According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2009, the population of Texas was 24,782,302, and the population has grown by 18.8 percent since the year 2000. The location of the state influences the population ethnicity, which varies from city to city. Texas' four largest cities are Houston, San Antonio, Dallas and Austin.
Texas' largest city, Houston had an estimated population of 2,144,491 in 2006, an 8.8 percent increase from 2000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. With only about 8 percent of the residents being over 65, this is a relatively young city with a large number of Hispanic or Latino residents. The city covers 579 square miles, with 3,372 people per square mile in 2000.
In 2008, San Antonio had an estimated 1,286,682 people living in the city, making it the second largest city in Texas. The population was up 11.8 percent from 2000. African-Americans comprised 6.8 percent of the population in 2000, and more than half of the population is of Hispanic or Latino origin. The city spans 407 square miles, with 2,809 people per square mile in 2000.
Dallas, the third largest city in Texas, had an estimated population of 1,232,940 in 2006, with only 3.7 percent population growth from 2000. About half of the Dallas population was Caucasian as of 2000, as opposed to 71 percent Caucasian in the state of Texas as a whole. This is a densely populated city, with 3,470 people per square mile packed into 342 square miles.
The state capitol, Austin was estimated at 709,893 people in 2006, making it the fourth largest city in Texas. This is a 7.6 percent increase from 2000. Sixty-five percent of Austin's population were Caucasian as of 2000, 10 percent African-American, and 30 percent Hispanic or Latino. The city spans 251 square miles, with with 2,610 people per square mile.
