Four of the state’s suburban cities ranked among the fastest-growing areas in the country, with Georgetown topping the list, according to population estimates released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau. The estimates, which track growth from July 2014 to July 2015, show the most rapid growth was concentrated in Central Texas, the greater Houston area and near Dallas.
Located north of Austin, Georgetown ranked as the nation's fastest-growing city with a population larger than 50,000. Its population grew by 7.8 percent, from 59,105 in 2014 to 63,716 in 2015.
Ten Fastest-Growing Cities in the U.S.
Between 2014 and 2015, four Texas suburbs were among the 10 fastest-growing cities in the U.S. for cities with a population larger than 50,000.City | Percent change | 2015 population |
Georgetown, TX | 7.8% | 63,716 |
New Braunfels, TX | 6.6% | 70,543 |
Ankeny, IA | 6.5% | 56,764 |
Frisco, TX | 6.3% | 154,407 |
South Jordan, UT | 6% | 66,648 |
Dublin, CA | 5.5% | 57,721 |
Pearland, TX | 5.3% | 108,821 |
Milpitas, CA | 5.3% | 77,604 |
Broomfield, CO | 5.2% | 65,065 |
Mount Pleasant, SC | 4.7% |
Credit: Annie Daniel
New Braunfels — located between San Antonio and Austin — was the second-fastest-growing city in the country. Frisco, part of the DFW metroplex, and Pearland, a Houston suburb, were also among the top 10.
Fast growth rates in the state's suburbs have been consistent for some time, reflecting "outward pressure" from inner-city housing woes and suburban economic growth, said state demographer Lloyd Potter.
College Station was the only non-suburb to make it into the top 10 fastest-growing cities in the state. Its population grew by 4.1 percent from 103,636 in 2014 to 107,889 in 2015.
While the fastest growth rates were mostly concentrated in suburban cities, Texas' biggest five cities added the most people in the last year.
Texas Cities that Added the Most People
Here's how many people moved into Texas' largest cities between 2014 and 2015.City | 2015 Population | Population increase by |
Houston | 2,296,224 | 40,032 |
San Antonio | 1,469,845 | 29,536 |
Fort Worth | 833,319 | 19,894 |
Dallas | 1,300,092 | 19,642 |
Austin | 931,830 | 19,117 |
Frisco | 154,407 | 9,218 |
McKinney | 162,898 | 6,000 |
Pearland | 108,821 | 5,473 |
Plano | 283,558 | 4,890 |
Midland | 132,950 | 4,792 |
Credit: Annie Daniel
Houston — the state’s most-populous city — saw the biggest growth, gaining 40,032 residents in the last year. It also had the second-largest numeric increase in the country behind New York City.
San Antonio, Fort Worth, Dallas and Austin also took four of the eight top spots among U.S. cities that experienced the largest numeric increase in the last year, with Fort Worth slightly outpacing Dallas and Austin despite their bigger populations.
This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune.