Five Texas counties among top in nation for housing growth

By Robert Davis | The Center Square contributor

Texas is home to five of the 10 metropolitan counties across the country that had the fastest growth in housing units over the last decade, according to new data from the Census Bureau.

Hays (Austin–Round Rock–Georgetown), Comal (San Antonio–New Braunfels), Williamson (Austin–Round Rock), Fort Bend (Houston–The Woodlands-Sugar Land), and Rockwall (Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington) counties averaged 45.94% growth rate in housing stock between 2010 and 2020, according to the Census Bureau’s latest data on housing growth.

Overall, the total number of housing units across the country increased by 6.7% over the last decade, with all growth happening in Core-Based Statistical Areas, which includes both metro and micropolitan areas, the federal agency said.

Hays County saw its housing stock increase by 57.4% over the decade – which represents a net gain of 34,000 units – marking the highest growth rate for any metropolitan area.

Comal County added more than 22,900 housing units over the last decade accounting for a 48.5% growth rate.

Williamson (46%), Fort Bend (41%), and Rockwall (26.8%) counties were also in the top-10 for growth, according to the data.

The bureau noted that the data represents a countrywide trend: the largest urban metros accounted for the biggest housing gains while low-density areas outside of the metros saw the largest declines.

“Because metropolitan areas have larger and denser populations than micropolitan areas and non-CBSAs, even a modest change in counties’ housing unit growth can represent thousands of housing units,” the Census Bureau said.

Seven of the 10 counties that experienced the greatest decline in housing stock were in Puerto Rico. The other three were in West Virginia and Arkansas.

Fayette County, West Virginia saw the largest decline at 11.7% followed by Guanica and Patillas Municipios in Puerto Rico at 11.4% and 10.3%, respectively.