Austin Continues Its Growth with No Sign of Slowing Down

Austin has been named the fastest growing big metropolitan city in the U.S. again.

Central Texas continues to be the hot spot for growth, as Austin has seen its population land itself as the fastest growing of any big metropolitan city in the U.S.

KVUE in Austin reports that the population of Texas' capitol city increased as of last July to an estimated 2,295,303 people. That's a 3% increase from last year, according to a May 4th report from the U.S. Census Bureau.

This puts Austin at the 29th largest metro in the nation just ahead of Las Vegas. Last year, Austin was 28th.

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The U.S. Census Bureau counts every person living in the U.S. every ten years and just released its numbers for the 2020 count. Since 2010, Austin has seen a 34% population growth. (Texas also picked up two seats in the House of Representatives thanks to the last census.)

So why such rapid growth for Austin? According to the Austin Business Journal, some data is showing that people are leaving San Francisco (and California in general) and relocating to Central Texas for its lower taxes, cheaper cost of living, and less regulations for businesses, making Austin and its surroundings a perfect spot for tech and digital companies.

According to an Observer article from December 2020, Elon Musk is moving his business operations out of California and into Texas as well saying, “We’ve got the Starship development here in South Texas, where I am right now, and then we’ve got big factory developments just outside Austin.”

Sounds like Musk has shined the light on Texas and what it has to offer potential business looking to cut down from California taxes.

Growth is a good thing, and with it comes more jobs and better paying job opportunities - plus, more tax revenue. Austin may be seeing the bulk of the growth here in Central Texas, but that also benefits cities like Temple, Belton, and Killeen, as many of those people moving to the area are looking for homes and apartments in the surrounding areas. That raises property values.

Growth and progress can be slow in a lot of places throughout the country, but it looks like Central Texas in on the fast track.