Population explosion
These booming Houston areas lead U.S. in population growth from 2020-2021
The Greater Houston area and two surrounding areas have clocked in some of the largest population gain of any U.S. metro area from July 2020 to July 2021, according to new estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Taking into account births, deaths, move-ins, and move-outs, Houston’s population grew by 69,094 during the one-year period, the Census Bureau says. That puts our total population at 7,206,841, with a one-year growth rate at 1 percent.
Nearby, Fort Bend County ranked No. 4 for numeric growth in one year, with an 29,895 additional residents. Montgomery County follows not far behind at No. 8 with 23,948 additional residents.
Elsewhere in Texas, Dallas-Fort Worth racked up the largest population gain of any U.S. metro area from July 2020 to July 2021, growing by 97,290. By comparison, that's almost the entire population of the suburb of Allen, Texas, which is home to about 105,000 people.
Meanwhile, two other major Texas metro areas appear in the national top 10 for numeric population growth (rather than percentage growth) from July 2020 to July 2021, according to the Census Bureau. They are:
- Austin metro area, ranked fourth with 53,301 additional residents. Estimated July 1, 2021, population: 2,352,426. One-year growth rate: 2.3 percent.
- San Antonio metro area, ranked eighth with 35,105 additional residents. Estimated July 1, 2021, population: 2,601,788. One-year growth rate: 1.4 percent.
The other Texas county in the national top 10 for numeric growth during the one-year period is Williamson County (Austin) at No. 5, with 27,760 additional residents.
