per AAStatesmen; Austin, Texas breaks into top 10 list of largest U.S. cities.

 

Austin breaks into top 10 list of largest U.S. cities. See how other Texas cities ranked.

Story by Hannah Ortega, Austin American-Statesman • 5.22.2023

After years of ranking No. 11, Austin has officially broken into the top 10 largest cities in the U.S. by population.

Austin sits at exactly No. 10 on the list, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Several other Texas cities made the top 10, and data show cities close to Austin are growing fast. Here's everything you need to know:

Just how big is Austin?

According to the Census Bureau, Austin had a total 2022 population of 974,447. The bureau collected that data on July 1, 2022.

Despite the city's growth, Austin dropped in ranking on a "best places to live" list from U.S. News and World Report last week. Austin now sits at No. 40 on that list, rating 6.4 out of 10; in 2019, the site had ranked it No. 1.

What other Texas cities made the top 10?

Houston sits at No. 4 with a total 2022 population of 2,302,878. San Antonio took the No. 7 spot with 1,472,909 people, and Dallas ranked just above Austin at No. 9. Dallas had a total 2022 population of 1,299,544. Fort Worth almost made the top 10, taking the No. 13 spot with 956,709 people.

More: Austin drops in 'best places to live' report — again. Here's why.

How are cities near Austin growing?

In addition to the most populous cities list, the Census Bureau released a list of the fastest-growing large cities between July 1, 2021, and July 1, 2022, with populations of 50,000 or more. Four cities near Austin made the list:

• Georgetown
• Kyle
• Leander
• New Braunfels

Georgetown took the No. 1 spot with a 14.4% increase for a population of 86,507 in 2022. Kyle ranked third, with Leander right behind at fourth, and both had increases of 10.9%. Kyle had a 2022 population of 57,470, while Leander had 74,375.

New Braunfels sat a little further down at No. 13. The city had a 5.7% for a 2022 population of 104,707.

Georgetown also ranked No. 10 on a list of cities with the largest numeric increases between the same dates and for the same population range. The city had an increase of 10,887.

What about the South as a whole?

Of the 15 fastest-growing cities in the nation, nine are in the South, and of those nine, six are in Texas: Georgetown, Kyle, Leander, Little Elm, Conroe and New Braunfels.

More: Franklin Barbecue lands on Yelp's list of best brisket spots in U.S., Canada

What's the full list of most populous U.S. cities?

1. New York
2. Los Angeles
3. Chicago
4. Houston
5. Phoenix
6. Philadelphia
7. San Antonio
8. San Diego, California
9. Dallas
10. Austin
11. Jacksonville, Florida
12. San Jose, California
13. Fort Worth
14. Columbus, Ohio
15. Charlotte, North Carolina

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Austin breaks into top 10 list of largest U.S. cities. See how other Texas cities ranked.