DALLAS — Two Texas cities are among the top five fastest-growing cities by percentage growth in the past year. The U.S. Census Bureau reports the Austin-Round Rock area in Texas is the nation’s third-fastest growing metropolitan area at 3 percent, followed by fourth-place Odessa, Texas, at 2.9 percent.
Texas snagged the top spots in both numerical increase by person for counties and metro areas.
Harris County, Texas, leads the nation in population growth by person, with the county surrounding Houston adding 89,000 people between July 2013 and 2014, followed by Maricopa County, Arizona, where Phoenix is situated, with 74,000, and Los Angeles County with 63,000.
The Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land metro area was also the top in metro area numerical increase with 156,371 people added between 2013 and 2014, followed by the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington area with a 131,217-person increase.
By percentage, Hays County, Texas, near Austin, ranked fifth at 4.8 percent growth.
The Census Bureau also said California was the nation’s most populous state in 2014, with 38.8 million residents. Texas came in second at 27 million.
Texas ranked second in population with 27 million.
