Thread: Census: Texas Population Booms in '09

Texas population booms amid lean times
By CHRIS MORAN
Copyright 2009 Houston Chronicle
Dec. 23, 2009, 11:19PM


While bubbles burst around the nation, Texas booms.

U.S. Census estimates released Wednesday show that Texas added more residents than any other state in the year ending July 1.

The Lone Star State has 478,000 more people than it did a year ago — roughly the equivalent of packing up all of Fresno, Calif., and moving it here.

Why the growth? Try looking for work in Fresno, where the unemployment rate is nearly 16 percent.

The economic downturn did not dodge Texas, of course, but relative to other states, Texas has it good, demographers say — lower unemployment and a more stable housing market.

In that context, finishing first in the year's population race is more survival than victory, experts say.

“In certain respects, Texas was the only state left standing during the last recession, so the competitors for migration kind of all went away,â€

[quote]“If BP hadn't said, ‘Your job is moving,' I don't think I'd be clamoring to say I want to move to Houston,â€

[quote="SicNTiredInSoCal"][quote]“If BP hadn't said, ‘Your job is moving,' I don't think I'd be clamoring to say I want to move to Houston,â€