Texas’s population is booming. Out of the 10 fastest-growing US counties in 2017, six are in the Lone Star state, according US Census data released Thursday.
The growth is pooling around urban counties that host the state’s largest cities—Dallas, Collin, Denton, and Tarrant counties in the Dallas area; Harris, home to Houston; and Bexar, where San Antonio sits. Those six counties added more than 185,000 residents from 2016 and 2017.
Here’s the full top 10 list:
Texas can also boast some of the fastest-growing metro areas in the country.
Many of the new Texans hail from other US cities. Unlike other major metropolitan areas, whose population numbers have been kept afloat by international immigrants, places such as Dallas and Houston are also being fed by a steady stream of domestic migrants.
They are drawn to Texas because of its abundance of jobs and relatively affordable cost of living. Many of the transplants hail from much more expensive places, such as California. But there are signs that the stampede to Texas might be trampling some of its appeal. As more people settle in the state, affordable houses are becoming scarcer—and pricier.
Dan Kopf contributed to this story.