In Case You Missed It… USA TODAY: Texas booms despite recession

June 22, 2010
By Haya El Nasser

June 22 (USA TODAY) -- The national recession can't stop Texas cities from growing. Four of the 10 fastest gainers — including No. 1 Frisco — are in the Lone Star State, according to Census population estimates out Tuesday.

From 2008 to 2009, 11 of the 25 fastest-growing cities that have populations above 100,000 people were in Texas.

The state has escaped much of the downturn because of a diversified economy that includes oil and high-tech.

Among the big Texas gainers: Dallas suburbs such as McKinney, Carrollton and Lewisville; oil centers Odessa and Midland; and high-tech hub and state capital Austin. Frisco and Odessa passed the 100,000 mark.

Texas is "the star of the Sun Belt," says demographer William Frey of the Brookings Institution. "It's big cities, it's oil, it's the suburbs. It's a diversified economy. People are moving there for high-skilled and low-skilled kinds of jobs."

To read the full article, please visit http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/census/2010-06-22-census_N.htm.