AUSTIN, Texas — Texas was the nation’s fastest growing state in the last year, joining California as one of two states with a population of more than 30 million people.

New numbers from the U.S. Census show Texas has added 470,708 residents since July, 2021. That growth is a combination of people moving from other states to Texas (230,961), people moving from other countries to Texas (118,614) and new births in Texas (118,159).

“There was a sizeable uptick in population growth last year compared to the prior year’s historically low increase,” said Kristie Wilder, a demographer in the Census Bureau’s Population Division. “A rebound in net international migration, coupled with the largest year-over-year increase in total births since 2007, is behind this increase.”

What You Need To Know

  • New Census numbers show Texas is the second most populous state in the country with just over 30 million people

  • One in four Texans is a child under 18 years old

  • State demographer Lloyd Potter projects Texas could have a population of 55 million in 2050 if growth was the same rate as it was in the first decade of the century

  • The birth rate last year was the highest since 2007

Both Texas and Florida have seen large net migration increases. By comparison, California and Illinois both saw six-digit drops in population due to people moving out of state. In fact, 18 states – primarily in the Northeast and Midwest – saw drops in population, primarily due to people moving out of state. That compares to 15 states and Washington D.C., according to Census numbers.

Here are some other quick Census facts: Texas has picked up about 5 million residents since the 2010 Census. One in four Texans is under the age of 18. One in five people in Texas under the age of 65 live without health insurance, about twice the national rate. The median household income – which would be the middle of the range and not the average – is $67,321.

Demographer Lloyd Potter offers regular updates on demographic trends within Texas. Overall growth in the state’s largest counties is in the positive direction, but for Harris and Dallas counties, new births and the migration of international residents into the counties accounts for growth. Both Harris and Dallas show a growing number of people leaving the two counties, which may be reflected in the fact that adjacent suburban counties like Fort Bend, Waller, Collin and Denton have seen big growth.

International migration accounted for 20% of the population growth in Texas between 2010 and 2020. That’s compared to 31% domestic migration and 48% additional births. Between 2020 and 2021, international migration accounted for 8% of the state’s population growth.

Potter also projects the population of Texas in 2050 under different growth scenarios. If the state had zero net migration – domestic and international – the population in 2050 would be roughly the same as it is in 2022, just over 30 million. Use the state’s growth rate between 2010 and 2015, and the population would be 47.4 million in 2050. The population would be close to 55 million if the growth rate was similar to state’s population growth between 2000 and 2010.