New U.S. Census Bureau population estimates, released May 14, 2026, show Texas now boasts four of the 10 largest cities in the United States and five of the 12 largest, more than any other state.
- New York city, New York: 8,584,629
- Los Angeles city, California: 3,869,089
- Chicago city, Illinois: 2,731,585
- Houston city, Texas: 2,397,315
- Phoenix city, Arizona: 1,665,481
- Philadelphia city, Pennsylvania: 1,574,281
- San Antonio city, Texas: 1,548,422
- San Diego city, California: 1,406,106
- Dallas city, Texas: 1,329,491
- Fort Worth city, Texas: 1,028,117
- Jacksonville city, Florida: 1,017,689
- Austin city, Texas: 1,002,632
Fort Worth surpassed Jacksonville, Florida, to enter the top 10. Austin passed San Jose, California, to rank 12th. These figures come directly from the Census Bureau’s Vintage 2025 Subcounty (city and town) population estimates.
The city-level data, released May 14, 2026, provides the latest subcounty breakdown from the broader Vintage 2025 population estimates cycle. Earlier this year, in January, the Census Bureau released the initial national, state, and county-level figures from the same Vintage 2025 dataset.
Those earlier releases showed Texas added 391,243 residents statewide between July 1, 2024, and July 1, 2025 — the largest numeric gain of any state — bringing its total population to 31,709,821 (approximately 31.7 million). This represents 1.2% growth, more than double the national rate of 0.5%, as The Texas Tribune reported at the time.
Texas cities also dominate growth lists. For example, the Census Bureau reports that 10 of the 11 fastest-growing U.S. cities by percentage since 2020 are in Texas (with places like Celina, Fulshear, and Princeton leading recent one-year percentage gains).
The Dallas Express has previously reported robust growth in North Texas suburbs even as Dallas County saw a decline of 2,616 residents between July 1, 2024, and July 1, 2025 (from 2,664,013 to 2,661,397). In contrast, Collin County added 42,966 people (ranking second nationally in numeric growth among counties), and the broader Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metro area gained 123,557 residents (second-largest increase among U.S. metros).
Business headquarters relocations continue to fuel Texas growth, with no state income tax, pro-business policies, and a lower cost of living drawing companies from higher-tax states. Dallas-Fort Worth has led the nation with 100 corporate relocations between 2018 and 2024, while Texas cities dominate national rankings, The Dallas Express reported at the time.
Recent examples include KFC moving its U.S. headquarters from Louisville to Plano, a Germany-based AI company (Cognigy) relocating from San Francisco to North Texas, Care.com shifting from Austin to Uptown Dallas, Paul Mitchell moving from California to Texas, and the Devon-Coterra merger bringing a major shale giant’s headquarters to Houston. Other notable moves involve ExxonMobil redomiciling to Texas.
Median household income (most recent available):
- Austin: ~$90,430
- Fort Worth: ~$82,503
- Dallas: ~$74,323
- Houston: ~$64,361
- San Antonio: ~$66,176
- Statewide Texas median household income: $78,476 (2020-2024 ACS)
The latest full national income release (for calendar 2024) showed U.S. median household income at $83,730, per the U.S. Census Bureau.
Texas maintains a relatively young population, with a median age of approximately 35.5–35.9 years (recent estimates). Persons under 18 make up 24.5% of residents, while those 65 and older account for 13.9%. About half of adults are married (demographic details from prior ACS/Census summaries).
All population figures above are sourced explicitly from U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 estimates (January 2026 state/county releases and May 14, 2026 city releases) unless otherwise noted.
