The US Census Bureau has shared a report looking at the number of new housing units built between April 2020 and November 2024. Nearly 7,000 new housing units have been built in Henry County during this 4.5-year span. That’s 6th-most among the Atlanta Regional Commission 11-county area.
The US Census Bureau estimates the average household size is 2.89 people per household in Henry County. This would be an estimated 20,071 new residents in 4.5 years. The county had 260,000 residents in the July 2024 estimate.
New Homes in Henry County Since 2020
The US Census Bureau reported 6,945 new homes built in Henry County. This includes all new homes, townhomes and apartments collectively. The Census Bureau counts addresses for this data set, so a home would be included when it is completed. Therefore, homes under construction as of Nov. 2024 would not be in this count.
About 98,000 new housing units were built in the ARC 11-county area during this time. The 11-county area includes most, but not quite all, of metro Atlanta. Fulton and Gwinnett Counties, the state’s two most populous counties, accounted for about half of the area’s new homes.
Another way to consider the data is the number of new housing units through a percentage of the existing number of housing units. The reference line in this graph shows the percent change (4.9%) for the 11-county region as a whole:
Henry County had the highest percentage of new housing units, closely followed by Cherokee County. Henry County saw its housing supply increase by 8% in the 4.5 years.
Credit for the above charts to the Atlanta Regional Commission. View their original article here.
Where is the Growth?
In addition to county totals, the Census Bureau shares data at the census tract level. This information shares insights to answer the question “Where is growth occurring within the county?”
Click either of the above maps to enlarge it.
New growth in Henry County is especially prevalent along Jonesboro Road west of I-75. The census tract south of Jonesboro Road, between I-75 and the Clayton County line, added 910 new housing units from April 2020 to November 2024. This was a 34% increase in the number of housing units. The 910 homes were also the most new units in a single census tract in Henry County.
Here are the next five census tracts by number of new housing units. The Henry Reporter has labeled each tract by the general area or major road it contains.
- Willow Lane, east of I-75 – 551 new housing units,
- State Route 81, west of I-75 – 398 units,
- South Locust Grove, between I-75 and SR 42 – 332 units,
- Industrial Parkway / Avalon area, west of I-75 – 324 units, and
- Southeast Locust Grove, east of SR 42 – 300 units
Want to explore further? The Census Bureau has a Housing Unit Change Viewer tool that allows you to drill down to the block group.
Roads & Schools
When reporting on new developments, the two most common questions are about roads and schools. Henry County has over $2 billion worth of current and upcoming major transportation projects. This includes two new lanes on I-75 and a plethora of road widening projects. I shared a map of those projects in October 2024.
Henry County Schools was at about 70% capacity, according to their 2019-20 classroom capacity study. The study identified space concerns at certain schools which were then incorporated into the education SPLOST VI program. Voters approved the E-SPLOST VI program in 2021 and those projects are underway now.
Education SPLOST VI will build space for 5,000 additional students by the year 2028. The program has nine major school projects: three new schools and six classroom additions. The chart below shares the current status of each project.
The school district is presently updating its classroom capacity study for 2024-2025. The study’s findings, completed by a third-party company, will help determine projects for the upcoming E-SPLOST VII program. Henry County voters will tentatively consider that referendum in spring 2026.
Featured image shows a map of new housing units constructed in 2020-2024. Atlanta Regional Commission map.
