Texas is the largest of the 48 contiguous US states and sits in the South Central part of the country along the US-Mexico border.

It's currently estimated that the population of Texas in 2019 is 29.10 million, up substantially from 25.1 million in 2010. This is due to its current growth rate of 1.80%, which ranks 3rd in the country. The last US census was in 2010, so current figures are projected based on the latest estimates.

At the time of the 2010 Census, the number of citizens living in the Lone Star state was declared at 25,145,561, making it the second most populous state in the country. The state's population has now hit an all-time high of over 27 million, an estimated figure for 2019.

Texas Area and Population Density

Given its large size, which only ranks 2nd in the nation behind Alaska, it's no surprise that Texas has a large population, which places it behind California as the 2nd most populous state.

Texas might be the second largest in terms of surface area at 268,581 square miles (696,241 square kilometers) but the statistics with regards to density are a little different. Texas has just 105.2 people per square mile and those figures are merely the 26th highest in the US.

Perhaps when you consider that there is harsh terrain and high temperatures across much of Texas, maybe the density statistics aren’t so surprising.

Texas has three cities with more than 1 million people: Dallas, Houston and San Antonio, which also rank as 10 of the most populous cities in the country. There are also three cities with a population over 500,000, which are El Paso, Fort Worth and the capital, Austin, which are among the 25 largest cities in the US.

The two most populated counties in Texas are Harris and Dallas Counties, with respective populations of 4,652,980 and 2,618,148. Both counties currently enjoy growth rates exceeding 10% since the last official census in 2010.

Texas Demographics Notes

Age/Sex, Race, and Religion

The median age among the residents of the state is approximately 34.2 years of age. When examining the ratio of females to males across the population, 50.4% are females and 49.6% are males.

The racial diversity of the Texan population is currently at 74.8% Caucasian, 11.9% African American, 5.8% other races, 4.4% Asian, 2.5% two or more races, and .5% Native North Americans.

In terms of religious preferences among the current residents of the state, 77% are affiliated with a Christian based faith, 4% are affiliated with non-Christian based faiths, and 18% report no affiliation with any religion in particular.

Texas Boundary, Census, and Statehood History

Texas was part of Mexico until its revolution in 1835-36 made it an independent republic, with a territory somewhat larger than the present State. It became part of the United States and was admitted as a State on December 29, 1845. It reached essentially its present boundaries in 1850, after the sale to the United States of an extensive northwestern area. In 1896 a long-standing dispute over what is now Greer County, Oklahoma was decided against Texas by the U.S. Supreme Court. In 1930 a Supreme Court decision transferred from Oklahoma to Texas a narrow strip on the eastern side of the Texas Panhandle. Beginning in 1905, international treaties and conventions have exchanged small tracts along the Rio Grande with Mexico, notably in and adjacent to the city of El Paso.

Census coverage of eastern Texas began in 1850, although in 1820 and 1830 the census counts for (old) Miller County, Arkansas Territory, included some people in what is now Texas. By 1880 census coverage included the entire State.