Dallas, Houston metro areas add 1 million people since 2010; Comal fastest growing county in Texas
SAN ANTONIO (Texas News Radio) — Texas metropolitan areas continue their rapid growth, with four Texas counties seeing the largest numerical growth and four other Texas counties seeing the largest percentage growth.
Figures released by the Census Bureau Thursday show Texas having the most number of counties and metropolitan areas in nearly every growth category.
In year-over-year change to population growth, Harris County was best in Texas and third best overall in numerical growth, gaining over 34,000 people in that time. Collin County was right behind, adding just under 33,000 people. Tarrant and Bexar counties were eighth and ninth overall, each gaining over 27,000 new residents.
Comal County saw the second-largest percentage growth in the country among counties with a population of at least 20,000, with a 5.4 percent increase in residents. Kaufman County was third with a 4.7 percent gain in population, while Midland and Hood Counties were sixth and ninth, each seeing a gain of 4 percent.
For metropolitan areas, Dallas-Fort Worth saw the largest increase year-over-year in the country, adding nearly 132,000 people. Houston was third overall, adding nearly 92,000 people, and Austin was seventh with over 53,000 new residents.
By percentage, the Midland area saw the biggest year-over-year growth, up 4.3 percent. The Odessa area was fifth-fastest growing by population, growing by 3.2 percent.
Since the last census taken in 2010, four Texas counties were among the top 10 in the country for numerical growth. Harris County is estimated to have added the most people in the country, with over 605,000 people being added. Tarrant, Bexar and Dallas counties were sixth through eighth in the same time period, each adding over 271,000 people.
By percentage, Hays County has seen the second-largest growth since 2010, seeing the population grow by 41.7 percent. Comal and Kendall counties were sixth and seventh, each seeing just under 37 percent increases in population. Fort Bend County was 10th overall, growing by 34.7 percent.
The Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston metro areas are the only two metro areas in the country to have added over a million people since the last census, each ranking first and second respectively. Austin also made the list of top 10 metro areas, coming in ninth with nearly 452,000 new residents this decade.
The Austin metro area saw the third-fastest growth in the country, with the population climbing 26.3 percent since 2010. The Midland metro area was right behind in fourth with a 25.9 percent jump.
Texas’ big 4 metros continue fast growth
All four major metropolitan areas in Texas continue to be fast growing areas and have carried much of the state’s population growth, with Odessa and Midland being the exception to that rule.
Austin has seen the fastest percentage growth of the big four at over 26 percent since 2010, while the other three metro areas have seen strong growth with Houston second, San Antonio third and Dallas-Fort Worth fourth — all in the 17 to 18 percent growth ballpark.
Every county in each of these metro areas has grown both since 2010 and year-over-year from 2017 to 2018.
Top county percentage growth since 2010 (among ‘Big Four’ metros; parentheses denotes metro area):
- Hays (Austin) +41.7%
- Comal (San Antonio) +36.8%
- Kendall (San Antonio) +36.6%
- Fort Bend (Houston) +34.6%
- Williamson (Austin) +34.1%
- Denton (DFW) +29.7%
- Montgomery (Houston) +29.7%
- Rockwall (DFW) +28.5%
- Collin (DFW) +28.5%
- Kaufman (DFW) +24.5%
- Guadalupe (San Antonio) +24.5%
- Waller (Houston) +23.0%
- Travis (Austin) +21.9%
- Chambers (Houston) +21.0%
- Ellis (DFW) +19.9%
- Parker (DFW) +18.3%
- Hood (DFW) +18.3%
- Brazoria (Houston) +18.2%
- Bastrop (Austin) +17.3%
- Wilson (San Antonio) +17.0%
Top county percentage growth year-over-year (among ‘Big Four’ metros; parentheses denotes metro area):
- Comal (San Antonio) +5.4%
- Kaufman (DFW) +4.7%
