According to Ali Wolf, the chief economist at housing market research firm Zonda, Jacksonville, Florida was likely the fastest growing metro area in 2022 — but San Antonio wasn’t far behind. Credit: Instagram / uhaul

San Antonio was likely the nation’s fourth fastest-growing metro area, according to one economist’s analysis of recent U.S. Census Bureau numbers.

On Thursday, the bureau released its data for the fastest-growing counties in the nation for 2022. Maricopa County, Arizona, took the top spot for numeric growth, followed by a slew of counties in Texas, including Harris County, Collin County, and Denton County. Bexar landed No. 9.

The Census Bureau historically releases data on the population growth of U.S. metro areas — which include not just a city’s primary county but all those surrounding — in May. However, Ali Wolf, the chief economist at housing market research firm Zonda, got a jump on that data by analyzed the Census data released on Thursday.

Her estimate shows which metros likely grew the most in 2022 — and the San Antonio area was in the top five.

Jacksonville, Florida, likely will take top spot for the largest percentage growth in population in 2022, followed by Tampa, Florida, according to Wolf’s estimates.

Austin took the No. 3 spot in Wolf’s forecast, while San Antonio came in at No. 4.

Even though Wolf’s list is just an estimate, it’s not too far fetched to believe that the San Antonio are was again one of the nation’s quickest-growing metros.

San Antonio had the highest numerical population growth between 2020 and 2021, and the San Antonio-New Braunfels metro area was the No. 8 fastest-growing metro area in the nation, according to U.S. Census data.

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Michael Karlis is a multimedia journalist at the San Antonio Current, whose coverage in print and on social media focuses on local and state politics. He is a graduate of American University in Washington,...