Georgia added 47,000 residents in 2023, with Chatham and Clarke county attracting the most new residents — many from Gen Z, according to a new report from StorageCafe.

Georgia’s population growth in 2023 didn’t fall uniformly, especially when it comes to Gen Z and millenials. Chatham and Clarke counties saw net population growth of 7,500 and 6,600 residents, respectively. Meanwhile, urban counties like Dekalb (down 7,000) and Gwinnett (down 12,900) experienced net population declines.

Young residents emerged as drivers of population change in growing counties. Two-thirds of Chatham’s new residents came from out of state, and with an average age of 31, 30% belonged to Gen Z.

In Clarke County, home to the University of Georgia, incoming residents trended even younger, with more than two-thirds belonging to Gen Z.

“Millennials and Gen Z are the definitive forces reshaping Georgia,” StorageCafe Research Analyst Emilia Man told Atlanta Agent Magazine. “We are seeing a fundamental recalibration of the resident base: Millennials are actively driving prime homeownership demand into counties like Barrow and Jackson, while mobile Gen Z clusters dominate renting in other fast-growing areas. This shift will shape infrastructure and housing development for the next two decades.”