Georgia Adds 1 Million New Residents, but No New Congressional Seat
The U.S. Census Bureau has released the results of the 2020 Census and the details of how each state fared.
According to the Census Bureau Georgia is growing faster than the rest of the Country but not enough to add another Congressional seat. That’s because the population growth actually slowed compared to the 2000 and 2010 Census.
Barrow, Jackson, and Oconee Counties in North Georgia are listed among the 100 Fastest-Growing Counties in the Country, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
According to U.S. Census.gov, Georgia’s resident population rose from 9,687,653 in 2010 to 10,711,908, adding 1,024,255 new residents – an increase of 10.6%, but that was not enough to gain another Congressional seat.
Georgia currently has 14 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. /Six of those seats are held by Democrats and eight by Republicans.
To gain another seat, Georgia’s resident population needed to be 10,725,274 according to the U.S. Census Bureau. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial/2020/data/apportionment/apportionment-2020-tableA.pdf
According to a report in the Associated Press, State lawmakers have been told to expect a November special session to draw new maps for Congress, state Senate, and state House.
The average size of a U.S. House district in Georgia will rise from 692,000 people after 2010 to 766,000 people now. For a state Senate district, that jump is from about 173,000 people to nearly 192,000, while in the state House, it’s from about 54,000 to nearly 60,000.
As for the resident population count in local counties, the Census Bureau released the estimated changes in population by County as of July 1, 2019.
Franklin County’s estimated resident population as of July 1, 2019 had risen from 22,074 in the 2010 Census to 23,349.
Hart County’s estimated resident population rose from 25,240 in 2010 to 26,205 as of July 1, 2019.
Stephens County saw a decrease in its estimated resident population over the past ten years from 26,117 in 2010 to 25,925 as of July 1, 2019, according to the Census Bureau’s website
The final statistics for counties will be released in September, according to the Public Information office of the U.S. Census Bureau.