Population explosion
San Antonio booms with one of biggest population gains from 2020 to 2021
San Antonio racked up one of the largest population gains among U.S. metros from July 2020 to July 2021, according to new estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Taking into account births, deaths, move-ins, and move-outs, the San Antonio metro area's population grew by 35,105 during the one-year period, the Census Bureau says.
The bureau estimates San Antonio's population stood at 2,601,788 as of July 1, 2021. The region’s headcount increased 1.4 percent during the one-year period.
The Census Bureau attributes 25,660 new San Antonio-area residents to domestic migration, or people moving from other U.S. metro areas. Domestic migration is a major factor in calculating population gains and losses.
San Antonio ranks No. 8 in the U.S. for numeric population growth. Three other major Texas metro areas appear in the national top 10 for numeric population growth (rather than percentage growth) from July 2020 to July 2021, according to the Census Bureau. They are:
- Dallas-Fort Worth metro area, ranked first with 97,290 additional residents. Estimated July 1, 2021, population: 7,759,615. One-year growth rate: 1.3 percent.
- Houston metro area, ranked third with 69,094 additional residents. Estimated July 1, 2021, population: 7,206,841. One-year growth rate: 1 percent.
- Austin metro area, ranked fourth with 53,301 additional residents. Estimated July 1, 2021, population: 2,352,426. One-year growth rate: 2.3 percent.
Growth in counties
No Texas counties rank in the top 10 for percentage growth in population from July 2020 to July 2021. Based on numeric growth, Texas counties in the national top 10 during the one-year period are:
- Collin County (Dallas), No. 3, with 30,191 additional residents.
- Fort Bend County (Houston), No. 4, with 29,895 additional residents.
- Williamson County (Austin), No. 5, with 27,760 additional residents.
- Denton County, No. 6, with 27,747 additional residents.
- Montgomery County (Houston), No. 8, with 23,948 additional residents.
The Holiday Night Markets are a lot like farmers markets in the same location.Photo courtesy of Pearl
The Giving Machines are like vending machines that drop gift cards into a collection bin to show contributions.Photo courtesy of Pearl