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We already know things are changing in Texas at large, but how about just outside of Austin? Now, six out of the 15 fastest-growing cities in the United States are in Texas, and three Austin-area suburbs made it into the top five: Georgetown, Kyle, and Leander. The U.S. Census Bureau's latest findings add more validity to reports that less people are interested in living in Austin proper, and are seeking residence in the suburbs.

“Georgetown, Texas, [had] the highest rate of growth among all U.S. cities and towns with at least 50,000 people,” said Crystal Delbé, a statistician in the Census Bureau’s Population Division.

Georgetown had a 14.4-percent population increase from 2021 to 2022, bringing the city's total population to more than 86,500 residents. That's a growth of nearly 10,900, which puts Georgetown at No. 10 on the list of numerical increases (as opposed to proportional growth). For scale, the report lists Austin at 1.0 million.

Kyle and Leander landed in No. 3 and No. 4 with the same population growth rate of 10.9 percent. Kyle's total population in 2022 was just under 57,500, while Leander's reached 74,375 residents.

The top 10 fastest-growing large cities in the U.S. are:

  • No. 1 – Georgetown, Texas
  • No. 2 – Santa Cruz, California
  • No. 3 – Kyle, Texas
  • No. 4 – Leander, Texas
  • No. 5 – Little Elm, Texas
  • No. 6 – Westfield, Indiana
  • No. 7 – Queen Creek, Arizona
  • No. 8 – North Port, Florida
  • No. 9 – Cape Coral, Florida
  • No. 10 – Port St. Lucie, Florida

In an overall analysis of the 15 largest American cities in 2022, Austin barely made it into the top 10 with a population of 974,447. Three Texas cities ranked higher, with Houston earning No. 4 with its population of over 2.3 million people, San Antonio at No. 7 with over 1.47 million residents, and Dallas at No. 9 with a population of just under 1.3 million. Fort Worth ranked outside the top 10 at No. 13, with a population of 956,709.

The top 10 most populous American cities are:

  • No. 1 – New York City, New York
  • No. 2 – Los Angeles, California
  • No. 3 – Chicago, Illinois
  • No. 4 – Houston, Texas
  • No. 5 – Phoenix, Arizona
  • No. 6 – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  • No. 7 – San Antonio, Texas
  • No. 8 – San Diego, California
  • No. 9 – Dallas, Texas
  • No. 10 – Austin, Texas

The report additionally discovered that housing inventory skyrocketed by 1.6 million units between 2021 and 2022. Texas had the third fastest housing growth with a rate of 2.3 percent, versus Utah, which had the fastest growth at 3.3 percent. Travis County had the third highest numeric gains in housing units in the nation, only to be beat by Maricopa County in Arizona (No. 2) and Harris County (No. 1).

Austin didn't make the cut in the list of the 10 most populous U.S. metro areas (as opposed to the cities, themselves), but Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington ranked No. 4, and Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land ranked No. 5.

The full report can be found on census.gov.

Photo courtesy of KVUE

An abundance of Kyles will join up near Austin in hopes of setting a new record at Kyle Fair

Miles of Kyles

The City of Kyle is hoping to make its own Kyle-verse! Well, in a way. City officials are hoping to break the Guinness World Record for having the largest gathering of people with the same name in one city.

The attempt at the record is all part of the Kyle Fair Tex-Travaganza, which will take place at Lake Kyle Park from May 19-21, and includes music as well as food and beverage contests.

“In order to break this record, we’re calling for any and all Kyle’s. We need tall Kyles, short Kyles, young Kyles, and old Kyles to get close to the record set five years ago,” City of Kyle Special Events Manager Claudia Rocha said. “We’re very excited about the upcoming, inaugural Kyle Fair and have high hopes that this event will bring out the Kyles needed to grab a spot in the record books.”

The current world record comes out of Kupreski Kosci in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where 2,325 people named "Ivan" gathered on July 30, 2017.

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Read the full story and watch the video at KVUE.com.

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CultureMap Emails are Awesome

Stylish Barbie merch truck cruises through Austin on 'Dreamhouse Living Tour'

This Barbie Sells Merch

Hot on the heels — or wheels — of the Hello Kitty Cafe Truck comes another timely pink rolling shop. Actually, this truck will beat the Sanrio version to Austin on October 7.

The Barbie Truck will stop in Austin on its 2023 "Dreamhouse Living Tour," which celebrates the 60th anniversary of Barbie's ever-more popular property, and will give visitors a chance to spice up their own homes.

Although this is all about the house, there are only a few homewares: things like coasters, glass tumblers, a glass mug, a throw blanket, and an "accessories cup." Visiting Barbies have more opportunities to take home wearable and on-the-go items like graphic tees, hoodies, and denim; a baseball cap; embroidered patches; and keychains.

Barbie Truck Dreamhouse Living TourPhoto courtesy of the Barbie Truck Dreamhouse Living Tour

Most people who have been awake and on social media in the past year have learned that Barbie's Dreamhouse has a more empowering history than many girls realized while orchestrating drama between the dolls.

A release announcing the arrival of the truck reminds fans (and detractors) that when the Dreamhouse came out, only a tenth of a percent of young women were independent homeowners, and states that someone buys a Dreamhouse every minute.

Barbie Truck Dreamhouse Living Tour

Photo courtesy of the Barbie Truck Dreamhouse Living Tour

Dreamhouse aside, this is a dream ride.

The Barbie Truck will be in Austin on Saturday, October 7. from 10 am to 7 pm at The Domain. Arrive early in case of long lines.

