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New Population Estimates Highlight Nation's Fastest-Growing Cities

According to new Census estimates, most cities continue to record steady population gains. View maps and updated data for hundreds of cities.

Fueled by an influx of younger residents and healthy regional economies, steady population growth hasn’t yet slowed across many of the nation’s urban centers.

Updated population estimates released by the U.S. Census Bureau Thursday highlight the country’s fastest-growing cities, showing many continue to welcome notable tallies of residents. Areas with strong energy sectors, retirement destinations and those attractive to young people, in particular, are experiencing large increases.

In all, cities with populations exceeding 100,000 collectively added an estimated 857,000 residents between July 2012 and July 2013, accounting for an increase of about 1 percent. By comparison, all other areas of the country recorded population growth of only 0.6 percent over the same time period.

Frisco, Texas, posted population gains of 6.5 percent over the short 12-month period, topping all other larger cities.

The city just north of Dallas has benefited from several corporate relocations and expansions in recent years. Conifer Health Solutions, for instance, is building a new headquarters there and expects to double its headcount. 

Other cities reaped population gains from oil booms. Odessa, Texas, saw its population climb by 4 percent, while neighboring Midland added 3.6 percent more residents over the year. In fact, of the top 10 cities over 100,000 recording the steepest growth, five were in the Lone Star state. (See complete list below)

For an illustration of growth tied, in part, to a younger crowd, look no further than Austin. Since 2010, the city’s population swelled an estimated 70,000. Three nearby smaller cities – San Marcos, Cedar Park and Georgetown, Texas – grew at even faster rates this past year.

During the recession, migration rates stalled to near-record lows nationwide. Many young families who may have, like their parents, preferred to move further out to suburbs, didn’t possess the means to do so.

It’s for this reason that some expected cities’ strong growth to be short-lived, slowing once the economy rebounded. But this hasn’t yet happened. William Frey, a Brookings Institution demographer, said the new estimates suggest cities’ population gains have more staying power.

“Some of them cooled off just a little bit in the past year, but compared to where they were over the past decade, they’re doing much better,” Frey said.

By and large, data indicates larger cities are growing at faster rates than suburban jurisdictions within the same metro areas, said Frey, who cited Austin, Minneapolis and Washington, D.C., as cities attractive to younger residents.

Much of the cities whose populations are climbing at the highest rates are found in the southern and western U.S., as shown below. (Click to open interactive map in new window)

pop-map-2013.png

Of the nation’s largest cities, nowhere has population growth accelerated quite like Seattle. The city has seen annual population gains increase each of the past few years, climbing by 2.8 percent last year -- the highest rate of any city with at least a half million residents.

Denver and Charlotte have followed similar patterns in recent years, each posting a population uptick of 2.4 percent over the 12-month period.

A few cities with large numbers of retirees also registered strong growth. Take Cape Coral, Fla., for example, which added an estimated 4,300 residents, or about a 2.7 percent increase. 

Detroit was the only larger city to post a sizable population decline, losing nearly 10,000 residents over the year.



 

City Population Data

The following table shows estimated changes in population between July 2012 and July 2013. Data for cities with at least 100,000 residents is shown; additional totals are available on our population map.


 
             
