Norcross and Chamblee, in the northeastern slice of inner-metro Atlanta, have landed as two of the top five fastest-growing cities with populations under 100,000 in the country, as laid out in a new post by Zippia.
Between 2010 and 2014, the populations in the metro cities have grown by a staggering 72 percent (Norcross) and 62 percent, respectively, according to Zippia. Which, by all metrics, is pretty damn incredible.
But as with most internet studies, there's a major catch. This isn't exactly a barometer of organic-growth success.
Both Chamblee and Norcross have been on annexing sprees in the last few years, swallowing up large swaths of unincorporated land around them. With that land came a lot of people who instantly became city residents.
Still, the growth is indicative of a larger trend: Atlanta is still booming, and while a lot of the growth remains in the urban core, many of those once-small towns hugging the Perimeter are swelling, too.
Chamblee is benefiting from the growth trend along the MARTA gold line. With three major projects under construction near the city’s MARTA station, look for the population spike to continue. And nearby Norcross is enjoying the same growth happening across Gwinnett County, the fastest growing county in the state.
Nonetheless, we’ll take the press coverage and accolades. After all, who doesn’t want to show up on a list that includes Zionsville, Kirkland, and Cibolo — wherever those may be.
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