The population of Texas is still growing and changing rapidly. According to the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau, four of the top five fastest-growing large cities in the country are in Texas. Large cities are classified as those with populations over 50,000. Conroe was the fastest-growing large city in the nation, with a growth rate of 7.8 percent between 2015 and 2016. Frisco and McKinney (both in North Texas) and Georgetown (in Central Texas) also made the nation's top five for growth rate.
The growth among Texas cities and suburbs is part of a larger trend that's been happening for years. "I think Texas added 2.7 million people between 2010 and 2016, so we added more people than any other state (during that time)," says Lloyd Potter, Texas state demographer. "When you look at states that are even approaching our size, we're growing faster than all of the other large states."
And much of that rapid growth is driven by racial and ethnic minorities, many arriving through immigration. "Texas is continuing to become more diverse, with a growing Hispanic population and a growing African-American population," says Potter. He tells KTRH that Harris County led the nation last year in the number of Hispanics and African-Americans added to the population.
In terms of raw increase in number of residents, San Antonio was tops among Texas cities, adding more than 24,000 people in 2016. Houston added over 18,000, but that was down from nearly 41,000 added in 2015.