Fort Worth Tops Growth Charts with Highest Increase in US Residents, According to Census Data

Fort Worth, Texas has become the fastest-growing city in the United States, according to new Census data released on May 18. The city’s population has surged by 19,170 people between July 1, 2021 and July 1, 2022, bringing the total to 956,709. This figure is expected to reach one million by 2027 or 2028, according to Eric Fladager, assistant director of planning and data analytics for the city.

Despite the increase, Fort Worth has been keeping pace with its past numbers, as it has consistently ranked as one of the fastest-growing markets over the last two decades. “It’s kind of like a busload of folks arriving every day,” says Fladager of the 50 people that Fort Worth is adding on average each day.

Although Fort Worth’s growth is notable, it remains the 13th largest city in the country and the fifth largest in Texas, behind Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, and Austin. In contrast, New York City, despite experiencing a population decrease, remains the largest city in the US, with 8.3 million inhabitants. Los Angeles comes in second.

Texas is the only state with more than three cities on both the 15 fastest-growing large cities and towns lists in raw numbers and percentage change. Georgetown, north of Austin, leads as the nation’s fastest-growing city over 50,000 in percentage change, with 14.4%, followed by Kyle, Leander, Little Elm, Conroe, and New Braunfels. Interestingly, some smaller cities on the edge of big metros are also growing fast, according to Kyle Walker, director of the Center for Urban Studies at Texas Christian University.

Walker attributes the attraction to cities like Fort Worth due to the comparatively low housing costs and economic opportunities. However, building a major city that is connected to open space is a challenging task, particularly one that offers a high quality of life. Walker highlights the continuing plans for the city’s long-term strategies stating, “It’s important for us, in large part based on that growth, to make Fort Worth really one of the greatest cities in the country and one that folks want to come to.”

Sandra Sadek, covering growth for the Fort Worth Report, reflects on the city’s independent editorial policy, stating that news decision making is made independently of the board members and financial supporters. For further information on this topic, contact Sandra Sadek at [email protected] or on Twitter at @ssadek19.