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People are moving to Texas. Not as if we didn’t know that.
The U.S. Census Bureau on Thursday made known what we anticipated. Texas, the second-most populous state, is now one of only two U.S. states with a population of 30 million or more.
Texas’ 2022 population was 30,029,572, second only to California (39,029,342).
From 2000 to 2022, the population of 11 of Texas’ 254 counties more than doubled, according to July 1, 2022, population estimates released on Thursday.
The population of Texas, the largest in land area among the Lower 48 states, increased by 470,708 in 2022, continuing a steady uptick. From 2000 to 2022, the state gained 9,085,073 residents, more than any other state and almost 3 million more than Florida, the next largest-gaining state.
That’s a 43% jump, which made Texas the fourth fastest-growing state in the country, behind Nevada, Utah, and Idaho.
Unlike Florida, where growth stemmed mainly from domestic migration, Texas experienced moderate increases across all components of population change.
About half of Texas's population gain since 2000 resulted from natural increase (more births than deaths); around 29% from net domestic migration gains; and 22% from net international migration gains.
Census Bureau
Texas counties led the nation in growth. Harris County, home to Houston, was Texas’s largest-gaining county, adding a net 1,366,674 people during the 22-year period. Harris County also was the nation’s second-largest-gaining county after Maricopa County, Arizona.
Tarrant County gained the second-largest number of people in Texas, almost 700,000, during that time.
And the population of Rockwall, the state's fastest-growing county, nearly tripled (182% growth). Rockwall County was not only the fastest-growing county in Texas but also the second-fastest growing county in the nation, behind Lincoln County, South Dakota.
Other findings:
- Eight other Texas counties (Hays, Williamson, Fort Bend, Kaufman, Comal, Collin, Montgomery, and Denton) ranked among the nation’s 25 fastest-growing counties between 2000 and 2022, when all saw their populations double.
- Ten Texas counties (Harris, Tarrant, Bexar, Collin, Denton, Fort Bend, Travis, Williamson, Montgomery, and Dallas) were also top gainers nationally during this period.
- Texas gained an average 412,958 residents annually between 2000 and 2022.
- In 2010, the population of Texas was just two-thirds that of California. By 2022, it was more than three-fourths that of California. In 1930, Texas had more people than California — and the 2030 Census will show where both states stand a century later.
- One-half of the top 10 fastest-growing counties in the country were in Texas: Kaufman County (8.9%), Rockwall County (5.7%), Parker County (5.6%), Comal County (5.6%), and Chambers County (5.3%)
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