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Population Facts
Texas is a big, big place. I knew that, but I was taken aback to learn recently that our population has swelled to 25 million. Do you know what that means? If the US has 300 million people, then one out of 12 Americans lives in Texas.
Furthermore, most estimates put the population of the world at 7 billion. That means 1 out of 233 people in the whole world lives in Texas. Those aren’t the best odds, but they’re much fatter than I thought. Texas is a grand place, and apparently a lot of people are learning that.
While we’re at it, did you know that 1 out of 180 Americans lives right here in the San Antonio area? Is that cool or what? I wonder how many of our readers live here?
In spite of that, we’ve got plenty of room left. Just drive 10 miles from any city in Texas and you’ll see what I mean. Empty space, just waiting for more people. What are you waiting for?
Did you know that the entire population of the world could live in the state of Texas at a density roughly equal to that in a major US metropolitan area (Milwaukee, Los Angeles, or Detroit) and significantly less crowded than other major US cities like New York (nearly 4 times as crowded!), San Fransisco (more than twice), Philadelphia, and Boston (both nearly twice as crowded).
I figured that out on my own, but this guy took it much further. He did the math on food and water as well, and the results are just as surprising. Overpopulation, my foot!
Poll
But here’s what I really want to know: If you don’t live in Texas right now, have you lived here in the past? Do you have hopes or plans to move here in the future? Would you take a second to answer our poll, and maybe leave a comment?
Loading ...Just for Fun
Just for fun I dug up a few bits of Texas trivia from around the web. I swallowed them all whole, but am only sharing those that are easily verified or disproved. Skeptical? Check the facts and let me know what you find. Got some Texas trivia of your own? Speak up!
- El Paso is closer to California than to Dallas (Nope. Make that Houston).
- Texas is the only state to enter the U.S. by TREATY, (known as the Constitution of 1845 by the Republic of Texas to enter the Union) instead of by annexation.
- Texas is the only state allowed to fly its flag at the same height as the U.S. Flag, and may divide into 5 states.
- King Ranch in South Texas is larger than Rhode Island.
- The Capitol Dome in Austin is the only dome in the U.S. which is taller than the Capitol Building in Washington DC (by 7 feet).
- Texas is as large as all of New England, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Illinois combined.
- Of the nation’s ten largest cities, three are in Texas (Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio).
- The Dallas/Fort Worth airport is larger than New York City’s Manhattan Island.
- The DFW airport has the largest parking lot in the world.
I voted “not yet, but give me time!”
We’re a military family and Texas (San Antonio area) is on our (short) list of places we would like to be stationed next!
I grew up in a small town in East Texas (100 miles E of Big D) and loved it! I moved away when I was 20 and never moved back. I still miss the smell of the piney woods.
I’m a Brit who voted ‘No, but I used to’ cos I spent 3 months living in El Paso!
used to: Corpus Christi, Austin, and worked outsdie of Kerrville at a camp for five summers after I moved away. We won’t be back – loved it while I was there, but I will pass on the hot and humid – and the bugs……and the snakes…….we found Montana and we don’t ever want to leave.
Not sure we’ll ever be there but it sounds lovely! And families like yours are helping Texas to grow, too. All the best to you!
I voted, “Is that the really big one on the bottom?” LOL!!! Texas sounds nice, but I’m quite content living in sunshiny Florida. Unless the Lord wills otherwise, I’ll stay right here.
I don’t know if El Paso is closer to California than to Dallas, but I know it’s farther from Dallas to Chicago than from Dallas to El Paso.
I’m fairly certain that Texas is *not* allowed to fly its flag at the same height as the US flag. Also, the 5 separate states thing is both true and untrue — when they entered the union they could have divided into 5 states. Whether they could still do so now, I’m not sure.
And I found an article in Forbes magazine about the world’s largest parking lots which didn’t even mention DFW airport. However, that could be because of a difference in terms etc. http://www.forbes.com/2008/04/10/parking-automobiles-retail-biz-logistics-cx_ew_0410parking.html
…and I just checked the Manhattan island one and IT’S TRUE! Manhattan Island is about 23 square miles in area, while DFW airport is almost 30!!!
Hannah,
Thanks for jumping in. I checked, and it looks like California is a little farther from El Paso than Dallas is, *but* California is closer to El Paso than many other cities in Texas are, like Galveston, Houston and Brownsville.
I’m pretty sure the bit about the flags is true. We see the TX and US flags at the same level every day here.
