These U.S. cities had the most growth in 2024
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Texas and Florida are home to five of the 15 major U.S. cities with the most overall population growth between 2023 and 2024, per new census estimates.
Why it matters: It's another sign of big growth in the Sun Belt, despite the climate risks associated with many of America's southern metros.
By the numbers: Houston (+43,217 people), San Antonio (+23,945), Fort Worth (+23,442), Jacksonville (+16,365) and Miami (+16,337) all saw top-15 growth between 2023 and 2024, the Census Bureau says.
- That's in raw number terms among cities with at least 20,000 people.
Zoom in: The Lone Star and Sunshine states are also home to many of the fastest-growing areas in terms of percentage increase.
- Princeton, Texas (+30.6% population growth); Fulshear, Texas (+26.9%) and Leesburg, Florida (+18.5%) topped that list, among cities and towns with at least 20,000 people.
- All three are near major metros: Princeton is a suburb of Dallas, Fulshear is a suburb of Houston and Leesburg is northwest of Orlando.
Stunning stat: Both Jacksonville and Fort Worth "crossed the 1 million-population threshold between 2023 and 2024," the bureau notes.
Yes, but: New York City still has by far the highest overall population among cities (about 8.5 million as of 2024) and saw the biggest raw increase between 2023-24 (+87,184 people).
Between the lines: Population change reflects both in-and-out migration as well as births and deaths.
The bottom line: America's Sun Belt boom continues apace.
