Georgia "Exurbs" Among America's Top 100 Fastest Growing Cities

Five Georgia cities landed among the 100 fastest-growing incorporated cities in the US, and all experienced double-digit growth rates over the past three years. And of those five Georgia cities, three are within the growing ring of far-outer suburbs of Atlanta, commonly known in geographic and population tracking circles as "exurbs."

US Census experts say "exurb" cities grow faster as home prices rise and employers allow more work from home.Photo byInternet Photo / Public Domain

Perry, Pooler, Douglasville, Canton and Gainesville ranked in the nation's 100 fastest-growing cities over the past three years, according to data from the US Census Bureau. Douglasville, Canton and Gainesville all fall into the category of "exurbs" of Atlanta, within 60 miles of the city center and connected to the greater metro area by primary interstate highways. Pooler is a suburb of Savannah. Perry, along Interstate 75 in South Georgia, is the only one of the top five not considered an exurb of a major metro area.

The data set was released by the Population Division of the US Census Bureau in May 2024 in a report entitled "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places in Georgia."

According to the Georgia report, Perry was the 47th fastest-growing incorported city in the US from April 2020 to July 2023, recording a 16.5% growth rate over the period. Pooler ranked 56th, with 15.4% growth. Douglasville ranked 85th, Canton was 95th and Gainesville was listed at number 100, with growth rates of 11.8, 11.6 and 10.6 percent growth rates respectively.

Two other Georgia cities -- McDonough and Suwanee -- also recorded growth rates over 10% during the three-year period, the data show.

Of Georgia's fastest growing cities, four -- Pooler, Canton, Douglasville and Gainesville -- are considered "exurbs" of larger cities.Photo byDeanLand Graphic

Lower home prices and the ability to work more often from home or a home base are among the reasons for the growth pattern, the Census Bureau says.

“With many more people in working ages now able to work from home at least some of the time, it’s likely that some people are more willing to live further away from their place of employment than they would have in the past," explained Luke Rogers, demographer in the U.S. Census Bureau’s Population Division.

Along with fast growth can come new problems. Sprawling development patterns of exurbs often strain infrastructure and services. And, the rapid exurban growth often occurs in an unplanned, piecemeal fashion, resulting in a lack of cohesive design, amenities, and community identity, city planning sources indicate.