Take that Texas! This Florida city is now in the top 10 in US population

Samantha Neely, USA TODAY NETWORK - Florida
·2 min read
2

DUUUVAL! Jacksonville's reign as the 10th most populated city in the U.S. begins. And yes, we're going to brag about it.

New estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau place the Florida city at No. 10 on the list with a population of over 980,000. It bounced Austin, Texas, edging out the state's capital city by almost 6,000 residents.

How much did Jacksonville grow last year?

Between July 2022 and July 2023, Jacksonville's population grew by 14,066 people, which is the fourth largest gain by any city in the country.

As for why many are hightailing it to Jacksonville, past reports highlight job opportunities, lower taxes and weather as huge factors.

See the top 10 most populous cities in the U.S.

  1. New York:  8,258,035

  2. Los Angeles: 3,820,914

  3. Chicago: 2,664,452

  4. Houston: 2,314,157

  5. Phoenix: 1,650,070

  6. Philadelphia: 1,550,542

  7. San Antonio: 1,495,295

  8. San Diego: 1,388,320

  9. Dallas: 1,302,868

  10. Jacksonville, Florida: 985,843

How did Jacksonville kick Austin out of the top 10?

According to the Austin American-Statesman, Austin is still growing. Just slowly.

Between July 2022 and July 2023, Austin's population grew by about 4,500 people, according to a news release from the city. That accounts for a growth rate of about 0.42%, slightly below the national growth rate average of 0.5%.

What other Florida cities are growing? Haines City, Leesburg and Port St. Lucie are rising

A former bank building awaits redevelopment in downtown Leesburg on Wednesday, May 1, 2024.
A former bank building awaits redevelopment in downtown Leesburg on Wednesday, May 1, 2024.

In addition to Jacksonville's new ranking, three other Florida's cities saw top spots in other areas of the study.

Haines City was the seventh fastest growing city between July 1, 2022 and July 1, 2023 for cities with populations of 20,000 or more. It's population grew to 37,272, seeing an increase of over 10.8%.

Leesburg placed 14th on the same list, seeing an increase of nearly 9% with a population of 31,721.

For cities with the largest numeric increases Between July 1, 2022 and July 1, 2023, Port St. Lucie placed fifth right behind Jacksonville. It grew by about 13,100 people, bringing its total population to 245,021.

Contributing reporting: Ryan Maxin, Austin American-Statesman

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Jacksonville FL overtakes Austin for 10th most populated city in U.S.