Overview
- The Census Bureau, which released new city estimates Thursday, reported U.S. population growth of about 1.8 million people in 2025 at a 0.5% rate as net international migration fell to roughly 1.3 million.
- Celina, Texas ranked No. 1 with 24.6% growth and about 12,710 new residents, and the top five fastest-growing cities with 20,000 or more people were all in Texas, including four Dallas–Fort Worth suburbs and Fulshear near Houston.
- Austin topped 1,002,632 residents to join the million-resident club, and Fort Worth became the nation’s 10th-largest city after adding about 19,512 people, even as several large Texas cities including Dallas, El Paso, Arlington, Plano, Irving and Garland declined.
- Census analysts said midsize municipalities found a growth “Goldilocks zone” as domestic movers targeted more affordable places with new housing, with Southern cities logging most of the largest numeric gains and Charlotte adding the most residents.
- Housing stock rose to 148.3 million units in 2025 after a gain of about 1.4 million, and reporting linked Texas suburbs’ rapid growth to abundant new construction, faster permitting and lower costs that draw families seeking newer homes and schools.