My hubby was born and we were both raised in Texas. Lived in Houston until we were 19. We have every intention of one day coming back. San Antonio is actually #2 on our list of places to move when we do.
When we left Texas, home of the best ice cream on Earth, we moved to a place that did not have such heavenliness. It took 3 years before any stores started to carry it on a regular basis. Talk about utter culture shock arriving to find no Brenham goodness!! It is a time I wish to repress! Lol! This place has finally come around and we have multiple varities of creamy goodness, but still don’t have the pleasures of Mrs. Bairds bread nor Mr. Pibb. That is a marriage I miss dearly lol!
Texas pride is pride unlike you will find anywhere else. I am proud to be a Texan, although I have spent more than 1/2 my life not living there.
I love living in Texas! The people, the land and the rich history combine to make it a wonderful place to live. : ) Very interesting facts! Some I didn’t even know.
And I can backup you up Kim on the fact that the Texas flag can be flown at the same level as the US flag because Texas was its own separate country. This is also why our capitol dome can be higher than the US’s, other states are barred from doing so.
I’m glad you still have room, because the hubby and I are talking about moving there at some point in the future.
I voted for Texas, the big one…
I’ve visited Texas, the Houston area, and while it is lovely, the heat just about killed me. I am so not a heat-lover. So I’m very glad the Lord has planted us in the Seattle area, where a “hot” day is around 80 degrees. 
BTW, love the overpopulation myth busting.
I probably will never live in Texas, but I have family that does. And I live fairly close. I live in Arkansas. We usually make a trip to California once every other year and so we typically go thru the panhandle. It doesnt really count, but hey, Im trying. LOL
I do know that it is farther from El Paso to Houston than it is from
El Paso to LA. I drove the entire distance once.
I lived most of my adult life in Tx, but now live in Ut (for now). I don’t miss the heat, but I do miss the food! My parents are still in the Houston area, so I will be back to visit.
I have also heard those over-population myth busters. I love it!
I spent a summer in Austin when I was 19. I loved the friendliness of the people, the luxury of Dr. Pepper being a soft drink option everywhere, and being able to go to bars a full two years before I could have at home. Less fantastic was the size and plenitude of the bugs, the humidity, and a few other things.
It was an awesome summer, but the SF Bay Area will always be the ideal home for me.
I have never lived in TX, but my step-mom was born and raised in Lubbock ( have visited there a few times), her sister lives in Dallas and my younger sister is attending Texas Tech.
It’s a nice place and I don’t mind the heat ~ it’s not as bad as VA in the summer! But we live up here in northern WI and it doesn’t look like the good Lord is going to move us anytime soon. Besides, by husband HATES the heat, so that pretty much cinches it right there! :0)
I live in New Mexico, but we are just 30 miles from the Texas state line and consider ourselves more a part of Texas. Our local TV stations are from Amarillo and any major shopping (Sam’s, mall) are done in Lubbock.
I live in Alaska and I have to say that Alaska is bigger than Texas. But some lower 48 people think that Alaska doesn’t count in this discussion. But hey, we are a state in the United States and we are bigger than Texas…by a long shot!
Where else in the country can you drive 2 hrs before you see another car (this has happened to us!) Alaska is so huge that it takes me 5 hours to get to Wal-mart (and I am not kiding). Someday I will come to Texas to see it, but I am sure the beauty can’t compare to Alaska.
We lived in Fort Worth for 9 months, and overall I really liked it. The downside for me was the fact that we lived in a subdivision and I’m a country girl–I need pasture and pine trees
.
But I loved the fact that groceries weren’t taxed an the thrift stores were AWESOME. Family Thrift, anyone?
I would move back if it came down to it.
Did you happen to notice a few years back they added this other state called Alaska that makes Texas look like Rhode Island?
Alaska is just a little thing… a few more animals and little more water. They pay you for being a citizen of that country… State.. what ever it is. Just a matter of surviving a few winters and your in the money.
I have lived in many states, (husband military) and I now live in Texas. We have been here 29 years. Yet, I would move north again in a minute. I really liked N. Carolina and Va. Texas gets too darn HOT for my taste. My family and my husband’s family all live here in Texas; so I guess I am going to be here a long while.
We love San Antonio We live in Round Rock (close to Austin) We visit San Antonio about once a year. We love to eat the Mexican food.
My dad got stationed at Ft.Hood in 1980, and I have been in Texas ever since.
Sorry – we currently live in North Dakota, and I just don’t think I could bring myself to live that far south. I like my four seasons and I don’t mind the cold too much.
But then, I don’t choose where we live – God does. So maybe we will end up in Texas some day!
