The Central Tier of Texas’ metropolitan areas extends from Waco to San Antonio. Five metropolitan statistical areas are within this tier. This area is one of the fastest growing regions of the state. The following map outlines the counties that are within the Central Tier.

Figure 23⁽³⁾

As stated earlier this zone has had a population boom over the past decade. Census figures from Table 13 show growth by metropolitan area from 1990 to 2000. Although Bryan-College Station is disjointed from the main core of these Central Tier metropolitan areas, it shares the same type growth patterns as the other metropolitan areas.

Central Tier Metropolitan Population

Table 13⁽³⁾

Table 13 shows the extensive growth over the past decade. Waco saw the slowest growth while Austin-San Marcos had a nearly fifty percent growth rate. The following breakdown of MSAs in the Central Texas Tier provides a closer look at growth trends and patterns.

The third largest city in Texas, San Antonio, continued to see rapid growth rates over the past ten year census period. From 1990-2000 San Antonio population increased by 20.20 percent, which added 267,634 new residents. The most rapid growth has been in areas to the northern and western sides of San Antonio. Table 14 shows a breakdown by county of the San Antonio MSA.

Table 14⁽¹⁸⁾

Bexar County, the primary county containing the city of San Antonio, is bordered by three metropolitan counties Comal, Guadalupe, and Wilson. However there are four other counties that are adjacent to Bexar county that are not included in the San Antonio MSA. If current trends of growth continue, Kendall, Bandera, Medina, and Atascosa counties could be added to the metropolitan area. Many of the suburban cities of the San Antonio area have grown rapidly over the decade. Table 15 shows a few suburban cities and their rate of growth over the past ten year census period.

Table 15⁽¹⁸⁾

Projections show that San Antonio will continue to have a large population growth over the next 40 years. Table 16 outlines projections of growth from 2010 to 2040.

Figure 24⁽¹⁸⁾

Figure 24 shows the major growth corridors within San Antonio. Residential expansion has been occurring on the outer northwest and west portions of the city. Office expansion has occurred on the northwest side of San Antonio and new office development is occurring on Loop 410. Industrial expansion has been occurring on the north and northwest side of San Antonio. Retail expansion has occurred on both the north and south sides of the city. Single-family residential growth has been strong since 1993 and will continue to be strong in the northwest area. Residential growth in the north central area is expected to be stronger in the future. The downtown area continues to serve the tourism industry with a mix of hotels and retail.⁽¹⁸⁾

Table 16^(4,6)

The Capital area of Texas is not only a governmental center, but its also a growth center for Texas population over the past two decades. Austin has seen rapid growth due to it becoming a technology center and education center. The Austin-San Marcos MSA population grew 47.69 percent from 1990-2000. This increase translated into 399,144

more people in the metropolitan area. Urban sprawl is extending the metropolitan Austin area in all directions. The largest growth has been to the north in Williamson county. Table 18 shows the counties in the Austin-San Marcos MSA and their population and growth rate.

Table 18⁽¹⁸⁾

Some notable suburban cities in the Austin-San Marcos MSA are noted in Table 19. Cities around Austin show patterns of growth similar to Dallas and Ft. Worth suburbs.

Table 19⁽¹⁸⁾

Population projections show a continued trend of rapid growth in the Austin-San Marcos MSA. If projections hold to be true, Austin will be one of the ten largest cities in the United States within 20-40 years adding more than 1.6 million new residents. Table 20 shows projections through 2040.

Table 20^(4,6)

Figure 25⁽¹⁸⁾

Figure 25 shows Austin’s major growth corridors. The majority of Austin MSA growth is taking place northwest of downtown and north along I-35 in Round Rock and Georgetown. Southwest Austin is also growing. Retail development has been strong in northwest Austin. Office development has been occurring primarily in the northwest and southwest, with the largest developments occurring along MoPac (Loop 1) and Parmer Lane. Apartment growth has flourished along the southern portion of MoPac. Residential expansion is most prevalent in the north and in the southwest, according to the City of Austin’s planning department. Austin has developed a smartgrowth plan to encourage infill and more concentrated developments and to redirect the city’s growth away from the environmentally sensitive west.⁽¹⁸⁾

The Killeen-Temple metropolitan area is adjacent to the Waco MSA to the north and the Austin-San Marcos MSA to the south. Growth is limited to east-west expansion due to the constraints of other MSAs to the north and south. From 1990-2000 Killeen-Temple grew by 22.6 percent, which added 57,200 more people to the MSA population. Two counties make up this MSA, which are outlined in Table 21.

