Positioned along the US-Mexico border at the dividing line between the Southeastern and Southwestern states, Texas is the largest of the lower 48 states in total area. Texas covers 268,596 square miles (mi²), dwarfing every other State except Alaska. Home to an estimated 30,345,487 residents as of 2023—a number exceeded only by California—Texas comprises 8.99% of the total U.S. population.
Nicknamed the "Lone Star State," Texas experienced the third-fastest population growth percentage in the United States between 2010 and 2023, increasing its population by 20.68%. Utah and Idaho were the only other states with a higher population growth rate during that period, whose combined populations are just over 1/6th that of Texas.
Texas has four cities with a population of more than a million people: Houston (2,366,119), San Antonio (1,466,791), Dallas (1,336,347), and the state capital, Austin (1,013,293). Additionally, Fort Worth will reach a million residents in 2026-2030. Texas' urban areas are proliferating.
Texas ranks as the second-most-diverse State in the United States, behind California. It is also home to more than twice the number of beef cattle and boasts more than four times higher crude oil production than any other state. Texas has the second-highest total gross domestic product (GDP) of any state (behind California). On an unrelated note, Texas has the highest number of guns per capita of any state.
Texas became a state in December 1845, participating in its first presidential election in 1848. Texas seceded from the Union in 1861 and was not included in the 1864 or 1868 elections. From 1872 through 1976, Texas went Democratic in most elections. However, that changed in 1980, and Texas has sided with the Republicans ever since. Having a Bush on the ticket each election from 1980 through 2004 (except 1996) helped make Texas a reliably "red" state. In 2020, Donald Trump won the State by 6.5% over Joe Biden, the narrowest margin since 1996.
Texas's population has proliferated in recent decades, adding two or more electoral votes in each Census since 1980. The 2020 Census population of 29.1 million was up four million from 2010. No state had a more considerable numeric increase in the past decade. The State's 40 electoral votes are second only to California's 54. This large electoral prize, coupled with shifting demographics, will likely make Texas a major battleground in upcoming presidential elections.
According to a 2022 study from the U.S. Census Bureau, this State's local governments consist of 254 counties, 1,225 cities, towns, and villages, and 2,984 special districts.
The median age among the State's residents is approximately 34.2. When examining the ratio of females to males across the population, 50.4% are females, and 49.6% are males.
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.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Texas was:
White: 64.33%
Black or African American: 12.13%
Two or more races: 10.92%
Other race: 7%
Asian: 5.03%
Native American: 0.51%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.09%
Muslims are less than half a million.
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