AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas added more people than any other state between July 2022 and July 2023, according to estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Texas’ population grew by almost 475,000 during that time period, but some counties grew at much faster rates than others. The Census Bureau published its 2023 county population estimates Thursday.
Of the 254 counties in Texas, 177 saw an increase in population since July 1, 2022, while 75 had a population decline. Two counties, Hall and Stonewall, 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%.
King County, east of Lubbock, had the largest percent decrease in population, declining by 7.3% from 234 to 217 total residents.
The populations of Kenedy, Crockett and Sherman counties each dropped by more than 3% over the one-year period.
When looking at raw numbers, 13 counties added more than 10,000 residents between July 1, 2022, and July 1, 2023. Harris County, home to the state’s largest city, Houston, led the way, with more than 53,000 new residents. Collin County, north of Dallas, and Montgomery County, north of Houston, each added more than 30,000 new residents.
All of the 10 counties that added the most new residents were in the Houston, Dallas, Austin and San Antonio metro areas.
Kleberg County, south of Corpus Christi, lost the most residents in the one-year period, with a population decrease of 307. Hale, Willacy and Potter counties each lost more than 200 residents.
Migration vs. births
Among most of the state’s largest counties, migration accounted for the majority of the population increase. In Fort Bend County, for example, 80.7% of the increase was due to people moving into the county from elsewhere, while just 19.3% was from natural change, i.e. births in the county.
There are some noticeable exceptions though. Dallas, El Paso and Travis counties saw a net decrease in migration, meaning more people moved out than in. All three counties still saw overall population increases thanks to the number of births.
Counties in the KXAN viewing area
The 15 counties in the KXAN viewing area added more than 54,000 new residents between July 2022 and July 2023, according to the new estimates.
Blanco County is the fastest-growing county in the area, with a population increase of 5.1%. Hays, Caldwell and Bastrop counties grew by more than 4%. Travis County’s population growth was much slower, at just 0.6%.
Both Mason and San Saba counties saw a decrease in the number of residents, down 1.2% and 0.6% respectively.
When it comes to the actual number of residents, Williamson County added just under 25,000, accounting for 46% of all growth in the area. Hays County added more than 11,000 residents, while Travis County grew by more than 7,000.
Inward migration continues to drive much of the population growth in the Austin metro area, which officially includes Bastrop, Caldwell, Hays, Travis and Williamson counties.
In Caldwell County, 91% of all population growth was due to people moving into the county from elsewhere. Travis County saw an overall net loss in migration, with 2,411 more people moving out than in.
In the metro as a whole, 66.5% of the population increase came from migration.
Texas county rankings
Harris County is the largest in the state, accounting for 15.9% of Texas’ population, down slightly from 16.2% in the 2020 Census. Dallas, Tarrant, Bexar and Travis counties comprise the rest of the top five largest counties.
None of the top 33 largest counties in the state changed rankings, but there was more movement in less-populated counties.
Freestone County, east of Waco, jumped four spots compared to 2022, becoming the 118th-largest county in the state. Blanco County, west of Austin, also jumped four spots, to number 147.
Meanwhile, Kerr County, northwest of San Antonio, dropped four spots to 67th place, falling behind Medina, Polk, Wilson and Burnet counties.
Loving County remains the smallest county in Texas, and the country, with just 43 residents, down from 63 in the 2020 Census.
U.S. state populations
The national population in July 2023, excluding Puerto Rico, was estimated at 334,914,895, an increase of more than 1.6 million over 2022. Nationwide, the population grew by 0.49%.
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. The figures show Texas’ population increased by an estimated 473,453 people since July 2022.
In total, 42 states and the District of Columbia saw an increase in population, while eight states and Puerto Rico saw a decline in population.
When looking at percentage change, Texas is the third-fastest-growing state, with a population increase of 1.58% between 2022 and 2023.
South Carolina and Florida both saw higher rates of population growth, 1.71% and 1.64% respectively. New York’s population declined by 0.52%, more than any other state. Puerto Rico lost 0.45% of all residents, while Louisiana and Hawaii both dropped by more than 0.3%.