I wanted to comment on the overpopulation idea. I had heard similar stats in the past, and totally believe them. I read an article in the WSJ recently where two guys were debating if helping the environment would mean hurting those in poverty. Part of their discussion revolved around how poor people often have many children because many children die from malnourishment, etc., and if we improved their quality of life, then it should follow that they wouldn’t have as many children, so we wouldn’t have to worry about overpopulation (and of course, our impact on the environment). I thought it was sad that the environment was more important to them than human lives, and it was obviously from a secular perspective, because children were NOT viewed as a blessing from God. What a scewed (spelling?) worldview so many people have!
I don’t think I’ll ever live there. I live in the other freeest state in the union for homeschoolers and I love it here.
Now don’t all you Texans be mad at me for liking Idaho better than Texas! 
I was born and raised in Texas and live in Houston. There are great things about this state, but some things not so great. For example, compared to other states in the US, Texas:
Has the highest rate of people living in poverty.
Ranks 50th in the nation for the most people without medical insurance.
Has the second highest income gap between rich and poor.
Leads the country in executions since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976.
Ranks 50th for the highest teen birth rate.
Not good things, yet we have such an ego. To be honest, when traveling, especially 4+ years ago, I’ve been ashamed to say I’m from Texas.
We have lots of room!! BC is 1.35 times bigger than Texas and we have a population of 4,551,853!
My vote was “Texas? Is that the really big one at the bottom?”
I find it hilarious that you gave no option to vote “No, and no plans to move there.” It just made me chuckle.
Anyway, I’m a Colorado girl, and don’t think I could ever bring myself to leave these gorgeous, majestic mountains. Sorry. I have been through the western hills of Texas in the summer, though, and it was really beautiful. The eastern part of Texas I didn’t like so much (don’t hate me!). It was flat and grey and there were way too many oil drills.
However, with my hometown recently having a news story written about it as the coldest place in the lower 48 states (excluding Alaska, of course), a little southern heat sounds nice right about now! Every day I tell my girls that we can go for a walk if it gets up to 20 degrees F. We haven’t been on many walks.
Fascinating trivia on Texas! I really enjoyed this post.
I live in Houston because I go to school there, but I was born in Iowa. My parents now live in Katy!
“Do you have hopes or plans to move here in the future?”
Uh, yesh. It’s sort of been my dream to move to Texas in recent months. Living in Portland Oregon can make a bible believing Christian weary. I dream about lax homeschool laws, people who hate kids less, an environment where I can be encouraged by like minded folks, the below average unemployment and cost of living. The list really does go on and on. But we are here with no real chances of leaving on the radar.
Thanks for the info too. I believe it.
I could see us living in Texas someday! It seems like I know many people who have lived there at some point in their lives. My hubby is from Alaska, however, and thus has to chime in, “Don’t get too full of yourself, Texas, or Alaska will split in 2 and make you the 3rd largest state.” LOL
Despite blizzards, I am staying in lovely IL. And being a city girl we won’t have to worry about the whole drivers license thing with our girl (walking and public transportation are a way of life in the city).
You do make TX sound lovely. I have been to SA and Dallas but only for business so didn’t see anything but the inside of a conference room. My sister and her husband were relocated to Tyler so maybe we will get to your lovely state for a visit.
Sorry to leave another comment but the TX flag being the only state flag allowed to be flown at equal height of the US flag is urban legend. All states are allowed to fly their state flag at the same height as the US flag when on separate flag poles. If you look at the US flag code you will find this to be true. Also, the TX flag code makes no special exceptions to the US flag code.
I wasn’t born in Texas but if I had been I would be a proud Texan. We live where family is; not in the state in which we were all born. God has taken us all many places before we all ended up here together.
But in my next life-I know God doesn’t give us one-I’d like to be a Texan and live in Texas!
I started reading your blog a few weeks ago and have found it wonderful and uplifting. My family is planning to move to Austin in May. It might get pushed back to August since we have a baby due in July and I admit being quite attached to my midwife. Point is- thank you Texas from us five coming from Chicago.
I’m blessed to be a Texan. I left the state for about 6 years for school then returned. My dad left it for 12 years for school and military. He says that makes me twice as smart as he is : ).
The first time my husband and I flew into Amarillo from Dallas (he was going to seminary there) he looked out of the airplane at the moon-like terrain below and said, “I’m sorry, honey, but there is no way we’ll EVER live in this place.” He had to eat those words when the Lord gave him a church right here in my home town less than a year after he said that.
