Growing Pains

See how dramatically Austin has grown since the 1970s

Austin is expanding at a crazy pace.

There's no denying that Austin's population is booming, and to keep up, the city is expanding at a rapid rate. BuildZoom recently conducted an in-depth study on metropolitan growth in the U.S., and Austin's is astounding.

Since the 1970s, the expansion rate in the greater Austin area has increased by 123.5 percent, making it the third most rapidly expanding city in the nation. To put that into perspective, Austin added 67 square miles of urban development in the 1970s. From 2000 to 2009, the city gained a whopping 149 square miles — more than the entire city of Birmingham, Alabama.

Only two cities have expanded faster: Raleigh, North Carolina, No. 1, and Charlotte, North Carolina, No. 2.

Atlanta has added the most land: 632 square miles in the 2000s alone. That's nearly double that of the runner up, Dallas, which added 398 square miles in the same time period. Houston was third, with 393 square miles.

So just how big is Austin? In 2010, Austin clocked in at 501 square miles. Watch Austin's growth from the 1940s on below:

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merry xmas atx!

Austin makes merry as one of the best cities to celebrate Christmas

City of Austin Government - Facebook

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Austinites are right at home when it comes to experiencing the best Christmas in Texas this year. The very merry state capital has jumped into the No. 23 spot on WalletHub's annual list of the best cities for celebrating Christmas in 2024.

The yearly report ranks the 100 most populous U.S. cities across five key dimensions: Traditions and fun, observance, generosity, shopping opportunities, plus travel and meal costs.

Austin previously ranked as the No. 31 best U.S. city for celebrating Christmas in WalletHub's 2023 report.

Here's how Austin performed in the five main categories in the study:

No. 19 – Traditions and fun rank
No. 20 – Shopping rank
No. 36 – Costs rank
No. 42 – Generosity rank
No. 72 – Observance rank

Austin gets to cheer itself on as the highest-ranked Texas city in 2024 thanks to its heap of holiday happenings, including numerous delightful light displays throughout town. From local restaurants and bars putting their all into creating festive feasts to-go and delightful cocktail experiences, to locals supporting small businesses at holiday markets, there is plenty to get Austinites in the holiday spirit this year.

Smaller Central Texas towns like Smithville have also transformed into fun, festive escapes for city dwellers this time of year.

Austin households also have bigger holiday budgets in 2024 than they did the year before. According to a separate WalletHub study, the average Austin household is expected to spend about $1,905 on Christmas gifts this year, versus $1,877 in 2023.

"With inflation making Christmas celebrations, gifts, food and travel more expensive, certain cities are much better for your wallet than others during the holiday," said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo. "In addition to being affordable, the best cities have a large number of people celebrating, plenty of places for Christians to worship, populations who give generously to charity, and plenty of fun activities to enjoy with family and friends."

In a separate report by home services provider Thumbtack, Austin was crowned the No. 1 most festive U.S. city for the third year in a row.

Elsewhere in Texas, other festive cities that earned spots in the top 50 include San Antonio (No. 30), Dallas (No. 31), and Houston (No. 41).

The top 10 best places to experience Christmas in 2024 are:

No. 1 – Atlanta, Georgia
No. 2 – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
No. 3 – Seattle, Washington
No. 4 – Las Vegas, Nevada
No. 5 – Orlando, Florida
No. 6 – San Francisco, California
No. 7 – St. Louis, Missouri
No. 8 – Miami, Florida
No. 9 – Chicago, Illinois
No. 10 – New York, New York

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See how dramatically Austin has grown since the 1970s

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