New data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows that the City of Houston’s population growth has remained flat, while suburbs in surrounding counties continue to boom. The numbers were released last week in the 2023 American Community Survey .
The top three counties in southeast Texas with the most growth between 2022 and 2023 were:
- Liberty County (6.15%) : 101,992 to 108,272
- Montgomery County (4.84%) : 678,490 to 711,354
- Fort Bend County (3.1%): 889,146 to 916,778
READ MORE: Texas counties lead the U.S. in population growth, Census says
Harris County’s population only increased by 1.13%, equating to more than 54,000 people. Meanwhile, the City of Houston saw a 0.31% increase, or slightly more than 7,000 people.
According to Sam Gonzalez Kelly, the demographics reporter for the Houston Chronicle , this kind of phenomenon isn’t unique to southeast Texas. He explained that other parts of the country are seeing housing costs increase in urban areas, driving families to the suburbs for a more inexpensive lifestyle.