Fort Worth surpasses Austin to be Texas’ 4th-largest city

FORT WORTH, Texas — Move over, capital city. Cowtown is making Texas history.

According to census data from 2023 and released in November, Fort Worth has surpassed Austin in population and now ranks as Texas’ fourth-largest city.

According to the Texas Demographic Center’s 2023 Population Estimates report, Austin now ranks as the No. 5 Texas metro.

As of Jan. 1, 2024, Fort Worth had a population of 989,878. Austin is creeping up on a million people as well. It’s population at the same time was estimated at 986,928.

Not only is Fort Worth larger than Austin, it appears to be growing at a faster rate. Cowtown’s population increased 7.75% from 2020 to 2024. During the same period, the Live Music Capital of the World only grew 2.6%.

Not surprisingly, Houston was ranked Texas’ most populous city with about 2,318,657 people as of Jan. 1, 2024. San Antonio came in at No. 2 with roughly 1,496, 876 residents, and Dallas landed at No. 3 with 1,308,404.

Austin has been a popular relocation destination in recent years but may have lost some of its clout. As recently as 2023, it was ranked the 10-most populous city in the U.S.

It has since been knocked out of the top 10.