A region's economy thrives or dives because of the people who choose to live there. That choice may occur by being born there and desiring to stay, or a more deliberate one of choosing to relocate from somewhere else. Monitoring change in the size and movement of population is an important barometer of well-being.
| Population Over Time | |||||
| 2000 | 2010 | 2018 | 2020 | 2024 | |
| Total Population | 860,440 | 903,373 | 959,370 | 977,206 | 981,628 |
| Change Since 2000 | 42,933 | 98,930 | 116,766 | 121,188 | |
| Pct. Change Since 2000 | 5.0% | 11.5% | 13.6% | 14.1% | |
| Components of Population Change 2023 to 2024 | ||
| Number | ||
| Net Domestic Migration | -10,500 | |
| International Migration | 10,450 | |
| Natural Increase (births minus deaths) | 6,058 | |
| Births | 14,466 | |
| Deaths | 8,408 | |
| Population Estimates by Age in 2024 | ||
| Number | Pct. Dist | |
| Preschool (0 to 4) | 69,004 | 7.0% |
| School Age (5 to 17) | 174,075 | 17.7% |
| College Age (18 to 24) | 93,764 | 9.6% |
| Young Adult (25 to 44) | 295,717 | 30.1% |
| Older Adult (45 to 64) | 213,026 | 21.7% |
| Older (65 plus) | 136,042 | 13.9% |
| Population Estimates by Race and Hispanic Origin in 2024 | ||
| Number | Pct. Dist | |
| American Ind. or Alaskan Native Alone | 5,539 | 0.6% |
| Asian Alone | 44,809 | 4.6% |
| Black Alone | 297,519 | 30.3% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pac. Isl. Alone | 554 | 0.1% |
| White Alone | 599,988 | 61.1% |
| Two or More Race Groups | 33,219 | 3.4% |
| Hispanic or Latino | ||
| Non-Hispanic or Latino | 839,911 | 85.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 141,717 | 14.4% |
| Households in 2023 | ||
| Number | Pct. Dist | |
| Total Households | 396,662 | 100.0% |
| Family Households | 219,067 | 55.2% |
| Married with Children | 56,642 | 14.3% |
| Married without Children | 88,851 | 22.4% |
| Single Parents | 40,279 | 10.2% |
| Other | 33,295 | 8.4% |
| Non-family Households | 177,595 | 44.8% |
| Living Alone | 144,550 | 36.4% |
| Average Household Size | 2.46 | |
| Average Family Household Size | 4.45 | |
| Population Counts by Decade | |||
| Population | Numerical Chg. | Pct. Chg. | |
| 1950 | 551,777 | NA | NA |
| 1960 | 697,567 | 145,790 | 26.4% |
| 1970 | 793,769 | 96,202 | 13.8% |
| 1980 | 765,233 | -28,536 | -3.6% |
| 1990 | 797,159 | 31,926 | 4.2% |
| 2000 | 860,440 | 63,281 | 7.9% |
| 2010 | 903,373 | 42,933 | 5.0% |
| 2020 | 977,206 | 73,833 | 8.2% |
| Population Projections | |||||
| 2020 | 2025 | 2030 | 2035 | 2040 | |
| Population Projections | 976,631 | 965,874 | 982,759 | 993,607 | 1,002,606 |
| Change Since 2020 | -10,757 | 6,128 | 16,976 | 25,975 | |
| Pct. Change Since 2020 | -1.1% | 0.6% | 1.7% | 2.7% | |