COVINGTON, Ga. — The latest U.S. Census Bureau estimates show Newton County grew twice as fast in 2021 than it did annually in the previous 10 years.

The county grew by almost 2,900 new residents between April 2020 and July 2021 — much faster than the annual increase of 1,252 between 2010 and 2020.

The county had more than 115,355 residents at the last estimate in December 2021 — representing a 2.6% growth rate since the 2020 federal census count of 112,483 and a 15.4% increase since the 2010 census.

The U.S. Census Bureau released totals from the constitutionally-mandated decennial federal census in 2020 in August 2021.

They showed:

• Newton County’s 12% annual population growth between 2010 and 2020 was almost twice the U.S. rate of 7% and well above Georgia’s statewide rate of 10.5% during the same time period.

• Newton County became a minority-majority county in the decade between 2010 and 2020 after Black and Latino residents combined for more than half the population.

• The county’s white population dropped from 52% of the total population in 2010, to 42% in 2020.

More than 5,000 fewer white residents lived in Newton County in 2020 compared to 2010 — decreasing from 51,995 in 2010 to 46,746 in 2020.

• The Black population increased from 40% of the total in 2010 to 46% in 2020 — making it the dominant race in Newton County.

Almost 12,000 additional Black residents made Newton their home, with the number increasing from 40,371 in 2010 to 52,246 in 2020, according to the Census Bureau.

By comparison, white residents made up 50% of the statewide population in 2020 (56% in 2010) and Black residents comprised 31% of Georgia’s total in 2020 (30% in 2010).

• Newton County’s Hispanic or Latino residents increased by more than 50% in 10 years, with 4,635 counted in 2010 and 7,164 in 2020.

Their share of Newton County’s population increased from 4.6% in 2010 to 6.4% in 2020 — though it was below the statewide count of 10.5% of Georgia’s population in 2020.

• The number of residents identifying themselves as Two or More Races — also identified as multiracial — rose from 1.7% in 2010 to 3.8% in 2020.

• Other population groups did not significantly change their shares of Newton County’s population in the decade, with the largest segment of the 2020 population identifying as Asian at 0.9%, followed by Some Other Race, 0.7%; American Indian, 0.2%; and Pacific Islander, 0.1%.

Nationally the white population remained the largest race or ethnicity group in the U.S. with 204.3 million people identifying as white alone. 

Overall, 235.4 million people reported white alone or in combination with another group. However, the white alone population decreased by 8.6% since 2010, the Census Bureau reported.

Other 2020 census figures showed:

• Newton residents commuted an average 34 minutes to work, compared to 29 minutes statewide.

• Only 21% of Newton residents had at least a bachelor’s degree compared to 32% statewide; but 87% of county residents were high school graduates which matched the statewide rate.

• 14.4% of Newton residents were in poverty in 2020, which almost matched the statewide average of 14.0%.

• The county’s per capita income was below the state average in 2020, with Newton at $25,394 compared to $32,427 statewide. Per capita income is all Newton County residents’ total income divided by the total population. 

• Newton’s median household income was $59,178, compared to $61,224 statewide.

• Only 6.6% of Newton Countians 5 years old and up lived in a home where a language other than English was spoken, compared to 14% statewide.

• 11.6% of Newton residents had a disability, compared to 9% of residents statewide.