People are flocking to Florida and Texas, and a large majority of last year’s fastest-growing cities are located in one or the other, according to new Census Bureau data.
Seven of the 10 fastest-growing cities with over 50,000 people and nine of the 15 fastest-growing cities of that size were in Florida and Texas, according to the data, which explored demographic changes from July 2021 to July of last year. The numbers show that migration to the two states isn’t letting up even as the pandemic fades away.
TAX PREPARATION INDUSTRY PUSHES BACK AGAINST IRS PILOT PROGRAM
The fastest-growing large city by percentage, which the Census Bureau interprets as those with more than 50,000 residents, is Georgetown, Texas, which is located just north of Austin. Georgetown saw breakneck 14.4% growth in just a single year.
In fact, of the top five fastest-growing cities, four were in the Lone Star State. The one exception was Santa Cruz, California, which expanded by 12.5%. The fastest-growing cities in Texas, in addition to Georgetown, were Kyle, Leander, and Little Elm. In Florida, North Port, Cape Coral, and Port St. Lucie all notched spots in the top 10.
Following the start of the pandemic, migration patterns around the country changed greatly with the emergence of remote work and the reactions of some who sought out new homes in places with weaker coronavirus restrictions. That meant places like Florida and Texas became top destinations for people moving from places like New York and California.
James Bailey, a professor at George Washington University’s School of Business, told the Washington Examiner that the new data shows that there are likely still some pandemic-era shifts going on.
“It’s really interesting; I think that there is still a bit of COVID hangover going on here,” he said, noting the lax pandemic restrictions. “And I think there were a lot of people, especially when we came out of COVID, that appreciated that and thought, well, that was a lot more reasonable response than lockdowns.”
Bailey also pointed out that the United States has an aging population. He said that a lot of baby boomers who are starting to retire are moving from places farther north in search of places where they can retire.
Another dynamic that the data showed is that the country’s biggest cities, such as New York and Chicago, still haven’t recovered from the population loss they experienced at the outset of the pandemic. Both cities saw further decreases in population from July 2021 to July 2022, albeit less pronounced than the out-migration they experienced from 2020 to 2021.
Bailey said that he thinks it will be a long time before the major cities return to pre-pandemic norms. He said that the country’s largest cities were big migration destinations before the coronavirus and likened them to a “shining city on the hill.”
“Crime was low, beautiful metro systems had been built to help the population in and out of the city, the cultural life was really vibrant, young people were moving to cities — Seattle, DC, places like that,” he said. “I think COVID really set that back.”
It is clear that remote work is still having an effect on city centers around the country and hurting businesses that once thrived on the comings and goings of commuters.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Occupancy rates in downtown areas across the country are clocking in at 49.3% of their pre-pandemic levels in the past week, according to Kastle Systems, which tracks security swipes into buildings in 10 large cities.
Some cities have had more workers return to in-office work than others, particularly in states that had less restrictive COVID-19 mitigation efforts. Austin, Texas, is above 60%, as is Houston. Meanwhile, New York is still below 49%, and San Jose, California, is at 38.5%.