National Rank Locality State Percentage Change Total Change 2012 Population 2013 Population
1 Frisco Texas 6.5 8,328 128,463 136,791
2 Odessa Texas 4 4,220 106,500 110,720
3 Gilbert Arizona 4 8,749 221,223 229,972
4 McKinney Texas 3.9 5,527 143,032 148,559
5 Midland Texas 3.6 4,268 119,665 123,933
6 Cary North Carolina 3.6 5,294 145,794 151,088
7 Fargo North Dakota 3.2 3,516 110,142 113,658
8 Irvine California 3.2 7,343 229,373 236,716
9 Round Rock Texas 2.9 3,111 106,710 109,821
10 Murfreesboro Tennessee 2.8 3,173 113,871 117,044
11 Sioux Falls South Dakota 2.8 4,446 160,230 164,676
12 Seattle Washington 2.8 17,770 634,635 652,405
13 Cape Coral Florida 2.7 4,339 161,492 165,831
14 Thornton Colorado 2.5 3,129 124,230 127,359
15 Durham North Carolina 2.4 5,842 239,633 245,475
16 New Orleans Louisiana 2.4 8,827 369,888 378,715
17 Denver Colorado 2.4 14,953 634,542 649,495
18 Charlotte North Carolina 2.4 18,420 774,442 792,862
19 Austin Texas 2.4 20,993 864,407 885,400
20 Norman Oklahoma 2.2 2,554 115,643 118,197
21 Centennial Colorado 2.1 2,190 103,924 106,114
22 Temecula California 2.1 2,162 104,618 106,780
23 Roseville California 2.1 2,663 124,372 127,035
24 Fort Collins Colorado 2.1 3,123 148,938 152,061
25 Columbus Georgia 2.1 4,123 198,701 202,824
26 Orlando Florida 2.1 5,324 250,159 255,483
27 Henderson Nevada 2.1 5,526 265,285 270,811
28 Washington District of Columbia 2.1 13,022 633,427 646,449
29 North Charleston South Carolina 2 2,051 102,003 104,054
30 Wilmington North Carolina 2 2,193 109,874 112,067
31 Raleigh North Carolina 2 8,408 423,338 431,746
32 Surprise Arizona 1.9 2,290 121,256 123,546
33 Charleston South Carolina 1.9 2,364 125,635 127,999
34 Aurora Colorado 1.9 6,561 339,242 345,803
35 Minneapolis Minnesota 1.9 7,302 392,768 400,070
36 Fort Worth Texas 1.9 14,643 778,084 792,727
37 Billings Montana 1.8 1,980 107,079 109,059
38 Arvada Colorado 1.8 1,935 109,772 111,707
39 Columbia Missouri 1.8 1,991 113,285 115,276
40 Peoria Arizona 1.8 2,846 159,746 162,592
41 Oklahoma City Oklahoma 1.8 10,934 599,679 610,613
42 San Antonio Texas 1.8 25,378 1,383,641 1,409,019
43 Antioch California 1.7 1,833 105,267 107,100
44 Fairfield California 1.7 1,789 107,531 109,320
45 Carlsbad California 1.7 1,806 109,166 110,972
46 Pembroke Pines Florida 1.7 2,699 159,630 162,329
47 North Las Vegas Nevada 1.7 3,844 223,033 226,877
48 Chula Vista California 1.7 4,235 252,545 256,780
49 Bakersfield California 1.7 6,027 357,603 363,630
50 Phoenix Arizona 1.7 24,843 1,488,524 1,513,367
51 West Jordan Utah 1.6 1,731 108,346 110,077
52 Killeen Texas 1.6 2,132 135,015 137,147
53 Elk Grove California 1.6 2,541 158,466 161,007
54 Fremont California 1.6 3,453 221,469 224,922
55 San Jose California 1.6 15,958 982,579 998,537
56 Houston Texas 1.6 35,202 2,160,712 2,195,914
57 Lewisville Texas 1.5 1,474 99,600 101,074
58 Rochester Minnesota 1.5 1,634 109,108 110,742
59 Westminster Colorado 1.5 1,658 109,287 110,945
60 Hayward California 1.5 2,236 149,338 151,574
61 Huntington Beach California 1.5 3,012 194,563 197,575
62 Richmond Virginia 1.5 3,257 210,857 214,114
63 Scottsdale Arizona 1.5 3,445 223,473 226,918
64 Colorado Springs Colorado 1.5 6,316 433,570 439,886
65 Nashville Tennessee 1.5 9,471 624,993 634,464
66 Columbus Ohio 1.5 12,450 810,103 822,553
67 San Mateo California 1.4 1,373 99,755 101,128
68 Boulder Colorado 1.4 1,395 101,771 103,166
69 Broken Arrow Oklahoma 1.4 1,397 102,103 103,500
70 Pompano Beach Florida 1.4 1,417 102,993 104,410
71 Olathe Kansas 1.4 1,874 130,011 131,885
72 Bellevue Washington 1.4 1,805 132,187 133,992
