Only 2 cities added more people than Fort Worth in 2020 as city climbs in U.S. ranking
Fort Worth is now the 12th largest city in the United States, and is closing in on 1 million residents, according to the latest Census Bureau estimates.
The city had 927,720 residents in 2020, up 24% from 748,419 residents in 2010, according to estimates published late last week.
From 2019-2020 — even while much of the nation was shut down by the COVID pandemic — Fort Worth’s population grew 2.1%, the highest rate among large cities, according to Census data. Fort Worth’s addition of 19,229 people during the past year was the third largest increase behind Phoenix, which added 25,194 residents (1.5% growth) and San Antonio, which added 19,862 residents (1.3%).
“Fort Worth’s move to the 12th largest city in the United States was expected, but that doesn’t make the news any less exciting,” Mayor Betsy Price said Tuesday in an email to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
During Price’s decade in office, Fort Worth has climbed in the rankings from the nation’s 16th largest city to its 12th.
“Growth, especially the explosive growth we are seeing in Fort Worth, is always challenging for a city, but it is in that growth there is also massive opportunity to build incredible things,” Price said. “In my 10 years as mayor, we’ve worked to capitalize on those opportunities, meeting the needs of a growing city with innovation and resourcefulness, while always maintaining the unique history and spirit of Fort Worth.”
On average, Fort Worth gained 17,930 residents annually between 2010 and 2020, according to the Census Bureau population trends.
The Census Bureau figures are updated annually, based on estimates using the 2010 Census as a starting point. The calculations are separate from the official head count that the Census Bureau conducts every 10 years.
The official head count, the 2020 Census, was delayed by the COVID pandemic, but is 99% complete, according to the agency. Results will be published in various formats later this year.
Besides creating bragging rights for the largest cities, the Census figures are used for crucial things such as determining how many seats in Congress each state should have, and how much funding communities can receive for roads, schools and other government functions.
Five of the top 12 biggest cities in the nation are in Texas.
15 largest U.S. cities
▪ Los Angeles: 3,970,219
▪ Chicago: 2,677,643
▪ Houston: 2,316,120
▪ Phoenix: 1,708,127
▪ Philadelphia: 1,578,487
▪ San Antonio: 1,567,118
▪ San Diego: 1,422,420
▪ Dallas: 1,343,266
▪ San Jose: 1,013,616
▪ Austin: 995,484
▪ Fort Worth: 927,720
▪ Jacksonville: 920,570
▪ Columbus: 903,852
▪ Charlotte: 900,350
