in Georgia had completed the census either on their own initiative or after census takers tracked them down via door-to-door visits or phone calls. That’s an increase from the 81% completion rate seen earlier this month but still lags behind every other state in…

Census caravan to make its way through South DeKalb

Georgia is lagging behind the nation in responses to the Census. To combat that, DeKalb County will form a Census caravan to count residents in the South DeKalb area Saturday. As part of DeKalb County’s 2020 Census efforts, DeKalb County is conducting onsite census registrations at three locations and will have a vehicle caravan traverse throughout south DeKalb. On Saturday, Sept. 19, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. residents can complete their census at the following locations and receive a census swag bag: Kroger Supermarket, 4919 Flat Shoals Pkwy., DecaturKroger Supermarket, 2385 Wesley Chapel Rd., DecaturSaint Philip AME Church, 240…

Georgia is 47th in the nation in completing the census

When it comes to filling out their census forms, Georgians are doing a poor job compared to the rest of the United States. Georgia currently ranks 47 in the nation for the percentage of residents who have completed the constitutionally required national head count. The failure of Georgia residents to participate in the count could cost the state billions of dollars in federal funding. That federal funding goes directly to public schools and transportation projects which receive money from the U.S. government based on -- you guessed it -- the population of the state. The census also determines how many…