- Hood (DFW) +4.1%
- Hays (Austin) +3.9%
- Rockwall (DFW) +3.9%
- Williamson (Austin) +3.8%
- Kendall (San Antonio) +3.8%
- Wise (DFW) +3.7%
- Waller (Houston) +3.6%
- Parker (DFW) +3.5%
- Collin (DFW) +3.5%
- Ellis (DFW) +3.3%
- Montgomery (Houston) +3.3%
- Liberty (Houston) +2.9%
- Fort Bend (Houston) +2.8%
- Hunt (DFW) +2.7%
- Bastrop (Austin) +2.6%
- Johnson (DFW) +2.5%
- Chambers (Houston) +2.5%
- Atascosa (San Antonio) +2.5%
Population change among top 25 Texas metros since 2010 (metros ranked by 2018 Census estimate):
- Dallas-Fort Worth 7,539,711 (+17.3%)
- Houston 6,997,384 (+18.2%)
- San Antonio 2,518,036 (+17.5%)
- Austin 2,168,316 (+26.3%)
- McAllen-Edinburg-Mission 865,939 (+11.8%)
- El Paso 845,553 (+5.2%)
- Corpus Christi 845,553 (+5.8%)
- Killeen-Temple 451,679 (+11.4%)
- Brownsville-Harlingen 423,908 (+4.4%)
- Beaumont-Port Arthur 409,526 (+1.6%)
- Lubbock 319,068 (+9.7%)
- Laredo 275,910 (+10.2%)
- Amarillo 265,947 (+5.6%)
- Waco 271,942 (+7.6%)
- College Station-Bryan 262,431 (+14.8%)
- Tyler 230,221 (+9.8%)
- Longview 219,417 (+2.4%)
- Midland 178,331 (+24.5%)
- Abilene 171,451 (+3.8%)
- Odessa 162,124 (+18.2%)
- Wichita Falls 151,306 (even)
- Texarkana 150,242 (+0.7%)
- Sherman-Denison 133,991 (+10.8%)
- San Angelo 119,711 (+7.1%)
- Victoria 99,619 (+6.0%)
Population change among top 25 Texas metros from 2017 to 2018 (metros ranked by 2010 Census population):
- Dallas-Fort Worth 7,539,711 (+1.8%)
- Houston 6,997,384 (+1.3%)
- San Antonio 2,518,036 (+1.8%)
- Austin 2,168,316 (+2.5%)
- McAllen-Edinburg-Mission 865,939 (+0.88%)
- El Paso 845,553 (+0.05%)
- Corpus Christi 845,553 (-0.16%)
- Killeen-Temple 451,679 (+1.8%)
- Brownsville-Harlingen 423,908 (+0.17%)
- Beaumont-Port Arthur 409,526 (-0.75%)
- Lubbock 319,068 (+0.78%)
- Laredo 275,910 (+0.70%)
- Amarillo 265,947 (+0.37%)
- Waco 271,942 (+1.3%)
- College Station-Bryan 262,431 (+1.4%)
- Tyler 230,221 (+1.2%)
- Longview 219,417 (+0.38%)
- Midland 178,331 (+4.3%)
- Abilene 171,451 (+0.54%)
- Odessa 162,124 (+3.2%)
- Wichita Falls 151,306 (+0.08%)
- Texarkana 150,242 (-negligible)
- Sherman-Denison 133,991 (+2.1%)
- San Angelo 119,711 (+0.43%)
- Victoria 99,619 (-0.03%)
Dallas-Fort Worth
2010 population: 6,426,214
2017 population: 7,407,944
2018 population: 7,539,711
2010-2018 change: +1,113,497 (+17.3%)
2017-2018 change: +131,767 (+1.8%)
Dallas
2010 population: 2,366,139
2017 population: 2,622,799
2018 population: 2,637,772
2010-2018 change: +271,633 (+11.5%)
2017-2018 change: +14,973 (+0.6%)
Tarrant
2010 population: 1,809,034
2017 population: 2,057,468
2018 population: 2,084,931
2010-2018 change: +275,987 (+15.3%)
2017-2018 change: +27,463 (+1.3%)
Collin
2010 population: 782,341
2017 population: 971,393
2018 population: 1,005,146
2010-2018 change: +222,805 (+28.5%)
2017-2018 change: +33,753 (+3.5%)
Denton
2010 population: 662,554
2017 population: 835,330
2018 population: 859,064
2010-2018 change: +196,510 (+29.7%)
2017-2018 change: +23,734 (+2.4%)
Johnson
2010 population: 150,934
2017 population: 167,101
2018 population: 171,361
2010-2018 change: +20,427 (+13.5%)
2017-2018 change: +4,260 (+2.5%)
Ellis
2010 population: 149,610
2017 population: 173,636
2018 population: 179,436
2010-2018 change: +29,826 (+19,9%)
2017-2018 change: +5,800 (+3.3%)
Parker
2010 population: 116,927
2017 population: 133,704
2018 population: 138,371
2010-2018 change: +21,444 (+18.3%)
2017-2018 change: +4,667 (+3.5%)
Kaufman
2010 population: 103,350
2017 population: 122,845
2018 population: 128,622
2010-2018 change: +25,272 (+24.5%)
2017-2018 change: +5,777 (+4.7%)
Hunt
2010 population: 86,162
2017 population: 93,927
2018 population: 96,493
2010-2018 change: +10,331 (+12.0%)
2017-2018 change: +2,569 (+2.7%)
Rockwall
2010 population: 78,337
2017 population: 96,877
2018 population: 100,657
2010-2018 change: +22,320 (+28.5%)
2017-2018 change: +3,780 (+3.9%)
Wise
2010 population: 59,127
2017 population: 65,863
2018 population: 68,305
2010-2018 change: +9,178 (+15.5%)
2017-2018 change: +2,442 (+3.7%)
Hood
2010 population: 51,182