By the way, thanks for blogging about your George Sarris CDs. My kids love them and I gave a couple as a birthday gift yesterday. I love that they’re word for word Bible. Thanks.
Celee
I didn’t vote, cause there was no, “no plans to live there but would be pleased if forced to move there for some unforseen reason. ” I visited cousins in Houston as a teenager and fell in love. It was so BIG. I loved the spaces between shopping centers, the palm trees, and proximity to the beach. I really didn’t want to leave at the time. I live in Ohio though, with all my family. I hate the cold winters. If we ever move south it will probably be ALL the way south to Mexico, since that’s where hubby is from. Sigh.
Snopes says that any state can fly its flag at the same height as the national flag, but confirms that Texas was initially able to split into up to 5 states.
Despite what our current president said, there are just 50 states in our union. So, it seems to me that being ranked 50th for uninsured and teen birth rate would be a good thing. (smiley face)
Back to the post’s topic…I LOVE Texas. But currently, we’re planning on staying just North of the Red River! So I’ll be content to visit 6+ times a year!
Currently live in CA in the most liberal part of the state and the least churched. It is definitely a mission field right here in the US. We do street evangelism and there are people (often teens) who have no idea who Jesus Christ is or why He came. As my husband has been unemployed for over a year now, I have no idea how long we will stay here but Texas is not on the radar. I have visited family in Dallas/Fort Worth area but Texas has never been a huge temptation. Too hot, too dry, too flat. However if they succeeded from the Union I might reconsider.
I love reading your blog and I’m happy for you that you like Texas, BUT you couldn’t get me to move back there!! I have lived all over the country, but the majority of my adulthood has been in New England. Well, in 2005 my hubby got a great job offer in Houston. We bought a HUGE beautiful house for a fraction of what it would have cost in Maine. But the lot was the size of a postage stamp. We lived in Katy. Lovely city with lovely neighborhoods(If that is was you call 5,000 houses). The people were nice enough, but there were just too many of them. THe weather was Hot and Hotter, and way too much sunshine(I know, weird, but hey, I like a gloomy day once in awhile). Plus those nasty tiny little bugs that bite you when you go outside, not to mention the fire ants. And it was flatter than a pancake! And then there was the news, you couldn’t watch it, murders, fires, robberies, etc on a daily basis. Needless to say in 2006 we moved back to Maine. I know there are many different parts of Texas, but the Houston area was definitely Not my cup of tea.
Oh, I’m sorry, I don’t mean to sound rude, I just really was not happy in TX. I really wish I could have been because the political climate is more to our liking there and the school were very good.
Well, that is just my story.
I had a dear friend from Alaska who owned a shirt with Texas superimposed upon Alaska and it read, “If we cut Alaska in half, Texas would be the 3rd largest state!” Due to the way maps for children have Alaska and Hawaii positioned next to California and never to scale, most have no idea how huge Alaska really is.
I have hated Texas ever since I was 6 and my Dad got a promotion to move to San Antonio. And yet, I’ve lived there more than any where else! 11 years with my parents, and then another 6 years with my Air Force hubby.
There are neat things there – S.A. has a beautiful river walk, the missions, the theme parks, But it is just too hot. No rain, but lots of humidity; bugs, fire ants, thorns… I’m glad to be away.
I lived in Longview, Texas, for 3 years while my Dad was finishing his Engineering degree at LeTourneau (then) College. We moved back to the Pacific NW after my Kindergarten year. Funny little detail – I have one brother born in Longview, TX, and another born in Longview, Washington.
I’m an Oklahoman; we refer to Texas as “Baja Oklahoma” around here!
Actually, according to Snopes.com, which refers to national flag codes if I remember right, any state may legally fly their flag at the same height as the U.S. flag. Texas is just the only one that often does. I have my theories as to motive, but then, I’m an Oklahoman, what do I know?
And, I would never want to move to Texas, especially southern Texas. I prefer snow over heat exhaustion. Oklahoma is already hot enough for me in the summer, but at least we get some fun snow to play with in the winter, instead of just frozen pipes and ice.
I’m English, but was tempted to vote “no, but give me time…..” after finding out how much money our apartment has lost and what we could afford in the US!
And all this time I thought Central ( 75) was the worlds biggest parking lot, maybe it’s the longest… lol.
Oh btw I’m in the Dallas area
We actually live 10 miles outside of El Paso. Not crowded at all.Although we live in New Mexico not in Texas,I think we may end up there some day for good as my husband says he will never live there and God has a great sense of humor.Thankfully so does my husband.