DeKalb Grows Slower Than Other Metro Atlanta Counties

While DeKalb County remains one of Georgia’s most populous counties, with 691,893 residents, its population grew at a much smaller rate than its metro Atlanta counterparts, according to figures released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau.

DeKalb’s population increased 3.9 percent from 2000, a slower rate than other metro Atlanta counties. Fulton's population grew from 816,006 people in 2000 to 920,581 in 2010, a growth rate of 12.8 percent, while Gwinnett grew from 558,448 people in 2000 to 805,321 in 2010, a growth of 36.9 percent. Finally, Cobb's population increased from 07,751 in 2000 to 688,078 in 2010, a growth of 13.2 percent.

DeKalb remains predominantly African-American, according to the new Census figures, with 375,725 blacks residing in the county. A total of 230,156 whites live in DeKalb, while 67,824 Latinos and 35,426 residents of Asian heritage are identified.

One of Brookhaven’s neighboring cities, Dunwoody, was ranked as Georgia’s 16th most populous incorporated area, according to Census figures. A total of 46,267 people live in Dunwoody, a number that could grow state lawmakers decide to incorporate some of Brookhaven’s northern borders into the city in the future.