In recent decades, the population of Texas has undergone drastic changes, with more and more people coming to reside in the state. In 2020 alone, the population of Texas has risen by more than 1%, even when accounting for people dying or moving out (“Texas’ population ranked number one in population growth within the last year,” 2021). According to current projections, this trend is likely to continue, with the state of Texas being an especially popular immigration location. Accounting for similar migration levels to those observed in 2010-2015, the population of the state will likely be near 35 million people by 2030 (Texas Demographic Center, 2021). Official estimates show that even without immigration, the population of the state will grow exponentially.
The demographic changes brought on by immigration and population change are likely to produce social change in the state as well. The process has introduced significant problems into society, many of which are felt by everyday residents. Issues include overcrowding of public facilities and increased property prices (Hagan, 2022). On the other hand, the influx of new residents is also likely to influence the political landscape of the state significantly. In particular, it is noted that the majority of immigrants are people of color, Hispanics in particular (Ura et al., 2021). The shift in the population born from this trend is likely to influence voting outcomes in parts of Texas. As a result of the previous president’s policies toward people of color, many Hispanics are likely to lean toward democratic candidates more (Samuels, 2021). In addition, the democrats also represent the needs of this population on a variety of issues, giving the new residents a voting incentive. As a result, likely, the political leaning of the entire state of Texas as a whole will slowly change with the changes in its population.
References
Hagan, S. (2022). Bloomberg. Texas Population Boom Fuels Growing Backlash in Lone Star State. Web.
Samuels, A. (2021). Why democratic gains in Texas’s big metro areas could outweigh republican success in south Texas. FiveThirtyEight. Web.
Texas Demographic Center. (2021). Demographic Trends and Population Projections for Texas and the North Texas Region. Web.
Texas’ population ranked number one in population growth within the last year. (2021). ABC13 Houston. Web.
Ura, A., Kao, J., Astudillo, C., & Essig, C. (2021). People of color make up 95% of Texas’ population growth, and cities and suburbs are booming, 2020 census shows. The Texas Tribune. Web.