New data from the Texas Demographic Center suggests that Texas’ population is estimated to have surpassed 30.7 million people this year — a growth of more than 5% since 2020.
Much of that growth is concentrated in the state’s major urban areas in what demographer Helen You called the Texas Triangle. That includes Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Austin and San Antonio.
“These four areas account for about 69% of the Texas population in 2023 but in terms of growth, they actually account for 84% of the growth between 2020 and 2023,” You said.
The TDC’s 2023 Population Estimate update released earlier this week shows that North Texas gained almost 561,000 people within that time frame.
“The areas that are experiencing higher population change rates are actually the counties surrounding these central urban counties,” You said.
Those “outer ring” counties throughout the region saw estimated double-digit growth rates. That includes Collin, Denton, Wise and Parker counties, which grew between 11% and nearly 20% from 2020 to the start of 2024, according to the TDC's estimates.
Kaufman County topped the list, growing 26.7% between 2020 and 2024 and gaining more than 38,700 new residents. Rockwall County also grew by 25%, adding more than 26,000 new residents.
Not all areas of Texas experienced growth: You added that populations actually shrunk in about a third of Texas counties, mostly in the Panhandle and West Texas regions.
Meanwhile, growth was slower in urban counties like Dallas and Tarrant, but both gained tens of thousands of residents. Dallas gained more than 16,000 residents while Tarrant more than 93,000.
Lloyd Potter, TDC’s leading demographer, said that an average of 864 people are moving to the state per day, taking into account the influx of domestic and international migrants.
“Last decade, it was roughly about 500 people per day, but now it's increased a little bit here in the last couple of years,” Potter said.
Other North Texas counties that saw notable growth include Ellis, Grayson and Hunt counties.
Pablo Arauz Peña is KERA’s growth and infrastructure reporter. Got a tip? Email Pablo at parauzpena@kera.org. You can follow him on X @pabloaarauz.
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