2017 population: 58,154
2018 population: 60,537
2010-2018 change: +9,355 (+18.3%)
2017-2018 change: +2,383 (+4.1%)
Somervell
2010 population: 8,490
2017 population: 8,847
2018 population: 9,018
2010-2018 change: +528 (+6.2%)
2017-2018 change: +171 (+1.9%)
Houston
2010 population: 5,920,416
2017 population: 6,905,695
2018 population: 6,997,384
2010-2018 change: +1,076,968 (+18.2%)
2017-2018 change: +91,689 (+1.3%)
Harris
2010 population: 4,092,459
2017 population: 4,664,159
2018 population: 4,698,619
2010-2018 change: +606,160 (+14.8%)
2017-2018 change: +34,460 (+0.7%)
Fort Bend
2010 population: 585,375
2017 population: 766,136
2018 population: 787,858
2010-2018 change: +202,483 (+34.6%)
2017-2018 change: +21,722 (+2.8%)
Montgomery
2010 population: 455,746
2017 population: 572,146
2018 population: 590,925
2010-2018 change: +135,179 (+29.7%)
2017-2018 change: +18,779 (+3.3%)
Brazoria
2010 population: 313,166
2017 population: 362,700
2018 population: 370,200
2010-2018 change: +57,034 (+18.2%)
2017-2018 change: +7,500 (+2.1%)
Galveston
2010 population: 291,309
2017 population: 334,304
2018 population: 337,890
2010-2018 change: +46,581 (+16.0%)
2017-2018 change: +3,586 (+1.1%)
Liberty
2010 population: 75,643
2017 population: 83,809
2018 population: 86,323
2010-2018 change: +10,680 (+14.1%)
2017-2018 change: +2,514 (+2.9%)
Waller
2010 population: 43,205
2017 population: 51,285
2018 population: 53,126
2010-2018 change: +9,921 (+23.0%)
2017-2018 change: +1,841 (+3.6%)
Chambers
2010 population: 35,096
2017 population: 41,399
2018 population: 42,454
2010-2018 change: +7,358 (+21.0%)
2017-2018 change: +1,055 (+2.5%)
Austin
2010 population: 28,417
2017 population: 29,757
2018 population: 29,989
2010-2018 change: +1,572 (+5.5%)
2017-2018 change: +232 (+0.8%)
San Antonio
2010 population: 2,142,508
2017 population: 2,474,274
2018 population: 2,518,036
2010-2018 change: +375,528 (+17.5%)
2017-2018 change: +43,762 (+1.8%)
Bexar
2010 population: 1,714,773
2017 population: 1,958,841
2018 population: 1,986,049
2010-2018 change: +271,276 (+15.8%)
2017-2018 change: +27,208 (+1.4%)
Guadalupe
2010 population: 131,533
2017 population: 159,841
2018 population: 163,694
2010-2018 change: +32,161 (+24.5%)
2017-2018 change: +3,853 (+2.4%)
Comal
2010 population: 108,472
2017 population: 140,790
2018 population: 148,373
2010-2018 change: +39,901 (+36.8%)
2017-2018 change: +7,583 (+5.4%)
Medina
2010 population: 46,006
2017 population: 50,210
2018 population: 50,921
2010-2018 change: +4,915 (+10.7%)
2017-2018 change: +711 (+1.4%)
Wilson
2010 population: 42,918
2017 population: 49,215
2018 population: 50,224
2010-2018 change: +7,326 (+17.0%)
2017-2018 change: +1,009 (+2.1%)
Atascosa
2010 population: 44,911
2017 population: 49,069
2018 population: 50,310
2010-2018 change: +5,399 (+12.0%)
2017-2018 change: +1,241 (+2.5%)
Kendall
2010 population: 33,410
2017 population: 43,984
2018 population: 45,641
2010-2018 change: +12,231 (+36.6%)
2017-2018 change: +1,657 (+3.8%)
Bandera
2010 population: 20,485
2017 population: 22,324
2018 population: 22,824
2010-2018 change: +2,339 (+11.4%)
2017-2018 change: +500 (+2.2%)
Austin
2010 population: 1,716,321
2017 population: 2,115,230
2018 population: 2,168,316
2010-2018 change: +451,995 (+26.3%)
2017-2018 change: +51,086 (+2.4%)
Travis
2010 population: 1,024,266
2017 population: 1,227,771
2018 population: 1,248,743
2010-2018 change: +224,477 (+21.9%)
2017-2018 change: +20,972 (+1.7%)
Williamson
2010 population: 422,679
2017 population: 545,948
2018 population: 566,719
2010-2018 change: +144,040 (+34.1%)
2017-2018 change: +20,771 (+3.8%)
Hays
2010 population: 157,107
2017 population: 214,277
2018 population: 222,631
2010-2018 change: +65,524 (+41.7%)
2017-2018 change: +8,354 (+3.9%)
Bastrop
2010 population: 74,171
2017 population: 84,809
2018 population: 86,976
2010-2018 change: +12,805 (+17.3%)
2017-2018 change: +2,170 (+2.6%)
Caldwell
2010 population: 38,066
2017 population: 42,425
2018 population: 43,247
2010-2018 change: +5,181 (+13.6%)
2017-2018 change: +822 (+1.9%)