Henry County took home a top distinction that no one necessarily wants following new population estimates released this week. Between April 2021 to April 2022, Henry County was the fastest-growing county (by percentage) in metro Atlanta.
According to data released by Atlanta Regional Commission, Henry County added an estimated 5,918 new residents in the last year. This equates to a 2.7% percent increase year-over-year.
Population 2022
ARC estimates Henry County has a 2022 population of 252,502. The 11-county metro Atlanta region has 5.1 million residents. These numbers are up from 240,712 and 4.97 million at the time of the 2020 census, respectively.
During the last year, Henry County experienced 2.7% growth. Forsyth County is a close second at 2.6%. Cherokee County (2.5%) and Douglas County (2.1%) round out the top four. All four counties are located in the “outer ring” of metro Atlanta.
Building Permits
Across metro Atlanta, the number of housing permits increased from 2020 to 2021 but lags behind pre-pandemic levels. This is not the case in Henry County. New home construction has been steadily increasing year after year. During 2021, the county saw its highest number of new building permits since 2006. Builders last year received 2,771 permits compared to 3,165 in 2006.
The increase in multifamily construction is a factor in the rate of new housing construction and population growth. During 2009–2018, only 194 new multifamily units built within Henry County and several years (5 out of 10) had zero new units. On the contrast, 597 new multifamily units received their permits in the last three years. Another five-hundred units received permits during the first five months of 2022.
New multifamily development is concentrated near interstate exits. New apartments are presently under construction off I-75 exit 218 (state route 20), exit 221 (Jonesboro Road) and exit 222 (Jodeco Road). Still, other developers’ requests remain pending for a zoning decision. Most recently, builders are seeking to develop apartments in Locust Grove.
With new housing construction at its highest levels since before the Great Recession, one can expect Henry County to continue to be among the top counties for population growth over the next few years.
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