Are you aware of the fact that Texas actually is the 2nd highest populated state in the United States as of 2026? Well, that’s because in this southern state, there are as many as 31.2 million people living. But the thing is, most of this population lives in urban areas and big cities, and only a small percentage of them live in rural or countryside parts of the state. On that very note, if you have ever wondered like which are the biggest cities in Texas by population as of 2026, then just keep on reading because we’re here to list the top 10 cities. And surely, it is going to be an interesting read, here we go then.
1. Houston
Without a single doubt, for almost 100 years, Houston has been Texas’s largest city by a wide margin. The 2026 forecast confirms that the trend continues. How? See, so with close to 2.4 million people, Houston is not only a Texas giant anymore but is also in fourth place nationwide. Besides that, the city and its surrounding areas form a robust economic base with more than 7.8 million people, which makes it the fifth-largest metro in the entirety of the United States.
2. San Antonio
2nd? Well, we also have the city of San Antonio at number two, and it is pretty much a given. A city with a population of about 1.53 million, it has managed to keep its position through continuous, natural growth over the decades. The city started out as a mission town in the 1700s, but if you fast-forward to today, it is the seventh-largest city in the U.S. The expansion of the city has been mostly fuelled by the presence of military bases, historic tourism attractions such as the Alamo, and a pretty much booming service sector.
3. Dallas
Yes, Dallas is a landlocked city; however, that has not prevented it from becoming a giant of growth. Dallas, with about 1.33 million residents in 2024, is the third-largest city in Texas and ninth of the USA. The city’s problems are solved by the mentioned industries, such as finance, tech, defense, and transportation, and yes, when we’re talking about Dallas, how can we even forget to mention their top-of-the-line and absolute best airport? That’s a plus too.
4. Fort Worth
It’s final, Fort Worth has gone beyond one million, thus making it the fourth largest city in Texas as of 2026. And for those who don’t know the history of this place, well, the city, which was originally a military post in 1849, is now a rapidly expanding metropolitan area with 1.01 million residents. This is an increase of more than 250,000 people in a little over ten years. Hence, these three sectors have been the main contributors to the growth of the area: aviation, defense, and education.
5. Austin
Austin is holding the fifth place position, secured with a ranking of the most populated cities in the US, after which it is home to almost 994,000 people, well, almost over that. Austin would have hardly been memorable just for being the state capital, but the way it has become a major tech and innovation hub, hence the moniker “Silicon Hills,” is what sets it apart. Austin has added more than 300,000 new residents in just the last twenty years. As a result of such a quick growth rate in the city, it is like a never-ending story with a lot of companies, such as semiconductors, software, and electric vehicles.
6. El Paso
El Paso? Among the most populous in Texas? Well, yes, this is the core of far West Texas with a population of approximately 681,700. Due to its one-of-a-kind border position, it has two faces, you know, like a city that is very much a sister of Ciudad Juárez just on the other side of the Rio Grande. The city, powered by the might of the military installation like Fort Bliss, and then supported by a good number of jobs in education, healthcare, and logistics, is drawing more and more people and will remain one of the most significant bilingual urban centers of the USA in the future.
7. Arlington
No doubt, and we get it, Arlington would probably not be the most famous one of the list, however, it is certainly one of the most different. It is the 7th largest city in the state of Texas, with 403,700 people living there, located in between the twin cities of Dallas and Fort Worth. Just so you know, though, the city grew very rapidly after the Second World War, and it is nowadays recognized as the leisure and amusement capital of the whole of North Texas.
8. Corpus Christi
Coming in at number eight is Corpus Christi, you know, a beachside metropolis with a population a little over 317,000 people. That’s all! No doubt, with one of the deepest ports on the Gulf, Corpus is the main player in Texas’s energy and agricultural exports. Sure, it is true that the city hasn’t expanded as fast as the cities that are located inland, but the mixture of a stable naval base, energy-sector jobs, and steady tourism is what makes Corpus Christi still rank in the top 10.
9. Plano
See, not a lot of people know this, but Plano has been the most famous story of Texas transformation, with its population growing from less than 4,000 people in the sixties to 293,300 at present. What was the big boom that caused such growth? Large corporate campuses and headquarters, you know, the whole range of industries from finance, through telecommunications to tech, were the major contributors to the growth of this once-silent suburb.
10. Lubbock
Alrighty, so, Lubbock, the loyal heart of the South Plains, is our number ten closure with a population of 272,100. The “Hub City” is another name for Lubbock, which basically is the energy source of West Texas; you know, that’s how it helps the neighboring areas with healthcare, education, and farming, mainly cotton.
Conclusion
There you have it. These are by far the biggest cities in Texas is we talk only about the population of these cities. These numbers that we presented today are the latest, and if we consider these numbers, some of these cities are even counted as among the most populated in the United States.
