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Fort Worth’s population is inching closer to one million after adding more residents than any other city in the country in 2022, according to new Census data. 

The city welcomed 19,170 more people between July 1, 2021, and July 1, 2022. This brings Fort Worth’s total population for 2022 to 956,709, according to the Census figures released May 18. 

While Fort Worth’s growth is notable, it has been keeping pace with its past numbers, said Eric Fladager, assistant director of planning and data analytics for the city. 

“If you go back and look at the last 20 years, Fort Worth is either at or near the top of the fastest-growing markets in the United States,” he said. “This is not out of line with what we would expect.”

When it comes to quantifying the increase, Fladager notes that it equates to around or a little over 50 people a day. 

“It’s kind of like a busload of folks arriving every day,” he said. 

Fort Worth remains the 13th largest city in the country and is the fifth largest in Texas, behind Houston, San Antonio, Dallas and Austin. 

New York, despite a population decrease, remains the nation’s largest city  No. 1 (8.3 million) and Los Angeles is No. 2.

Fladager estimates Fort Worth will hit a population of 1 million by 2027 or 2028 if the numbers stay consistent. 

“Many of the cities that are on the top list have actually lost population since 2020. So there’s not an even playing field in terms of how growth happens or does not happen,” he said. 

Texas was also the only state with more than three cities on both the 15 fastest-growing large cities and towns lists in raw numbers and percentage change.

Georgetown, north of Austin, was the nation’s fastest-growing city over 50,000 in percentage change, at 14.4 %. Other Texas cities among the top 15 on that list include Kyle, Leander, Little Elm, Conroe and New Braunfels.

While population growth was notable in the major urban areas in Texas, some of the smaller cities on the edge of big metros are also growing very quickly, said Kyle Walker, associate professor of geography and director of the Center for Urban Studies at Texas Christian University. 

“You see DFW and Fort Worth being attractive places to move to in part because housing costs are comparatively low, and economic opportunities are certainly available. We have a lot of amenities,” Walker said. “There’s room to grow… It is difficult to build a major city that is connected to open space. It’s rare for a city to be able to do both of those things at once.”

Fort Worth is in the process of working on its Comprehensive Plan, which lays out long-term planning strategies for the city over the next 20 years. Those numbers are valuable in that planning process. 

The increasing growth rate makes this process even more important, Fladager said. 

“It’s important for us, in large part based on that growth, based on the changes in economic opportunities, based on the city’s focus and the city council’s very clear focus on the quality of life,” Fladager said. “Making Fort Worth really one of the greatest cities in the country and one that folks want to come to.”

Sandra Sadek is a Report for America corps member, covering growth for the Fort Worth Report. You can contact her at sandra.sadek@fortworthreport.org or on Twitter at @ssadek19.

As one of the largest and fastest-growing cities in the country, Fort Worth boasts many unique characteristics that add up to an especially fertile ground in which businesses can thrive. The low cost of real estate, an abundance of land available for development, solid foundations in various key industries and a diverse talent pool all play a role in Fort Worth's economic success.

Reclaiming Fort Worth’s riverfront

One major project in the works is Panther Island, an ambitious development with huge potential. Brought about by the need for improved flood control along the Trinity River, the project will ultimately create more than 300 acres of urban waterfront property in the heart of the city. The $1.1 billion district will create additional opportunities for growth in downtown Fort Worth and its surrounding neighborhoods.

Companies choose North Texas because they want a business-friendly environment that is rich in options, incentives and growth opportunities. In keeping pace with the region’s thriving industries and corporate relocations, Panther Island will help sustain that momentum for Fort Worth, bringing even more leading companies and top-tier businesses to Fort Worth, while driving additional development – and investment – in the region.

Creating new districts around education and innovation

The Texas A&M University System is expanding in downtown Fort Worth. Building off the nationally ranked Texas A&M University School of Law, this initiative will create a three-building, mixed-use campus and research center for higher education, legal studies, corporate and academic research partnerships, and new-economy innovation. Local industry leaders like Alcon, AT&T, Lockheed Martin and Bell are discussing ways to leverage the university’s Tier 1 presence and the workforce it will cultivate.

Additionally, Texas Christian University is building a new medical campus for the Anne Marion Burnett School of Medicine, one of the newest and most innovative medical schools in the country. The campus is in Fort Worth's recently formalized Medical Innovation District, which is working to become the “most livable medical district in the U.S.,” thanks to the combined efforts of academic institutions like TCU and University of North Texas (UNT) Health Science Center at Fort Worth, academic medical centers like UT Southwestern, local biotech incubators like TechFW, Fort Worth’s major hospitals and dozens of independent clinics.

The goal is to create a multidisciplinary environment that encourages public-private partnerships, collaboration, and engagement between Fort Worth’s community of biotech and pharmaceutical entrepreneurs and its medical sector.

City of Fort Worth Economic Development Director Robert Sturns said, “It’s exciting to see Fort Worth’s colleges and universities align with target industries that have historically been critical to our city’s economic success. The expansion of these institutions will have significant, long-term impacts for our workforce and talent pipelines.”

Innovating across all sectors

Collaboration across industries and within the region has been instrumental to the continued success in North Texas. A great example of that cooperation is AllianceTexas, Hillwood’s 27,000-acre, master-planned, mixed-use community in north Fort Worth. Hailed as one of the state’s most formidable economic engines, AllianceTexas has generated more than $100 billion in regional economic impact.

AllianceTexas is also home to the Mobility Innovation Zone (MIZ), a unique testing ecosystem that combines strategic partnerships and infrastructure to allow pioneering mobility companies to test, scale and commercialize their innovations. The MIZ served as the testing location for Wing, Alphabet's revolutionary commercial drone delivery service.

In 2022, autonomous delivery company Clevon opened its U.S. headquarters in AllianceTexas. In early December Clevon completed its first U.S. delivery in a real-world setting with the CLEVON 1, the company’s eco-friendly autonomous delivery vehicle.

The MIZ is anchored by Alliance Airport, the world’s first dedicated industrial airport. Its presence is spurring innovative solutions throughout the supply chain and attracting leading companies focused on the autonomous and automated movement of goods. In the last five years, Alliance Airport has experienced incredible growth and demand, increasing cargo transportation volume by 43% year over year, earning its new ranking by the Federal Aviation Administration as one of the top 20 U.S. cargo airports.

With a rich legacy of the entrepreneurial spirit and a forward-looking approach to talent and industry, Fort Worth is where opportunity begins.

To learn more about economic development in Fort Worth and how the city capitalizes on its central location and space to leverage opportunities for the future, visit itbeginsinfortworth.com.