Fort Worth has highest population growth in U.S.; Dallas comes in 24th

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Fort Worth is the fastest growing big U.S. city, the Census Bureau says.

Korri Kezar

Staff Writer- Dallas Business Journal

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Fort Worth came in as the top big city in the nation for population growth between 2000 and 2013, boasting a 42.34 percent increase.

On Thursday, the U.S. Census Bureau released a ranking of the fastest-growing cities in the country, putting Cowtown at the top of the list. It dwarfed Austin, which came in third, by nearly 15 percent, and had more than double the gain of San Antonio, which came in fourth.

Dallas was also left in the dust by its neighboring city, taking 24th with 2.83 percent.

Still, it shows the mass migration to Texas and North Texas specifically. When looking at why DFW is bringing in thousands of new residents every year, the refrain remains the same from several sources: jobs, jobs, jobs.

Being home to 18 Fortune 500 companies across a variety of sectors and an attractive hub for businesses such as Toyota looking to relocate, it's no wonder people are flocking to DFW. Toyota's move is expected to bring and hire more than 3,000 workers. That means the carmaker's move alone has the potential to draw in more than three times the number of people who moved to Memphis between 2000 and 2013.

That's not to mention other North Texas amenities, including affordable housing, proximity to an international airport and its central location in the U.S.

"(DFW) is an attractive area with much to offer new residents," reported Moving to Texas, a website that provides resources for people looking to relocate to the state. "You'll like the low cost of living in Dallas, the jobs and the business-friendly climate. It offers a good quality of life for its citizens."

And when residents finish with their 9 to 5, there's plenty of fun to be had, including shopping at Highland Park Village, the country's oldest shopping center; visiting clubs and venues like Billy Bob's Texan; catching a Cowboys football or Mavericks basketball game, dropping into the Dallas Museum of Art or Kimbell Art Museum; and seeing Big Tex at the annual State Fair of Texas.

"Our city is vibrant and diverse, sophisticated and fun, and a center for art, fashion and sports," said Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings.

Korri covers banking, finance and nonprofits for the Dallas Business Journal. Subscribe to our email newsletters.