A look back at Georgia’s census population in 1940 really illustrates the rise of the Atlanta Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), the Peach State’s 800-pound gorilla.
In terms of counties with the highest population back in 1940, Fulton, Cobb and Dekalb were the only Atlanta MSA counties among the top 15. Back then, metro counties like Clayton and Forsyth were especially sleepy, and both had a population of around 11,000 residents.
Two things happened in the 1950s to help jumpstart metro Atlanta. Air conditioning became much more available and affordable, and the south suddenly became more tolerable for people and companies looking to relocate. Around that same time was the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956, which paved the way for Interstate 75 and Interstate 85, both of which run smackdab through the middle of Atlanta. Interstate 75 was the first interstate completed in the United States and quickly became a behemoth, connecting Detroit with Miami and everything in between, which included Atlanta.
Later came Hartfield-Jackson International Airport, and after that metro Atlanta really took off.
Below is a list of the 100 most-populated counties in Georgia just prior to America’s entry into World War II, followed by each county’s population at that time. On the second line, meanwhile, is where each county ranked in to the 2020 census population count.
Here are the biggest risers on the list:
• Forsyth went from being the 91st-largest county in Georgia in 1940 to No. 8 in 2020.
• Houston went from being the 92nd-largest county in Georgia in 1940 to No. 14 in 2020. (Houston County is the only non-Atlanta MSA county among the “fastest risers.”…Houston’s high rate of population growth can be overwhelmingly attributed to the establishment of Robins Air Force Base, which became operational in 1942).
• Clayton went from being the 89th-largest county in Georgia in 1940 to No. 5 in 2020.
• Paulding went from being the 80th-largest county in Georgia in 1940 to No. 13 in 2020.
• Henry went from being the 66th-largest county in Georgia in 1940 to No. 9 in 2020.
Here is the aforementioned top 100 list:
1) FULTON // 392,886
2020 rank – 1
2) CHATHAM // 117,970
2020 rank – 6
3) DEKALB // 86,942
2020 rank – 4
4) BIBB // 83,783
2020 rank – 15
5) RICHMOND // 81,863
2020 rank – 11
6) MUSCOGEE // 75,494
2020 rank – 10
7) FLOYD // 56,141
2020 rank – 26
8) TROUP // 43,879
2020 rank – 34
9) COBB // 38,272
2020 rank – 3
10) HALL // 34,822
2020 rank – 12
11) CARROLL // 34,156
2020 rank – 21
12) LAURENS // 33,606
2020 rank – 42
13) COLQUITT // 33,012
2020 rank – 44
14) LOWNDES // 31,860
2020 rank – 22
15) THOMAS // 31,289
2020 rank – 45
16) WALKER // 31,024
2020 rank – 36
17) GWINNETT // 29,087
2020 rank – 2
18) DOUGHERTY // 28,565
2020 rank – 29
19) POLK // 28,467
2020 rank – 49
20) SPALDING // 28,427
2020 rank – 37
21) CLARKE // 28,398
2020 rank – 19
22) WARE // 27,929
2020 rank – 53
23) COWETA // 26,972
2020 rank – 17
23) NEWTON // 18,579
2020 rank – 23
25) BURKE // 26,520
2020 rank – 78
26) WHITFIELD // 26,105
2020 rank – 25
27) BULLOCH // 26,010
2020 rank – 32
28) BARTOW // 25,283
2020 rank – 24
29) UPSON // 25,064
2020 rank – 68
30) SUMTER // 24,502
2020 rank – 62
31) WASHINGTON // 24,230
2020 rank – 89
32) BALDWIN // 24,190
2020 rank – 47
33) EMANUEL // 23,517
2020 rank – 81
34) MITCHELL // 23,261
2020 rank – 83
35) DECATUR // 22,234
2020 rank – 63
36) MERIWETHER // 22,055
2020 rank – 86
37) GLYNN // 21,920
2020 rank – 30
38) COFFEE // 21,541
2020 rank – 48
39) WORTH // 21,374
2020 rank – 85
40) DODGE // 21,022
2020 rank – 90
41) WALTON // 20,777
2020 rank – 27
42) BROOKS // 20,497
2020 rank – 103
43) SCREVEN // 20,353
2020 rank – 110
44) CHEROKEE // 20,126
2020 rank – 7
45) JACKSON // 20,089
2020 rank – 33
46) JEFFERSON // 20,040
2020 rank – 106
47) GRADY // 19,654
2020 rank – 72
48) ELBERT // 19,618
2020 rank – 92
49) EARLY // 18,679
2020 rank – 122
50) TIFT // 18,599
2020 rank – 51
51) NEWTON // 18,576
2020 rank – 23
52) CHATTOOGA // 18,532
2020 rank – 76
53) GORDON // 18,445
2020 rank – 40
54) CRISP // 17,540
2020 rank – 87
55) TOOMBS // 16,952
2020 rank – 69
56) DOOLY // 16,886
2020 rank – 118
57) TERRELL // 16,675
2020 rank – 130
58) RANDOLPH // 16,609
2020 rank – 145
59) TATTNALL // 16,243
2020 rank – 80
60) MACON // 15,947
2020 rank – 116
61) FRANKLIN // 15,612
2020 rank – 79
62) HART // 15,512
2020 rank – 73
63) BERRIEN // 15,370
2020 rank – 97
64) TELFAIR // 15,145
2020 rank – 114
65) CHATTAHOOCHEE // 15,138
2020 rank – 128
66) HENRY // 15,119
2020 rank – 9
67) WILKES // 15,084
2020 rank – 128
68) HABERSHAM // 14,771
2020 rank – 43
69) FANNIN // 14,752
2020 rank – 75
70) BEN HILL // 14,523
2020 rank – 101
71) APPLING // 14,497
2020 rank – 96
72) HARALSON // 14,377
2020 rank – 61
73) GREENE // 13,709
2020 rank – 93
74) MADISON // 13,431
2020 rank – 60
75) WAYNE // 13,122
2020 rank – 59
76) BARROW // 13,064
2020 rank – 31
77) STEPHENS // 12,972
2020 rank – 71
78) JOHNSON // 12,953
2020 rank – 129
79) IRWIN // 12,936
2020 rank – 126
80) PAULDING // 12,832
2020 rank – 13
81) HANCOCK // 12,764
2020 rank – 135
82) WILCOX // 12,755
2020 rank – 134
83) MORGAN // 12,713
2020 rank – 88
84) OGLETHORPE // 12,430
2020 rank – 107
85) CATOOSA // 12,199
2020 rank – 35
86) COOK // 11,919
2020 rank – 100
87) JENKINS // 11,843
2020 rank – 136
88) PIERCE // 11,800
2020 rank – 91
89) CLAYTON // 11,655
2020 rank – 5
90) HARRIS // 11,428
2020 rank – 54
91) FORSYTH // 11,322
2020 rank – 8
92) HOUSTON // 11,303
2020 rank – 14
93) MURRAY // 11,137
2020 rank – 52
94) WILKINSON // 11,025
2020 rank – 133
95) MCDUFFIE // 10,878
2020 rank – 84
96) TURNER // 10,846
2020 rank – 132
97) TAYLOR // 10,768
2020 rank – 140
98) MONROE // 10,749
2020 rank – 67
99) STEWART // 10,603
2020 rank – 150
100) CALHOUN // 10,438
2020 rank – 149
IMAGE CREDITS: Cover photo from the Georgia State University Library’s Digital Collections Project.