These Barbies will hit six other Texas cities on the tour:

  • September 30 — San Antonio
  • October 14 — Laredo
  • October 21 — Friendswood (Houston)
  • October 28 — The Woodlands (Houston)
  • November 4 — Plano (Dallas)
  • November 11 — Fort Worth

Follow along to see more stops on Instagram or Facebook.

Here are the top 7 things to do in Austin this weekend

Weekend Event Guide

We see festivals, art events, and live music in the near future, and this list is proof. Raise a stein in honor of Oktoberfest at Banger’s, or catch a can’t-miss show by Depeche Mode. Check out the top seven things to do in Austin this weekend. For a complete list of events, please visit our calendar.

Thursday, September 28

Fantastic Fest
Fantastic Fest presents its final day of fantasy, horror, sci-fi, and action. Attendees will have the opportunity to screen movies from a variety of genres as well as the closing night film, Totally Killer, and more. Badges are available at fantasticfest.com.

Banger’s Sausage House & Beer Garden presents Oktoberfest Celebration
Celebrate the autumn season in all German-inspired fashion at Banger’s Sausage House & Beer Garden. Guests can enjoy German food, games, and beer, and several live music performances for three days straight. For more Oktoberfest details visit bangersaustin.com. Admission is free and open to those who are 21 and older. Read CultureMap's Oktoberfest guide for more event recommendations.

ProyectoTeatro presents "Cabarex: Orígenes ¡A Latinx Cabaret!"
The Vortex hosts an original Spanish-language cabaret production by ProyectoTeatro in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. The show blends comedy, risqué theatrics, improv, drag, and live singing for a rich retelling of major moments in Latino history. "Cabarex" will be performed in both Spanglish and Spanish and also with English subtitles. Performances are scheduled through October 8. Go to vortexrep.org for more details.

Friday, September 29

Viata Hotel presents an Art Installation Launch Party
Be among the first to experience new installations by artists Ryan Runcie and Matthew Phelan at the contemporary and hip Hotel Viata. This intimate opening event will feature highlights including an exclusive gallery viewing, live music, curated food and drinks, and the opportunity to meet the artists. Admission is free with RSVP at hotelviata.com.

St. Elias Orthodox Church presents the 89th annual St. Elias Mediterranean Festival
The richness and traditions of Mediterranean culture are on full display for members of the public to enjoy at St. Elias Antiochian Orthodox Church. Festival attendees can expect dance performances, a variety of Mediterranean foods, a bazaar, henna drawing, kid-friendly activities, and more. Get more event information at austinmedfest.com.

Moody Center presents Depeche Mode in concert
Electronic group Depeche Mode will play a live show at Moody Center. The artists behind songs such as “Enjoy the Silence” and “Just Can’t Get Enough” come to Austin in support of their new album, Memento Mori. The nostalgic show may remind viewers that the group was ahead of its time in the 80s. Get more details on Ticketmaster.

Banger\u2019s Oktoberfest 2023 Celebration
Photo courtesy of Banger’s Sausage House & Beer Garden

Banger’s Sausage House & Beer Garden presents an Oktoberfest Celebration on September 28.

Saturday, September 30

Death Cab for Cutie and The Postal Service in concert
Co-headliners Death Cab for Cutie and The Postal Service (linked by singer Ben Gibbard) bring their tour to Germania Insurance Amphitheater. Both bands are in Austin in support of new albums. Death Cab for Cutie will perform tracks from their 2022 project, Asphalt Meadows, and The Postal Service will perform their 2003 album, Give Up. Fellow alternative rock band The Beths will join for a special guest performance. Go to Ticketmaster for more details.

Top medical cannabis dispensary buds in Lakeline with new pickup store

OG CBD

Folks north of Austin can now find more relief closer to them with the opening of a new facility for cannabis prescription pickup.

Texas Original is now open in the Lakeline area at 10222 Pecan Park Blvd., continuing to expand the brand's services throughout Central Texas. While Austinites may be used to more recreational cannabis stores, Texas Original's main clientele are patients managing things like cancer, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and even dementia.

In Texas, patients can obtain medical cannabis prescriptions through online clinics or local physicians registered with the Compassionate Use Registry of Texas; In Texas Original's case, the dispensary connects candidates for medical cannabis with partnering clinics via an online form to close the loop between prescription and pickup.

Texas Original (formerly Compassionate Cultivation) opened the first public medical dispensary in the state (out of Manchaca) and started serving patients in 2018 with the motto “Grown for Texans by Texans.” The entire operation — from the cultivation of plants to the formulation of products — is based in the state. In 2023, Texas Original was named the best medical marijuana dispensary in the Austin American-Statesman's Community Choice Awards.

This is now Texas Original’s fourth location in Central Texas along with its headquarters and dispensary in South Austin, two other stores in Waco and San Antonio, and many others throughout the state.

“Opening a full-time pickup location that serves our growing community in North Austin and its surrounding suburbs is another step toward creating comprehensive medical cannabis access for all patients throughout Texas,” said CEO Nico Richardson in a release.

To celebrate the opening, Texas Original is partnering with a telehealth medicine clinic to offer free one-year prescriptions to 50 customers at the North Austin location on a first-come first-serve basis. Patients can visit the store this week to book an appointment with the telemedicine clinic’s registered physicians to receive a prescription for medical cannabis.

For more product information and hours of operation for all of Texas Original locations, visit texasoriginal.com. Hours of operation at Lakeline are Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 10 am to 6 pm, with plans to expand to six days a week in the upcoming months.