Post 2000 Texas Population: Changes in Size, Composition, and Distribution Revisited

Texas is one of most rapidly growing states in the United States. This paper examines the change in size, composition, and distribution of Texas population from 2000-2010. Texas population increased from 20,851,820 in 2000 to 25,145,561 in 2010. This is an increase of 4,293,741 persons between April 1, 2000 and April 1, 2010, leading the nation in numerical increase. Texas' population also diversified extensively; the proportion of Anglo (non-Hispanic White) population has decreased from 60.6 percent in 1990 to 45.3 percent in 2010. The proportion of Hispanic population (Hispanics of any race) has increased from 25.6 percent in 1990 to 37.6 percent in 2010. In 2010, more than fifty-three percent of Texans are minorities (i.e., Black, Hispanic, and Others). The proportion of population 65 years of age and above increased from 9.9 in 2000 to 10.4 in 2010. Although Texas experienced population growth, it has also experienced population decline in certain age groups particularly among the Anglo working age population. Such change has important implications for education, labor force participation, health related issues and polity in Texas. Population growth in Texas has not been distributed evenly throughout the state. Some parts of the State have grown rapidly, some have grown slowly and other areas have declined. Texas may thus be expected to remain among those states with the largest numerical increase in population and to continue to be among the Nation's growing states in the coming years.