DFW home to nation's 2 fastest-growing counties

More people moved out of Dallas County than moved in from mid-2022 to mid-2023, according to the latest federal estimates. But DFW led the nation in metropolitan area population growth. So where are people landing? We've got the full list. So much of the growth story in Texas, including Dallas-Fort Worth, is about the suburbs. That was reinforced last week when the U.S. Census Bureau released its latest population estimates for metro areas and counties. The Dallas-Fort Worth metro added an estimated 152,598 people from mid-2022 to mid-2023, the largest raw increase in the nation, Dallas Business Journal's Plamedie Ifasso reported.

But Dallas County actually saw negative net domestic migration, according to the agency's estimates, accelerating a trend seen the year prior. Its overall population increased, thanks to births outpacing deaths. That begged for further exploration of where the DFW metro is actually growing. Kaufman County and Rockwall County — both on the east side of the Metroplex — ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the country and the state with estimated population increases of 7.6% and 6.5%, respectively, according to a Dallas Business Journal analysis of the Census Bureau data. You can see the full list of Texas' 254 counties below. This growth has major ramifications for business and government. Homebuilders and retailers need to know where people are headed, while school district leaders and city planners must prepare for how growth will impact the groups they serve. Huge neighborhoods continue to spring up on DFW's urban periphery, which is creating new business opportunities, as well as challenges around infrastructure.