When measured by percentage of population increase, only one U.S. city—Charlotte, N.C.—grew faster than Austin between 2010 and 2015, the Austin Business Journal reported Thursday.
Citing the U.S. Census Bureau’s new 5-Year American Community Survey data series, which is released every December, the Journal reported that the Austin metro area, which includes Travis, Hays, Bastrop, Caldwell, and Williamson counties — grew by more than 16 percent in the past five years, from 1.6 million to 1.9 million residents.
Although that’s still well below Charlotte’s 38 percent, it still puts Austin in the second spot for growth during that time in metro areas with 1 million or more residents, according to the report.
The Journal article noted that the survey provides a great deal of detail, scoping down to the neighborhood level and that, while most of the growth took place with in Austin city limits—increasing by 122,930 people, to 887,060—the most marked growth took place in the northern suburbs.
Nevertheless, Austin also ranked second, with New Orleans taking the top spot, in growth within cities rather than metros, the Journal reported. Parts of downtown and Central Austin (particularly western neighborhoods along Shoal Creek), as well as the Anderson Lane corridor, saw growth, while population in neighborhoods near the Central Business District and the Capitol Building has declined.
• Austin remains population magnet — but growth in the 'burbs is far swifter [ABJ]