Population

Tracking population changes helps a community better understand current needs and plan for the future. Significant changes in population growth or decline significantly impact resources and the availability and quality of services. This affects all aspects of public service, like schools, roads, water and sewer, police and fire service protection, and recreation activities.

Chatham County is the most populous county, with just over 295,000 people at the 2020 Census, up from about 200,000 in 1980. The population changes for the other counties in the region are shown below.