People magnets

This booming San Antonio suburb led nation for population growth in past decade

New Braunfels' population swelled in the last decade.

One booming San Antonio neighbor saw its population growth zoom from 2010 to 2019.

Data released May 21 by the U.S. Census Bureau shows that among U.S. cities with at least 50,000 residents, New Braunfels was the third fastest-growing place.

The San Antonio 'burb saw its population jumped 56.1 percent from April 2010 to July 2019, the Census Bureau says. As of July 1, 2019, New Braunfels' population stood at 90,209.

In the Lone Star State, five other Texas cities made the Census Bureau’s list:

Frisco (DFW), No. 1 — 71.1 percent growth, July 2019 population of 200,490
McKinney (DFW), No. 4 — 51.9 percent growth, July 2019 population of 199,177
Cedar Park (Austin), No. 7 — 44.2 percent growth, July 2019 population of 79,462
Conroe (Houston), No. 9 — 39.3 percent growth, July 2019 population of 91,079
Round Rock (Austin), No. 13 — 33.3 percent growth, July 2019 population of 133,372

In terms of numeric change in population, Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio collectively increased their population by nearly 933,600 people from 2010 to 2019, according to the Census Bureau. All five cities were among the 15 U.S. cities with the biggest numeric rise in population during the past decade:

Houston, No. 2 — 224,751
San Antonio, No. 3 — 221,092
Austin, No. 5 — 177,079
Fort Worth, No. 6 — 164,761
Dallas, No. 9 — 145,915

From 2018 to 2019 alone, Leander (Austin) ranked as the fastest-growing large city in the U.S., posting a 12 percent uptick in population. As for numeric change in 2018-19, San Antonio ranked second (17,237), followed by Austin (16,439) at No. 3 and Fort Worth (16,369) at No. 4.

In 2019, two Texas cities crossed the 50,000-person threshold for population, according to the Census Bureau: the DFW suburb of Little Elm (53,126) and the Houston suburb of Texas City (50,094).

lists rankings

schools with high achievers

These 7 San Antonio K-8 schools rank among Texas' best for 2025

Basis San Antonio - Shavano Campus

Congratulations are in order for the Dragons.

Several San Antonio elementary and middle schools are at the top of the class when it comes to educating and preparing the next generation for a successful life and career, according to U.S. News & World Report's list of 2025 Elementary and Middle Schools Rankings.

One such school – Basis San Antonio - Shavano Campus – is the No. 17 best middle school in Texas for 2025.

This November, U.S. News ranked over 79,000 public schools on the state and district level using data from the U.S. Department of Education. Schools were analyzed based on their students' proficiencies in mathematics and reading/language arts on state assessments, and tie-breakers were decided based on student-teacher ratios.

"The 2025 Best Elementary and Middle Schools rankings offer parents a way to evaluate how schools are providing a high-quality education and preparing students for future success," said LaMont Jones, Ed.D., the managing editor for Education at U.S. News. "The data empowers families and communities to advocate for their children’s education. Research continues to indicate that how students perform academically at these early grade levels is a big factor in their success in high school and beyond."

Texas' best middle schools for 2025
In all, five San Antonio middle schools achieved spots among the top 100 best Texas middle schools for 2025, according to U.S. News.

The Shavano Campus of the Basis San Antonio charter school has a total enrollment of 1,018 students, with 84 percent of the student population scoring "at or above the proficient level" in mathematics, and 90 percent scoring at that level of proficiency in reading. The school has a student-teacher ratio of 16:1, with 63 full-time teachers.

Students at this charter school performed far better with its test scores than the rest of Texas, U.S. News said.

Four additional San Antonio schools ranked among the top 100 best middle schools in Texas, including:

No. 53 – Eleanor Kolitz Hebrew Language Academy
No. 62 – Lopez Middle School, North East ISD
No. 80 – Idea Carver College Preparatory
No. 97 – Young Women's Leadership Academy, San Antonio ISD

The best elementary schools in Texas
Jesus A. Kawas Elementary school in Laredo was crowned the No. 1 elementary school in Texas for 2025, while two San Antonio schools made it into the top 100.

Basis San Antonio Primary Medical Center is the No. 75 best elementary school statewide, boasting 787 students, 48 full-time teachers, and a 16:1 student-teacher ratio. Students at this school scored 80 percent efficiency in math and 85 percent efficiency in reading.

Landing at No. 90 in Texas is San Antonio's Hardy Oak Elementary in North East ISD. Hardy Oak has a student population of 683 with 37 full-time teachers, and one full-time counselor. The school's student-teacher ratio is 18:1, and 77 percent of students are proficient in math, and 85 percent are proficient in reading.

U.S. News says student success at Hardy Oak is significantly higher than the rest of North East ISD.

"In North East Independent School District, 56 percent of students tested at or above the proficient level for reading, and 46 percent tested at or above that level for math," U.S. News said in Hardy Oak's profile. "Hardy Oak Elementary [also] did better in math and better in reading in this metric compared with students across the state."

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