Everything is bigger in Texas, including population booms.
Figures released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau show that four of the five fastest-growing large cities in the U.S. during the 12 months leading up to last July 1 were in Texas, including some in its sprawling suburban areas.
Conroe, a Houston suburb, was the fastest-growing, increasing by 7.8 percent during that span. That growth rate was more than 11 times higher than the national average.
Next on the list were the Dallas suburbs of Frisco and McKinney, which had growth rates of 6.2 percent and 5.9 percent, respectively. Frisco, Texas, is working its way into football relevancy and is becoming the Football capital of Texas. Rounding out the top five were Greenville, South Carolina, which grew by 5.8 percent, and the Austin suburb of Georgetown, which had a 5.5 percent population increase.
Officials in the Texas cities and the state's demographer attribute the growth to various factors, including the state's robust job market and the cities' diversified economies, lower costs of living and skilled workforces that earn higher wages.