73 Alexandria Virginia 1.4 2,053 146,839 148,892
74 Irving Texas 1.4 3,106 225,547 228,653
75 Lubbock Texas 1.4 3,212 236,326 239,538
76 Laredo Texas 1.4 3,364 244,778 248,142
77 Chandler Arizona 1.4 3,475 245,671 249,146
78 Corpus Christi Texas 1.4 4,227 312,154 316,381
79 San Diego California 1.4 18,867 1,337,029 1,355,896
80 Berkeley California 1.3 1,467 115,301 116,768
81 Denton Texas 1.3 1,639 121,460 123,099
82 Overland Park Kansas 1.3 2,346 178,914 181,260
83 Huntsville Alabama 1.3 2,479 183,775 186,254
84 Moreno Valley California 1.3 2,587 198,588 201,175
85 Fayetteville North Carolina 1.3 2,574 201,834 204,408
86 St. Paul Minnesota 1.3 3,834 291,039 294,873
87 Oakland California 1.3 5,023 401,230 406,253
88 Omaha Nebraska 1.3 5,503 428,850 434,353
89 Mesa Arizona 1.3 5,910 451,677 457,587
90 Boston Massachusetts 1.3 8,121 637,845 645,966
91 Dallas Texas 1.3 15,976 1,241,700 1,257,676
92 Kent Washington 1.2 1,456 122,979 124,435
93 Stamford Connecticut 1.2 1,514 124,942 126,456
94 Miramar Florida 1.2 1,511 128,777 130,288
95 Palmdale California 1.2 1,901 155,260 157,161
96 Springfield Missouri 1.2 1,886 162,236 164,122
97 Vancouver Washington 1.2 1,970 165,435 167,405
98 Tempe Arizona 1.2 1,931 166,297 168,228
99 Port St. Lucie Florida 1.2 1,998 169,018 171,016
100 Madison Wisconsin 1.2 2,903 240,441 243,344
101 Lincoln Nebraska 1.2 3,232 265,506 268,738
102 Riverside California 1.2 3,872 312,747 316,619
103 Tampa Florida 1.2 4,256 348,701 352,957
104 Las Vegas Nevada 1.2 7,310 596,178 603,488
105 San Francisco California 1.2 10,022 827,420 837,442
106 Lakeland Florida 1.1 1,109 99,601 100,710
107 Cambridge Massachusetts 1.1 1,117 106,172 107,289
108 Lafayette Louisiana 1.1 1,348 122,928 124,276
109 Lakewood Colorado 1.1 1,656 145,558 147,214
110 Corona California 1.1 1,784 157,719 159,503
111 Reno Nevada 1.1 2,627 230,667 233,294
112 Glendale Arizona 1.1 2,597 232,035 234,632
113 Greensboro North Carolina 1.1 3,073 276,566 279,639
114 Portland Oregon 1.1 6,430 603,026 609,456
115 Santa Maria California 1 1,027 101,189 102,216
116 Murrieta California 1 1,087 106,392 107,479
117 Richmond California 1 1,047 106,524 107,571
118 High Point North Carolina 1 1,063 106,678 107,741
119 Coral Springs Florida 1 1,272 125,332 126,604
120 Waco Texas 1 1,259 127,771 129,030
121 Columbia South Carolina 1 1,264 132,094 133,358
122 McAllen Texas 1 1,397 135,242 136,639
123 Santa Rosa California 1 1,756 170,234 171,990
124 Grand Rapids Michigan 1 1,880 190,414 192,294
125 Chesapeake Virginia 1 2,268 228,303 230,571
126 Lexington Kentucky 1 3,176 305,252 308,428
127 Tulsa Oklahoma 1 3,772 394,349 398,121
128 Atlanta Georgia 1 4,336 443,505 447,841
129 Indianapolis Indiana 1 8,550 834,843 843,393
130 Richardson Texas 0.9 913 103,562 104,475
131 Daly City California 0.9 916 103,823 104,739
132 Vallejo California 0.9 1,023 117,814 118,837
133 Concord California 0.9 1,162 124,718 125,880
134 Carrollton Texas 0.9 1,158 125,542 126,700
135 West Valley City Utah 0.9 1,230 132,349 133,579
136 Pasadena California 0.9 1,288 138,443 139,731
137 Hollywood Florida 0.9 1,251 145,275 146,526
138 Sunnyvale California 0.9 1,267 146,292 147,559
139 Salinas California 0.9 1,461 154,201 155,662
140 Fort Lauderdale Florida 0.9 1,570 170,819 172,389
141 Oceanside California 0.9 1,572 171,222 172,794
142 Grand Prairie Texas 0.9 1,705 181,667 183,372
143 Salt Lake City Utah 0.9 1,718 189,462 191,180
144 Glendale California 0.9 1,657 194,364 196,021
145 Fontana California 0.9 1,786 201,217 203,003
146 Oxnard California 0.9 1,781 201,226 203,007
147 Boise City Idaho 0.9 2,000 212,237 214,237
