Austin falls out of top 10 largest cities in the U.S.
AUSTIN (KXAN) -- After spending a year in the No. 10 spot on the list of largest cities in the United States, Austin has fallen in ranking.
Texas' capital city is now in the 11th spot on the list. Texas cities that rank higher than Austin are Dallas at No. 9, San Antonio at No. 7 and Houston at No. 4.
The list is ranked based on U.S. Census Bureau estimates from July 2023. According to city officials, Austin saw a net gain of 4,464 new residents between July 2022 and July 2023, bringing the total population to 979,882.
Jacksonville, Florida, took the No. 10 spot from Austin, jumping up from its No. 11 spot last year. Its population is just above Austin's, at 985,843 people.
The city said Austin's growth rate during the time period was 0.42%, which is just below the national growth rate of 0.5%, but it's in line with population growth trends among large cities since the pandemic. According to the data, in the same time period, four out of five cities with populations of more than 500,000 saw annual population increases of less than 1%.
"For decades, the red-hot regional economy coupled with a relatively lower cost of living yielded substantial population growth in Central Texas," said City Demographer Lila Valencia. "However, with volatility rattling the tech sector, housing costs rising post-pandemic, and more opportunities for remote work, it’s not surprising to see population growth slowing and Austin slipping back into position as the 11th largest city."
As for Austin's surrounding areas, nearby suburban cities saw a cool down as well. Georgetown, while still on the top 10 list of fastest-growing cities, saw its rate of population expansion drop from 14.4% to 10.6%. However, the city is still ranked 8th among cities with the largest numeric increases, adding more than 9,000 residents in the year's time.
While Austin dropped out of the top 10 on the list, the census data shows that Travis, Williamson, and Hays counties added more than 400,000 housing units between them, according to the City of Austin. The city said the increase in supply plus less intense demand could be related to "recent stabilization in median home prices and rents in the Austin area."
Texas' population grew by almost 475,000 during the same time period, more than any other state in the country. As of July 1, 2023, an estimated 30,503,301 people reside in Texas, making the state second only to California, which has just under 39 million residents.
Of the 254 counties in Texas, 177 saw an increase in population since July 1, 2022, while 75 had a population decline. Two counties had no change.
Continuing a trend over recent years, Kaufman County, southeast of Dallas, grew faster than any other county in the state, with a population change of about 7.5%. The county was also the fastest-growing in the entire country, ahead of Long County, Georgia, which grew by 6.5%.
Rockwall, Liberty, Blanco and Chambers counties all appeared in the top 10 fastest-growing counties in the country, each by 5% or more. Statewide, Texas’ population grew by 1.58%.