Table 21⁽¹⁸⁾

Growth of the Killeen-Temple MSA is at the present time contained within the two county metropolitan area. Projections show a continued strong growth pattern over the next 40 years. Table 22 outlines the MSA population projections through 2040.

Table 22^(4,6)

Growth rates over the next 40 years are difficult to predict in the Killeen-Temple MSA. Due to the close proximity to the Austin-San Marcos MSA, there could be a spillover of Austin suburbs into Bell county causing more extensive growth.

Figures 26 and 27 illustrate urban growth patterns in Killeen and Temple. Killeen is growing to the south and southeast out of necessity because it is bordered on the north and west by Ft. Hood and by Harker Heights. Residential growth is occurring in the southwestern section of the city. Most commercial growth is taking place along Stan Schlueter Loop and U.S. 190. Growth also is occurring in the industrial park. Residential growth in Temple is occurring in the western and southwestern sections of the city on the west portion of FM 2305 and south of 31st Street South. Commercial growth has been occurring on the major roads along and south of Highway 363. ⁽¹⁸⁾

Figure 26⁽¹⁸⁾

Figure 27⁽¹⁸⁾

Waco, home to Baylor University, is just north of the Killeen-Temple MSA. Waco has shown a slower rate of growth than the other metropolitan areas in the Central Tier. From 1990-2000 the Waco MSA grew by only 12.90 percent, which is far less that Austin with 47 percent or San Antonio with 20 percent. The Waco MSA consists of only one county which is McLennan county. Table 23 shows the county’s growth from 1990-2000.

Table 23⁽¹⁸⁾

Table 24^(4,6)

Figure 28 shows Waco's major growth corridors. The majority of residential growth has been occurring south of Waco. The Highway 84 corridor has seen a lot of growth through Woodway to the McGregor Airport. Growth has also been occurring on FM 1695 and Hewitt Drive into Hewitt. Another residential growth area is in Robinson on FM 3148 west of Highway 77. Apartment growth has been occurring downtown and near Baylor University. ⁽¹⁸⁾

The Waco Planning Department reports retail growth to be most prevalent on Hewitt Drive and on South Franklin Avenue between Highway 6 and Valley Mills Drive. To a lesser extent, the Loop 340 and I-35 intersection, north of town, has also seen development. Industrial growth continues in the Texas Central Industrial Park located southwest of the Highway 6 and I-35 intersection. Downtown Waco Inc. is in charge of marketing land within the Brazos River corridor for future commercial development. The 8.5-square-mile area between Lake Brazos Dam and Lake Shore Drive includes the Bosque River. This area is expected to be a future growth corridor. Downtown Waco, Inc. is proposing development and upkeep regulations to ensure the beauty of the area.⁽¹⁸⁾

Home to Texas A&M University, the Bryan-College Station has a unique geographic location between the Houston MSA and the MSAs of Central Texas. With rapid growth throughout the region, it is only a matter of time until it shares an adjacent border with another metropolitan area. From 1990-2000 this MSA grew by 25.1 percent which translated into a gain of around thirty thousand more residents.⁽³⁾ The Bryan-College Station MSA consists of Brazos county. Table 25 shows population change in the metropolitan area from 1990-2000.

Table 25⁽¹⁸⁾

Figure 29⁽¹⁸⁾

Figure 29 shows growth areas in the Bryan-College Station MSA. College Station is growing to the south. New single family growth has been concentrated along Highway 6 and Wellborn Road, while new retail is occurring along Highway 6 and University Drive. Apartment development has been occurring throughout the metropolitan area. In Bryan, new single-family growth has been concentrated east of Highway 6. Office and industrial growth has been occurring in area business parks.⁽¹⁸⁾ Bryan-College Station should continue to see a strong growth rate over the next few decades due to the proximity to major MSAs and due to Texas A&M University expansions. Table 26 outlines projected population figures for this MSA from 2010 through 2040.

Table 26^(4,6)