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 | 2017 | 2020 | 2023 | |
| Total Population | 860,440 | 903,373 | 951,247 | 977,202 | 968,460 |
| Change Since 2000 | 42,933 | 90,807 | 116,762 | 108,020 | |
| Pct. Change Since 2000 | 5.0% | 10.6% | 13.6% | 12.6% | |
| Components of Population Change 2022 to 2023 | ||
| Number | ||
| Net Domestic Migration | -11,403 | |
| International Migration | 6,055 | |
| Natural Increase (births minus deaths) | 4,614 | |
| Births | 13,736 | |
| Deaths | 9,122 | |
| Population Estimates by Age in 2022 | ||
| Number | Pct. Dist | |
| Preschool (0 to 4) | 66,608 | 6.9% |
| School Age (5 to 17) | 170,376 | 17.6% |
| College Age (18 to 24) | 93,562 | 9.7% |
| Young Adult (25 to 44) | 290,710 | 30.0% |
| Older Adult (45 to 64) | 217,314 | 22.4% |
| Older (65 plus) | 130,896 | 13.5% |
| Population Estimates by Race and Hispanic Origin in 2022 | ||
| Number | Pct. Dist | |
| American Ind. or Alaskan Native Alone | 4,474 | 0.5% |
| Asian Alone | 42,260 | 4.4% |
| Black Alone | 290,447 | 30.0% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pac. Isl. Alone | 473 | 0.0% |
| White Alone | 599,905 | 61.9% |
| Two or More Race Groups | 31,907 | 3.3% |
| Hispanic or Latino | ||
| Non-Hispanic or Latino | 856,871 | 88.4% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 112,595 | 11.6% |
| Households in 2022 | ||
| Number | Pct. Dist | |
| Total Households | 392,837 | 100.0% |
| Family Households | 215,433 | 54.8% |
| Married with Children | 54,468 | 13.9% |
| Married without Children | 87,371 | 22.2% |
| Single Parents | 40,321 | 10.3% |
| Other | 33,273 | 8.5% |
| Non-family Households | 177,404 | 45.2% |
| Living Alone | 144,857 | 36.9% |
| Average Household Size | 2.47 | |
| Average Family Household Size | 4.50 | |
| 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 | 977,202 | 73,829 | 8.2% |
| Population Projections | |||||
| 2010 | 2015 | 2020 | 2025 | 2030 | |
| Population Projections | 903,393 | 938,058 | 963,732 | 983,721 | 1,001,231 |
| Change Since 2010 | 34,665 | 60,339 | 80,328 | 97,838 | |
| Pct. Change Since 2010 | 3.8% | 6.7% | 8.9% | 10.8% | |