North Texans who have been in the area for decades will often quip about how much the area has changed. But it's not just conjecture. DFW has grown - and is still growing - like wildfire.
The latest U.S. Census Bureau population gain numbers confirm it.
Between July 1, 2022 and July 1, 2023 no metro area saw a bigger population boom than North Texas.
According to the Bureau's numbers, DFW added 152,598 people. That was most in the nation over that time. It also pushed the North Texas population above 8 million for the first time.
The Houston metro added the second most over the stretch, with a gain of 139,789. The Austin metro gained 50,105 (7th most). And the San Antonio area picked up 48,071 (9th most).
But let's break this down by county. Because while growth to the north of Dallas and Fort Worth has been the norm, with Collin and Denton Counties going bonkers over the last 20 years or so, now the dynamic growth is happening east of Dallas.
Kaufman County's population surged 7.6% in one year. While Rockwall County ballooned by 6.5% over the same time. Those were the top two percentage gains for any county in the country. And Ellis County wasn't too far behind, with a 4.9% gain in a year, good for eighth on this list.
Top 10 Counties in Annual Percent Growth: July 1, 2022 to July 1, 2023 (Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2023 Population Estimates)
1. Kaufman County, TX 172,611 to 185,690 +7.6%
2. Rockwall County, TX 123,342 to 131,307 +6.5%
3. Liberty County, TX 102,462 to 108,272 +5.7%
4. Jackson County, GA 84,009 to 88,615 +5.5%
5. Dawson County, GA 30,189 to 31,732 +5.1%
6. Chambers County, TX 51,309 to 53,876 +5.0%
7. Comal County, TX 184,749 to 193,928 +5.0%
8. Ellis County, TX 212,323 to 222,829 +4.9%
9. Jasper County, SC 31,986 to 33,544 +4.9%
10. New Kent County, VA 24,952 to 26,134 +4.7%
As for pure numbers added, of course, North Texas is dominating there too. Three of the top 10 counties for numeric growth are in DFW. And a whopping eight of the top 10 are in Texas.
While Harris County (Houston's home) added almost 54,000 residents over the stretch, Collin County was right behind with an addition of more than 36,000, Denton County gained almost 30,000 (6th), and Tarrant County surged by more than 27,000 (9th).
Top 10 Counties in Annual Numeric Growth: July 1, 2022 to July 1, 2023 (Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2023 Population Estimates)
1. Harris County, TX 4,781,337 to 4,835,125 +53,788
2. Collin County, TX 1,158,995 to 1,195,359 +36,364
3. Montgomery County, TX 679,554 to 711,354 +31,800
4. Maricopa County, AZ 4,555,833 to 4,585,871 +30,038
5. Polk County, FL 788,382 to 818,330 +29,948
6. Denton County, TX 977,760 to 1,007,703 +29,943
7. Fort Bend County, TX 888,919 to 916,778 +27,859
8. Bexar County, TX 2,060,191 to 2,087,679 +27,488
9. Tarrant County, TX 2,155,646 to 2,182,947 +27,301
10. Williamson County, TX 672,273 to 697,191 +24,918
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