According to a study released by the North Texas Council of Governments, the North Texas area grew by a total of 168,000 people between January 2005 and January 2006. Furthermore, the population has been growing by an average of about 150,000 people each year since 2000. Researchers calculated the growth based on housing inventory for each city in the North Texas Council of Governments, then applied statistics from other population indicators such as labor force estimates for a level of consistency.
“The significant increase in growth can be explained by a region-wide upturn in multifamily occupancy rates and the unprecedented single-family housing boom in Fort Worth,” a summary of the study states. Overall growth in five cities in Fort Worth, Frisco, Dallas, McKinney and Grand Prairie accounts for almost half of the total growth. But many other smaller cities such as Celina, Little Elm and Royce City are seeing percentage increases in the double digits. Forney saw its population rise from 8,900 to 10,200 people. That’s a 14.61 percent increase. The study estimates the city of Rowlett had a 1.53 percent increase for a population of 53,100, compared to 52,300 last year. Rockwall experienced a growth of more than 2,000 for a 7.66 percent increase to 29,500, while Royse City grew from 5,900 to 7,350. In comparing Rowlett with surrounding cities, Mayor Shane Johnson said the city had a large growth in the mid to late 1990s while other areas weren’t yet developed.
Source: Rowlett Lakeshore Times