Population growth in the five-county Austin-Round Rock metropolitan statistical area will significantly outpace that in Travis County and the city of Austin, according to a November analysis by Ryan Robinson, a demographer with the city of Austin's Planning Department.



The metro—which includes Bastrop, Caldwell, Hays, Travis and Williamson counties—has expanded at a more rapid pace than either the city of Austin or Travis County since at least the 1980s, with the exception of 2010, during which the city's population grew 2.11 percent while the county grew 1.58 percent and the metro grew 0.6 percent.

Robinson projects growth at the city, county and metro level through 2050, the last year included in his data. However, the rate of growth in all three jurisdictions will slow.

The city of Austin's growth rate for 2018 was 1.9 percent. By 2050, Robinson projects it will grow 0.5 percent.

Travis County's growth rate will decrease from 2.5 percent to 1.5 percent in that same period, per Robinson, while the metro's will decrease from 2.8 percent to 2 percent.