Census data shows two cities climbing list of 15 largest in US

AUSTIN, Texas (KXAN/NEXSTAR) – Newly-released Census Bureau data shows two cities – one in Texas, one in Florida – have risen up the list of the most populous U.S. cities.

The largest U.S. city remains unchanged for another year – New York City took the top spot with almost 8.3 million people as of July 1, 2023, according to data released Thursday.

Rounding out the top three were Los Angeles (nearly 4 million) and Chicago (2.7 million), but two cities dropped out of their positions last year – Austin, Texas (980,000) and San Jose, California (970,000). They were surpassed by Jacksonville, Florida (986,000) and Fort Worth, Texas (978,000), respectively.

Texas’ population grew by almost 475,000 from July, 2022 to July, 2023, more than any other state in the country. 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.

During that time period Fort Worth gained 21,365 people, compared to 4,464 for Austin. Of the 254 counties in Texas, 177 saw an increase in population since July 1, 2022, while 75 had a population decline. Two counties had no change.

“For decades, the red-hot regional economy coupled with a relatively lower cost of living yielded substantial population growth in Central Texas,” said City Demographer Lila Valencia. “However, with volatility rattling the tech sector, housing costs rising post-pandemic, and more opportunities for remote work, it’s not surprising to see population growth slowing and Austin slipping back into position as the 11th largest city.”

Jacksonville was the only Florida city to crack the top 15, but census data shows that the South continues to experience the largest and fastest population growth.

“The population growth across the South in 2023 was driven by significant numeric and percentage gains among its cities,” said Crystal Delbé, a statistician in the Census Bureau’s Population Division. “Thirteen of the 15 fastest-growing cities were in the South, with eight in Texas alone.”