Texas’ Demographics
Overview
Texas’ Demographics
Learning Objective
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
Discuss how the demographic changes Texas is undergoing influences its government, public policy, and the challenges it faces today
Introduction
Texas is the second most populous U.S. state, second only to California. In recent decades, it has experienced strong population growth.
Texas has many major cities and metropolitan areas, along with many towns and rural areas. Much of the population is in the major cities of
Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin, and El Paso. Three Texas cities (Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio) are among the nation's
top 10 in population, and Austin is just outside the top 10 at number 11.
Population
The United States Census Bureau estimates the population of Texas was 28,995,881 on July 1, 2019, a 15.31 percent increase since the 2010
United States Census. The 2010 US Census recorded Texas as having a population of
, 25.1 million—an increase of 4.3 million since the year 2000, involving an increase in population in all three subcategories of population growth:
natural increase (births minus deaths), net immigration, and net migration. The state passed New York in the 1990s to become the second-
largest U.S. state in population, after California.
Texas’ population growth between 2000 and 2010 represents the highest population increase, by number of people, for any U.S. state during
this time period. The state has a bigger population than that of Australia.
Figure 1.16 Population density map of Texas created using 2010 Census Data. Image Credit: JimIrwin, CC-BY-SA-3.0
As of 2015, Texas had 4.7 million foreign-born residents, about 17% of the population and 21.6% of the state workforce. The major countries of
origin for Texan immigrants were Mexico (55.1% of immigrants), India (5%), El Salvador (4.3%), Vietnam (3.7%), and China (2.3%). Of
immigrant residents, some 35.8 percent were naturalized U.S. citizens. In 2014, there were an estimated 1.7 million undocumented immigrants
in Texas, making up 35% of the total Texas immigrant population and 6.1% of the total state population.[209] In addition to the state's foreign-
born population, an additional 4.1 million Texans (15% of the stats's population) were born in the United States and had at least one immigrant
parent.
Overview
Texas’ Demographics
Learning Objective
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
Discuss how the demographic changes Texas is undergoing influences its government, public policy, and the challenges it faces today
Introduction
Texas is the second most populous U.S. state, second only to California. In recent decades, it has experienced strong population growth.
Texas has many major cities and metropolitan areas, along with many towns and rural areas. Much of the population is in the major cities of
Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin, and El Paso. Three Texas cities (Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio) are among the nation's
top 10 in population, and Austin is just outside the top 10 at number 11.
Population
The United States Census Bureau estimates the population of Texas was 28,995,881 on July 1, 2019, a 15.31 percent increase since the 2010
United States Census. The 2010 US Census recorded Texas as having a population of
, 25.1 million—an increase of 4.3 million since the year 2000, involving an increase in population in all three subcategories of population growth:
natural increase (births minus deaths), net immigration, and net migration. The state passed New York in the 1990s to become the second-
largest U.S. state in population, after California.
Texas’ population growth between 2000 and 2010 represents the highest population increase, by number of people, for any U.S. state during
this time period. The state has a bigger population than that of Australia.
Figure 1.16 Population density map of Texas created using 2010 Census Data. Image Credit: JimIrwin, CC-BY-SA-3.0
As of 2015, Texas had 4.7 million foreign-born residents, about 17% of the population and 21.6% of the state workforce. The major countries of
origin for Texan immigrants were Mexico (55.1% of immigrants), India (5%), El Salvador (4.3%), Vietnam (3.7%), and China (2.3%). Of
immigrant residents, some 35.8 percent were naturalized U.S. citizens. In 2014, there were an estimated 1.7 million undocumented immigrants
in Texas, making up 35% of the total Texas immigrant population and 6.1% of the total state population.[209] In addition to the state's foreign-
born population, an additional 4.1 million Texans (15% of the stats's population) were born in the United States and had at least one immigrant
parent.
