Fort Worth’s Population is Bigger Than Austin’s

31 December 2024

The city known as Cowtown is Texas’ fastest-growing urban powerhouse, overtaking Austin, as Fort Worth rises with explosive growth.

Fort Worth’s population hit 989,878 as of Jan. 1, 2024, edging past Austin’s 986,928 and marking a 7.7 percent growth rate since 2020, the Houston Business Journal reported.

This has positioned Fort Worth as not only the fastest-growing city in Texas but also one of the fastest-growing among the 30 most populous cities in the United States.

As the population grows, the real estate market is experiencing a parallel surge.The office market in downtown Fort Worth has remained resilient, with a vacancy rate of just 11.5 percent, significantly lower than downtown Dallas’ 26 percent.

In contrast to the rising number of distressed property owners in other parts of the country, landlords in downtown Fort Worth have enjoyed a 10 percent increase in office rent growth over the past year, fueled by limited inventory and heightened demand.

This economic vitality has attracted significant investment. For example, a joint venture between Larkspur Capital and billionaire Robert Bass’ Keystone Group recently plans to develop 2 million square feet of residential, retail, office and hospitality in Fort Worth’s Cultural District.

The plan emphasized that the city’s urban core is “projected to grow exponentially by 2045” and “new office space will accommodate continued growth of existing local businesses as well as companies moving to Fort Worth.”

Fort Worth’s industrial market is also expanding, with notable projects like the Triad 820 logistics center in North Fort Worth. That three-building, 137,000-square-foot complex, set on 9 acres along Anderson Boulevard, reflects the city’s role as a growing hub for logistics and warehousing.

Meanwhile, multifamily housing developers are moving swiftly to meet future rental demand. Equity Partnership Holdings and Moses Tucker Partners recently acquired the Northpoint Villas for $190,200 per unit, marking their second multifamily transaction in the metroplex.

This deal comes as the Dallas-Fort Worth area delivered 38,640 multifamily units by mid-November. Due to the region’s blossoming population and strong economic fundamentals, the Urban Land Institute named DFW as one of the top real estate markets to watch in 2025.

— Andrew Terrell