New population estimates show Georgetown, Kyle are fastest-growing cities in the country

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Suburbs across Texas remain the fastest-growing parts of the state, according to new population estimates released by the U.S. Census Bureau Thursday.

The estimates show Georgetown and Kyle are the two fastest-growing cities in the country with populations greater than 50,000. Georgetown grew at a rate of 10.6% between July 2022 and July 2023. It's the third year in a row that Georgetown has grown faster than any other city in the country.

Kyle grew at a rate of 9.1%, while Leander ranks fourth nationwide, with a growth rate of 7.6%. Conroe and New Braunfels also appear in the top 10 list.

The Census Bureau previously estimated Texas added 473,453 new residents between July 2022 and July 2023, more than any other state. Texas is now home to an estimated 30,503,301 people, making it the second-most populous state in the country, behind California.

Where did population change happen quickest?

While Georgetown, Kyle and Leander were the fastest-growing cities with more than 50,000 people, many smaller cities grew at an even faster pace.

The small community of Weston, in northwest Collin County, more than doubled in size between July 2022 and July 2023, from 368 residents to 816.

Magnolia, northwest of Houston, grew at a rate of 58.8%, while Kemah, located between Houston and Galveston, saw a population increase of 42.8%.

Godley, southwest of Fort Worth, and Celina, north of Dallas, round out the top five.

Locally, three cities appear in the top 30 fastest-growing in the state: Dripping Springs (23.3%), Jarrell (17.2%) and Liberty Hill (14.9%).

On the opposite end, six local cities appear in the top 30 fastest-declining cites: Volente (-3.3%), The Hills (-3.2%), Sunset Valley (-3%), Bee Cave (-2.7%), West Lake Hills (-2.2%) and Creedmoor (-1.9%).

Use our interactive map below to see population changes across the state. You can look up your city or county using the search feature in the top left of the map.

Which cities have the most new residents?

When looking at population totals, San Antonio added the most new residents between July 2022 and July 2023, with almost 22,000. Fort Worth is close behind, with more than 21,300 new residents. The two cities rank first and second nationwide for largest population increase.

Houston is third, with a population increase of more than 11,600. Georgetown and Celina round out the top five, each adding more than 9,000 to their populations.

Meanwhile, eight of the 10 cities that lost the most population are in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex, while the other two are in the Houston metro area.

Garland tops that list, losing more than 2,300 residents, ahead of Richardson, which saw a population decrease of more than 1,200.

Largest cities in the country

Three Texas cities rank in the top 10 largest in the nation. Austin, which ranked 10th last year, dropped down to 11th place, with a population of 979,882. Jacksonville, Florida, surpassed Austin, with almost 986,000 residents. Fort Worth sits right behind Austin in 12th place.

Dallas has just over 1.3 million residents, while San Antonio has just under 1.5 million. Houston remains the largest city in the state, and the fourth-largest nationwide, with more than 2.3 million people.

New York, Los Angeles and Chicago remain the three largest cities nationwide, but all three saw population declines in 2023. New York alone lost more than 77,000 residents, a decrease of 0.9%.