GEORGETOWN, Texas — More people have moved to Georgetown than any other city in the entire country, according to the latest U.S. Census Bureau study.
The U.S. Census Bureau released its list of the 15 fastest-growing cities in America, and Georgetown topped that list. The Austin suburb had the largest growth from July 2020 to July 2021, increasing by 10.5%, a rate of growth that would double the population in less than seven years, the study said. The population of Georgetown estimated to be 75,420, up from 67,176 in the 2020 census.
“Georgetown continues to attract new residents for the same reasons many of us moved here – good jobs, safe neighborhoods and unbeatable parks and events,” Mayor Josh Schroeder said. “But all those things may not be as important as the sense of community you feel when families gather on a Saturday afternoon on our Courthouse lawn or dance in the street at our annual Red Poppy Festival. People don’t just move here: They fall in love with this town.”
People who live in Georgetown tell KVUE the downtown square, the friendly people, and the relaxed atmosphere are all reasons they recently moved to the city.
"There's like this unwritten law here about just like respect to everybody, like no matter their age," said Renee Michelson, a musician who plays on the square in Georgetown.
"I like the square, I like the friendliness of the people. My neighbors are nice," said Kathy Brown, who moved to Georgetown from Arizona about eight months ago.
"It is a quaint little city," said Carl Newton, who moved to Georgetown last year from Katy. "You know, we wanted to be near Hill Country, so that was kind of the draw."
As more people move to Georgetown and Central Texas, locals hope that the city keeps its charm.
"What Texas has that's very special is it's authentic and it's friendly and it has that southern comfort," said Michelson. "It feels like it's slowly being taken away, and I hope it doesn't lose that."
This marks the second year in a row Georgetown has been named the fastest-growing city in the U.S. by the U.S. Census Bureau. In 2019 and 2020, Georgetown was listed as the seventh fastest-growing city in the U.S. In 2018, the city came in sixth place.
As the population continues to grow, the city is having to adapt. It is currently expanding road, water and wastewater infrastructure to keep up with the increasing number of people. Another challenge with the growth is the high housing prices.
"I'm in the middle of rich and homeless," laughed Michelson. "No, I'm just like, I have to rent a room from a friend."
"We came up here with the intention of purchasing a home and were a little bit surprised at how quickly, you know, the price increased," said Newton. "I mean, 30% to 40%. It pushed a lot of people out of the market."
Two other Central Texas cities cracked the top five in terms of percentage growth: Leander (No. 2), which grew 10.1%; and New Braunfels (No. 5), which grew 8.3%.
All three Central Texas cities were also listed among the highest numeric gainers, as well. The U.S. Census Bureau said San Antonio had the largest sheer numeric growth in the nation, with an increase of 13,626 people between 2020 and 2021. Other Texas cities that ranked among the nation's largest numeric gainers include: Fort Worth, Frisco, New Braunfels, Georgetown, Leander, Denton and McKinney.
Austin, which was listed as the 11th-most populous city in the nation in 2019 (964,177), gained 1,056 people between 2020 and 2021, according to the study. Travis County was among the largest population gaining counties in the U.S., adding 25,693 residents (third-highest in nation).
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