San Antonio leads U.S. cities in population growth

SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Express News reports that San Antonio’s population increased more than any other large U.S. city last year, gaining 22,000 residents even as other cities saw their populations plateau – or shrink – as families hightailed to the suburbs, according to data released by the U.S. Census Bureau on Thursday. Three other Texas cities – Fort Worth, New Braunfels and Atascocita – ranked among the top 10 cities nationwide with the greatest population gains from 2022 to 2023, though San Antonio netted at least 7,000 more residents than any of them. The U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey one-year estimates consists of data collected over the course of a single year in geographic areas with at least 65,000 people. The data takes into account everything from the area’s growth to its economic characteristics and housing stock.

San Antonio’s overall growth reflects a 1.5% population increase since 2022, eclipsing Houston, Dallas and Austin, which each saw their populations grow by less than 0.5% during that period. Texas State Demographer Lloyd Potter said today’s San Antonio “feels different” than the city did a decade ago. Potter said several factors have led to San Antonio’s growth, from city ladders’ work to foster economic development, to beefing up housing downtown to the growth of the University of Texas at San Antonio’s student body. As more companies set up shop within the city, San Antonio is becoming a magnet for skilled workers, he said. “??Companies are recognizing that San Antonio is a great place to come and either bring their headquarters or bring a significant portion of their business,” Potter said. “People that generally are moving here tend to be people with higher levels of educational attainment and are working in jobs that are higher-skilled, higher-paid kinds of jobs.” The proportion of San Antonio’s population over the age of 25 with at least a bachelor’s degree increased last year, going from about 29% of the city’s population in 2022 to nearly 31% in 2023.