KAUFMAN COUNTY, Texas — This story originally appeared in the Dallas Business Journal, a WFAA news partner.
Kaufman, Rockwall and Parker counties all ranked within the top 10 of U.S. counties that experienced the largest population gains by percent growth from 2021 to 2022, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Vintage 2022 estimates.
Not only did Texas experience significant net domestic migration, Texas was the fastest-growing state in the U.S., joining California with a population above 30 million.
Kaufman County ranked No. 2 in the country with a population of 172,366 and percent growth of 8.9%. Following behind, Rockwall ranked No. 6 with a population of 123,208 and percent growth of 5.7%. Ranking at No. 8 was Parker County with a population of 165,834 and a percent growth of 5.6%.
Whitman County in Washington took the No. 1 spot in the U.S. with a percent growth of 10.1% to its overall population. Two other Texas counties took the Nos. 9 and 10 spots – Comal and Chambers, respectively.
According to the Census Bureau, Texas housed six out of 10 largest-gaining counties in 2022. Collin and Denton counties contributed to the increase alongside other Texas counties including Harris, Fort Bend, Bexar, and Montgomery. Combined, the six counties totaled gains of 209,182 residents.
“Some urban counties, such as Dallas and San Francisco, saw domestic outmigration at a slower pace between 2021 and 2022, compared to the prior year. Meanwhile, many counties with large universities saw their populations fully rebound this year as students returned,” Dr. Christine Hartley, assistant division chief for estimates and projections in the Census Bureau Population Division, said in a prepared statement.
Los Angeles County had the largest population decline in 2022, losing more than 90,704 residents when measured by net domestic migration.
