Austin metro is now the second-fastest growing region in the country

For a dozen years, the Austin area has been the nation’s fastest-growing large metro – and now it’s slipped into second place, according to new estimates released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau. They show the remaining fastest-growing and largest-gaining counties in the Dallas, Houston and San Antonio metros. The slower growth rate in the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) can be attributed to historically low domestic migration, defined as migrants moving into the area from other parts of Texas and other U.S. states. Even though international migration was the highest it has been in more than 10 years and natural increase remained relatively consistent, the declines in domestic migration resulted in a slower growth rate for the Austin metro area. Travis, Williamson and Hays counties saw lower net migration between 2022 and 2023, but the steepest declines were seen in Travis County, which more people are leaving rather than moving into. The Austin MSA added more than 50,000 residents between 2022 and 2023, growing at a rate of 2.1 percent. Although migration continues to be a major driver of growth in the Austin region, migration from other states and other parts of Texas made up a smaller share in 2023. For more information, visit austintexas.gov/demographics.