Suburbs still the star of Austin’s population boom — check out these stats

By Justin Sayers – Senior Staff Writer, Austin Business Journal

May 15, 2025

Updated May 15, 2025 2:04pm CDT

Story Highlights

• Hutto is the 13th fastest-growing city in the U.S.
• Georgetown surpasses population of 100,000
• Other Texas city surpasses Austin’s population

The Austin metro has a new fastest-growing city by percent change.

Hutto — the city about 30 miles northeast of Austin that’s known for its hippo mascot — recently ranked No. 13 in terms of year-over-year percentage increase among U.S. cities with at least 20,000 people, according to newly released data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Hutto’s population grew 9.4% to 42,661 people from July 2023 to July 2024, representing the highest growth rate of any Austin suburb.

Georgetown for the last three years had been the fastest-growing city in the country among cities with at least 50,000 people. The Williamson County seat did still grow 5.2% year-over-year to 101,344 people as of July 2024, data shows.

And, to be sure, Georgetown gained roughly 4,600 residents during that time, more than the almost 3,700 people Hutto gained. Leander, west of Georgetown, gained just over 7,000 during the 12 months — the most of any Austin suburb.

Hutto’s addition to the list is unsurprising. The city in recent years has become a target for some of the region’s biggest industrial, housing and amenity-based projects, as developers aim to fill in the area between Round Rock — Austin’s largest suburb with 134,359 people — and Taylor, where Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. is building its massive chipmaking facility. That growth is expected to continue and has prompted the Hutto City Council to be more careful about water and wastewater commitments.

The suburbs also continue to benefit because affordable housing options are scarce in the city of Austin and many are looking to the suburbs for a lower cost of living.

Hutto Director of Economic Development Cheney Gamboa said in a statement that the growth is fueled by a “strong sense of community, a lower cost of living compared to surrounding areas, and a lot of momentum from new businesses and families choosing to call Hutto home.”

Big projects in the region include Samsung and Tesla and its suppliers, data centers and entertainment options. The city is also aiming to bring in more retail, and it’s is building out a downtown area called the Co-Op District.

“Rapid growth brings continued opportunities for a focus on quality of life elements such as shopping and dining as well as entertainment and recreation along with all of the infrastructure improvements that are needed to support Hippo Nation as we continue to grow together,” Gamboa said.

Hutto Assistant City Manager Matt Wojnowski added in a statement that the city remains “committed to thoughtful planning and investment in infrastructure to ensure Hutto continues to thrive as a welcoming, vibrant city for all.”

Texas was well-represented on the fastest-growing cities list. Princeton (30.6% year-over-year increase) and Fulshear (26.9%) led the list, while Celina (3rd, 18.2%), Anna (4th, 14.6%), Fate (8th, 11.4%) and Melissa (11th, 10%) were also in the top 15.

Other Austin-area cities with at least 10,000 people that saw big year-over-year-increases included Dripping Springs (16.9%), Liberty Hill (15%), Lockhart (11%), Leander (8.7%) and Bastrop (8%). Smaller cities that saw big gains included Jarrell (28.8%), Marble Falls (24%), Weir (5.2%) and Niederwald (3.5%). The areas that shrunk the most were Meadowlakes (-3.1%), Highland Haven (-2.8%), Bertram (-2.7%), Bee Cave (-2.2%) and Creedmoor (-2.1%).

Georgetown reaches new benchmark

While Georgetown lost its title as the region’s fastest-growing city, the city was one of seven in the U.S. that reached a particular milestone: 100,000 people.

Georgetown, which is about 30 miles north of Austin, has a population of 101,344 as July 2024, according to the Census data. It joins Round Rock as the only two Austin suburbs with at least 100,000 people. Meanwhile, Austin inched closer to the 1 million mark, reaching a population of 993,588, making it the 13th largest city in the U.S., behind San Jose and Fort Worth.

Georgetown Mayor Josh Schroeder said “it isn’t surprising” the city reached that milestone.

“It’s a sign of our charm, our welcoming community, and the endless opportunities that continue to draw people here,” Schroeder said in a statement. “We’ve been preparing for this moment, by updating many of our strategic plans and investing in key road and utility projects to ensure our infrastructure meets the needs of today and the demands of tomorrow. We remain focused on preserving Georgetown as a great place for residents and visitors alike.”

Georgetown remains a hotbed for all sorts of development. But it’s earning a reputation for manufacturing as Total Site Solutions Inc., GAF Energy LLC, CelLink Corp., US Farathane Corp., Hanwha Advanced Materials LLC, Austin Cutlery & Tool LLC, ZT Systems and more all have moved to the area in recent years.

Two other Austin-area cities reached population benchmarks this year: Hutto surpassed the 40,000-person mark, while Dripping Springs topped 10,000 people for the first time.

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