The Central Texas region between Austin and San Antonio is growing into one massive metro area, writes Jared Brey in Governing.
Small towns dotting the area between the two cities are exploding with new development. One such town, Cedar Park, grew from 5,000 people in 1990 to over 77,000 people today. According to Brey, “Between July 2023 and July 2024 alone, the Texas population grew by nearly 563,000. Its economy is now larger than Canada’s, and second among U.S. states only to California.” This growth comes with a new tax base — and a need for new and upgraded infrastructure.
Growth at this scale is causing some real headaches, notably in areas such as traffic and water. Texas already has too much of one and not enough of the other. But rapid and sustained growth has showered benefits on local governments. Many of them can invest at a scale they’ve never experienced before.…