Texas population surpassed 30 million, new census data shows

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Texas crossed a new population threshold this year, fueled by immigration to the state from other parts of the country. Currently, 30 million people live there.

New estimates released by the U.S. Census Bureau on Thursday put the state’s population at 30,029,572 as of July 1 after years of steady growth. This makes Texas the only state other than California with a population greater than her 30 million.

The state’s population has been on the rise for decades, with people of color driving growth, with demographic shifts reshaping everything from politics to classrooms.

Texas’ population has increased by 470,708 since July 2021, the largest increase in the nation. Texas regularly holds the top spot in the agency’s annual population updates. About half of that increase is due to net internal migration (the number of people coming to Texas from other states), while the other half is between net international migration and natural increase (the difference between births and deaths). was divided almost evenly by

The sources of state population growth often fluctuate from year to year. The agency’s estimates from 2010 to 2019 showed that natural increase in Texas and growth based on net migration, including both domestic and international, were close even in this decade.

Despite its growth, Texas has lagged far behind California, the nation’s most populous state, since the early 1960s. According to the latest estimates, California’s population is she 39,029,342.

But California’s growth has stagnated lately as it continues to lose residents to other states. California has outpaced Texas in growth based on international migration, but this year’s estimates put the state’s population down by 113,649 after experiencing heavy losses from internal migration.

The Golden State has lost about half a million residents in the last two years alone. Its declining population is reportedly driven not only by quality of life and transportation challenges, but also by soaring housing prices.

Earlier this year, another estimate from the Census Bureau showed Texas may have passed another demographic milestone: Hispanic residents outnumbered white residents in the state’s population. point that occupies

Hispanic Texans will make up 40.2% of the state’s population in 2021, and non-Hispanic white Texans will make up 39.4%, according to demographics from the agency’s American Community Survey. These estimates are not considered official. The agency’s official population estimates as of July 2021 show that the Hispanic and non-Hispanic white populations are virtually evenly sized.