Census reports Georgia growth shift, setting up political battle lines Census reports Georgia growth shift, setting up political battle lines Rural Georgia counties like Meriwether lost population from 2010 to 2020 while metro areas grew, according to new U.S. Census figures. Last fall a sign in downtown Greenville urged people to participate in the once-a-decade head count. (Jill Nolin/Georgia Recorder) (GA Recorder) | WASHINGTON — After months of delays, the U.S. Census Bureau on Monday gave states part of the critical data needed to redraw their U.S. House boundaries: an updated tally of how many people live within their borders and the number of House districts that each state will have for the next decade.