Dallas-Fort Worth leads the nation in population growth
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Collin County had the second largest population growth of any U.S. county in 2021, according to the latest data released by the U.S. Census Bureau.
Why it matters: Texas dominated in population growth at the county and metropolitan levels.
- The state had five counties in the top 10 in terms of raw population growth and four of the top 10 growing metro areas, including Dallas.
Details: The census data tracked domestic migration and overall population growth.
- Dallas-Fort Worth ranked top in the country for overall population growth in a metro area with 97,290 people added between July 2020 and July 2021.
Zoom in: Collin County ranked third in domestic migration between 2020 and 2021, falling behind Maricopa County in Arizona and Riverside County in California.
- Denton County ranked sixth nationwide in overall population growth last year. Fort Bend, Williamson and Montgomery counties rounded out the Texas counties that cracked the top 10.
What they’re saying: U.S. micro areas grew slightly faster than major metro areas. "This is a departure from past trends when metro areas typically grew at a faster rate than micro areas," the report said.
The intrigue: Los Angeles and New York counties both lost more than 100,000 people from domestic migration, suggesting people are moving away from coastal city centers.
- The Chicago metro area lost almost as many people as the Dallas area added.
What's next: North Texas is expected to overtake the Chicago area to become the third most populous metropolitan area by the 2030s.