148 Winston-Salem North Carolina 0.9 2,119 234,322 236,441
149 St. Petersburg Florida 0.9 2,294 247,394 249,688
150 Anchorage Alaska 0.9 2,656 298,294 300,950
151 Santa Ana California 0.9 3,099 331,128 334,227
152 Arlington Texas 0.9 3,362 376,215 379,577
153 Sacramento California 0.9 4,319 475,367 479,686
154 Tyler Texas 0.8 833 99,390 100,223
155 Davenport Iowa 0.8 790 101,367 102,157
156 Clearwater Florida 0.8 883 108,820 109,703
157 Beaumont Texas 0.8 902 116,894 117,796
158 Athens Georgia 0.8 939 119,041 119,980
159 Santa Clara California 0.8 984 119,261 120,245
160 Victorville California 0.8 1,004 120,092 121,096
161 Visalia California 0.8 1,054 126,709 127,763
162 Kansas City Kansas 0.8 1,148 147,335 148,483
163 Escondido California 0.8 1,145 147,593 148,738
164 Salem Oregon 0.8 1,332 159,282 160,614
165 Jersey City New Jersey 0.8 2,017 255,325 257,342
166 Plano Texas 0.8 2,231 272,178 274,409
167 Honolulu Hawaii 0.8 2,887 344,997 347,884
168 Miami Florida 0.8 3,429 414,221 417,650
169 Fresno California 0.8 4,188 505,736 509,924
170 Louisville Kentucky 0.8 4,903 604,990 609,893
171 Los Angeles California 0.8 31,525 3,852,782 3,884,307
172 El Cajon California 0.7 725 101,486 102,211
173 Palm Bay Florida 0.7 687 104,211 104,898
174 Everett Washington 0.7 688 104,682 105,370
175 Provo Utah 0.7 847 115,441 116,288
176 Peoria Illinois 0.7 803 115,710 116,513
177 Gainesville Florida 0.7 852 126,636 127,488
178 Naperville Illinois 0.7 1,020 143,844 144,864
179 Eugene Oregon 0.7 1,177 158,013 159,190
180 Rancho Cucamonga California 0.7 1,129 170,257 171,386
181 Brownsville Texas 0.7 1,339 180,521 181,860
182 Newport News Virginia 0.7 1,239 180,781 182,020
183 Yonkers New York 0.7 1,344 198,422 199,766
184 Modesto California 0.7 1,425 203,508 204,933
185 Fort Wayne Indiana 0.7 1,808 254,688 256,496
186 Virginia Beach Virginia 0.7 3,101 445,378 448,479
187 Jacksonville Florida 0.7 5,975 836,608 842,583
188 New York New York 0.7 61,440 8,344,397 8,405,837
189 Gresham Oregon 0.6 617 108,780 109,397
190 El Monte California 0.6 644 115,064 115,708
191 Ann Arbor Michigan 0.6 697 116,328 117,025
192 Simi Valley California 0.6 745 125,436 126,181
193 Elizabeth New Jersey 0.6 801 126,757 127,558
194 Thousand Oaks California 0.6 712 128,019 128,731
195 Sterling Heights Michigan 0.6 786 130,438 131,224
196 Lancaster California 0.6 922 158,601 159,523
197 Chattanooga Tennessee 0.6 1,062 172,304 173,366
198 Garden Grove California 0.6 971 174,169 175,140
199 Knoxville Tennessee 0.6 1,070 182,200 183,270
200 Tacoma Washington 0.6 1,138 202,308 203,446
201 Kansas City Missouri 0.6 2,708 464,299 467,007
202 West Palm Beach Florida 0.5 547 101,889 102,436
203 Lowell Massachusetts 0.5 526 108,335 108,861
204 Miami Gardens Florida 0.5 516 110,862 111,378
205 Warren Michigan 0.5 658 134,215 134,873
206 Orange California 0.5 679 139,290 139,969
207 Santa Clarita California 0.5 979 178,611 179,590
208 Spokane Washington 0.5 967 209,754 210,721
209 Hialeah Florida 0.5 1,268 232,126 233,394
210 Anaheim California 0.5 1,836 343,176 345,012
211 Rialto California 0.4 370 101,540 101,910
212 Burbank California 0.4 389 104,320 104,709
213 West Covina California 0.4 403 107,337 107,740
214 Elgin Illinois 0.4 451 109,694 110,145
215 Costa Mesa California 0.4 499 111,675 112,174
216 Fullerton California 0.4 571 138,410 138,981
217 Torrance California 0.4 572 146,906 147,478
218 Pomona California 0.4 628 150,720 151,348
219 Ontario California 0.4 624 166,876 167,500
220 Amarillo Texas 0.4 879 195,550 196,429
221 Little Rock Arkansas 0.4 696 196,661 197,357
222 Des Moines Iowa 0.4 745 206,765 207,510
