Texas is tops with fast growing cities

Texas has the most cities with the fastest growth as the U.S. population continues to shift South and West, the Census Bureau said Thursday.

The bureau's latest data on population growth ranked cities with 50,000 or more people. Among the 11 fastest-growing cities, Texas had five. It had four of the top 10 biggest gainers in total population.

The biggest gainer in percentage terms was Georgetown, Texas — pop: 63,7216, as of July 1 — up 7.8 percent from 2014.

The Lone Star State also leads the list of fastest-growing big metro areas — those with populations of more than half a million.

Despite the ongoing contraction in oil and gas exploration, Texas boasts a jobless rate of 4.3 percent — lower than the national average of 5 percent. Housing is also relatively affordable — the median home price in Texas is about $153,000, according to Zillow, less than the national median of $186,000.

New York is still the most populous city in the country, gaining 55,000 people during the year ending July 1, more than any other U.S. city.

Among major metros, Denver joined the list of the 20 biggest cities, knocking out Detroit, which fell from 18th to 21st. In addition, Seattle moved up two spots to 18th. Denver and Seattle were both among the nation's 11 top numerically gaining cities.

Aside from New York, the 15 cities showing the biggest population gains were in the South or West, including Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco.