Everything’s bigger in Texas, they say — and the cities are no exception. According to a June report by the U.S. Census Bureau, eight of the nation’s 15 fastest-growing cities from April 2010 to July 2011 are in Texas.
The Lone Star State winners with the largest population increase by percentage were Round Rock (4.8 percent), Austin (3.8), Plano (3.8), McKinney (3.8), Frisco (3.8), Denton (3.4), McAllen (3.0) and Carrollton (3.0). Louisiana's New Orleans topped the list with a 4.9 percent growth rate.
The report found that more than three in every five people (62 percent, or 194.4 million) in the United States live in a city, while more than a third of the U.S. population (37 percent, or 116.2 million) live in cities of more than 50,000. Though New York City’s 66,777-person increase placed first in numeric population gains, Texas' Houston (above) came in second with an increase of 45, 716 people. San Antonio and Austin also showed large increases.
These numbers reflect a trend of rapid population growth in Texas that was first observed between the 2000 and 2010 censuses, said Census Bureau Director Robert Groves. As the largest of the 48 contiguous U.S. states and the home of 26 million people, Texas effectively embodies the dynamic growth described by the census report. Many of the Lone Star State’s distinctive features — cattle ranches, country music fairs and Tex-Mex cuisine — are larger-than-life affairs that ensure that Texas is always represented on tourist maps.