223 Garland Texas 0.4 928 233,638 234,566
224 Las Cruces New Mexico 0.3 264 101,060 101,324
225 Wichita Falls Texas 0.3 352 104,546 104,898
226 Norwalk California 0.3 363 106,226 106,589
227 Pueblo Colorado 0.3 274 107,975 108,249
228 San Buenaventura California 0.3 367 108,450 108,817
229 Inglewood California 0.3 379 111,163 111,542
230 Downey California 0.3 389 112,853 113,242
231 Savannah Georgia 0.3 408 142,364 142,772
232 Syracuse New York 0.3 457 144,212 144,669
233 Bridgeport Connecticut 0.3 488 146,728 147,216
234 Pasadena Texas 0.3 531 152,204 152,735
235 Birmingham Alabama 0.3 672 211,441 212,113
236 San Bernardino California 0.3 646 213,062 213,708
237 Newark New Jersey 0.3 802 277,625 278,427
238 Stockton California 0.3 879 297,239 298,118
239 Wichita Kansas 0.3 1,236 385,316 386,552
240 Long Beach California 0.3 1,374 468,054 469,428
241 Tucson Arizona 0.3 1,315 524,801 526,116
242 Albuquerque New Mexico 0.3 1,874 554,621 556,495
243 Philadelphia Pennsylvania 0.3 4,518 1,548,647 1,553,165
244 Abilene Texas 0.2 257 119,842 120,099
245 Evansville Indiana 0.2 181 120,129 120,310
246 Cedar Rapids Iowa 0.2 320 128,109 128,429
247 Paterson New Jersey 0.2 237 145,711 145,948
248 Cincinnati Ohio 0.2 732 296,785 297,517
249 Chicago Illinois 0.2 5,862 2,712,920 2,718,782
250 South Bend Indiana 0.1 92 100,794 100,886
251 Manchester New Hampshire 0.1 65 110,313 110,378
252 Dayton Ohio 0.1 97 143,258 143,355
253 Mesquite Texas 0.1 167 143,317 143,484
254 Springfield Massachusetts 0.1 214 153,489 153,703
255 Worcester Massachusetts 0.1 232 182,312 182,544
256 Aurora Illinois 0.1 262 199,701 199,963
257 Norfolk Virginia 0.1 132 246,007 246,139
258 Milwaukee Wisconsin 0.1 762 598,402 599,164
259 Green Bay Wisconsin 0 10 104,769 104,779
260 Independence Missouri 0 2 117,238 117,240
261 Hampton Virginia 0 67 136,632 136,699
262 Mobile Alabama 0 11 194,888 194,899
263 El Paso Texas 0 309 674,124 674,433
264 Kenosha Wisconsin -0.1 -122 100,011 99,889
265 Lansing Michigan -0.1 -113 114,085 113,972
266 Hartford Connecticut -0.1 -147 125,164 125,017
267 New Haven Connecticut -0.1 -169 130,829 130,660
268 Providence Rhode Island -0.1 -253 178,247 177,994
269 Rochester New York -0.1 -157 210,515 210,358
270 Pittsburgh Pennsylvania -0.1 -348 306,189 305,841
271 Baltimore Maryland -0.1 -313 622,417 622,104
272 Waterbury Connecticut -0.2 -229 109,905 109,676
273 Springfield Illinois -0.2 -178 117,184 117,006
274 Allentown Pennsylvania -0.2 -187 118,764 118,577
275 Topeka Kansas -0.2 -310 127,989 127,679
276 Joliet Illinois -0.2 -300 148,106 147,806
277 Buffalo New York -0.2 -428 259,387 258,959
278 St. Louis Missouri -0.2 -696 319,112 318,416
279 Memphis Tennessee -0.2 -1,106 654,556 653,450
280 Augusta Georgia -0.3 -626 197,976 197,350
281 Akron Ohio -0.3 -522 198,622 198,100
282 Baton Rouge Louisiana -0.3 -580 230,006 229,426
283 Toledo Ohio -0.3 -989 283,302 282,313
284 Cleveland Ohio -0.3 -1,181 391,294 390,113
285 Rockford Illinois -0.4 -664 150,915 150,251
286 Tallahassee Florida -0.4 -673 187,084 186,411
287 Erie Pennsylvania -0.5 -484 101,155 100,671
288 Flint Michigan -0.6 -649 100,412 99,763
289 Clarksville Tennessee -0.6 -788 143,145 142,357
290 Shreveport Louisiana -0.9 -1,739 202,066 200,327
291 Detroit Michigan -1.4 -9,881 698,582 688,701
292 Jackson Mississippi -1.5 -2,557 175,195 172,638
293 Montgomery Alabama -1.6 -3,241 204,573 201,332

Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates current as of July 2012 and July 2013.
 

Mike Maciag is Data Editor for GOVERNING.
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