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 | |||||
| 1990 | 2000 | 2010 | 2015 | 2021 | |
| Total Population | 797,159 | 860,440 | 903,373 | 946,050 | 971,102 |
| Change Since 1990 | 63,281 | 106,214 | 148,891 | 173,943 | |
| Pct. Change Since 1990 | 7.9% | 13.3% | 18.7% | 21.8% | |
| Components of Population Change 2020 to 2021 | ||
| Number | ||
| Net Domestic Migration | -10,836 | |
| International Migration | 1,608 | |
| Natural Increase (births minus deaths) | 3,530 | |
| Births | 13,434 | |
| Deaths | 9,904 | |
| Population Estimates by Age in 2021 | ||
| Number | Pct. Dist | |
| Preschool (0 to 4) | 67,193 | 6.9% |
| School Age (5 to 17) | 172,953 | 17.8% |
| College Age (18 to 24) | 90,331 | 9.3% |
| Young Adult (25 to 44) | 291,170 | 30.0% |
| Older Adult (45 to 64) | 221,917 | 22.9% |
| Older (65 plus) | 127,538 | 13.1% |
| Population Estimates by Race and Hispanic Origin in 2021 | ||
| Number | Pct. Dist | |
| American Ind. or Alaskan Native Alone | 4,682 | 0.5% |
| Asian Alone | 40,336 | 4.2% |
| Black Alone | 287,669 | 29.6% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pac. Isl. Alone | 538 | 0.1% |
| White Alone | 606,374 | 62.4% |
| Two or More Race Groups | 31,503 | 3.2% |
| Hispanic or Latino | ||
| Non-Hispanic or Latino | 860,942 | 88.7% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 110,160 | 11.3% |
| Households in 2020 | ||
| Number | Pct. Dist | |
| Total Households | 377,695 | 100.0% |
| Family Households | 207,416 | 54.9% |
| Married with Children | 51,987 | 13.8% |
| Married without Children | 84,232 | 22.3% |
| Single Parents | 39,992 | 10.6% |
| Other | 31,205 | 8.3% |
| Non-family Households | 170,279 | 45.1% |
| Living Alone | 139,617 | 37.0% |
| Average Household Size | 2.59 | |
| Average Family Household Size | 4.71 | |
| 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% |
| April 2000 | 860,440 | 63,281 | 7.9% |
| April 2010 | 903,373 | 42,933 | 5.0% |
| Population Projections | |||||
| 2010 | 2015 | 2020 | 2025 | 2030 | |
| Population Projections | 903,393 | 927,975 | 951,780 | 973,789 | 993,289 |
| Change Since 2010 | 24,582 | 48,387 | 70,396 | 89,896 | |
| Pct. Change Since 2010 | 2.7% | 5.4% | 7.8% | 10.0% | |