HUTTO – New hippos joined the herd at an astounding rate from 2023 to 2024, making Hutto one of the fastestgrowing cities in the country.
But while municipal officials greeted the news from the U.S. Census Bureau with enthusiasm, some this past week also noted the expansion creates challenges to maintain services in the city known for its hippo mascot.
The latest figures from the federal government indicate Hutto ranked as the 13th fastest-growing city in the nation. According to estimates the agency released May 15, the city now tops 40,000 residents.
“This data confirms what so many already know — Hutto is a great place to live, work and build a future,” Cheney Gamboa, director of the city’s Economic Development Corp., said in a statement. “Rapid growth brings continued opportunities for a focus on quality-of-life elements such as shopping and dining as well as entertainment and recreation, along with all of the infrastructure improvements that are needed to support Hippo Nation as we continue to grow together.”
The bureau report covers year-overyear growth based on estimated July populations. From July 2023 to July 2024, Hutto’s denizens grew to 42,661 – a 9.4% increase.
But Hutto wasn’t the only Texas city teeming with new neighbors. Seven Texas cities made the top 15 fastestgrowing list: Princeton (30.6% growth), Fulshear (26.9%), Celina (18.2%), Anna (14.6%), Fate (11.4%) and Melissa (10%) were also in the top 15.
Some Texas cities saw even greater population increases, but because they are larger, the growth ratio was smaller.
Nearby Williamson County neighbor Georgetown added about 4,600 residents, topping the 100,000-population mark for a total of 101,344 dwellers. Also in Wilco, Leander grew by more than 7,000 people, compared to Hutto’s 3,681 newcomers.
However, where to put everyone and how to manage infrastructure and resources in Hutto has been a challenge, officials said.
Earlier this year, the City Council decided to be more stringent with decisions on whether to supply utilities for developments and has since denied some water and wastewater service requests from developers outside city limits.
And while Hutto is continually ranked among the safest cities in Texas, the growth is putting strain on other services as well.
During a public budget workshop last year, the community ranked a new police building/ justice center and additional police officers as the No.1 priority.
“We’re the 13th fastest- growing city in the country right now, and with that growth comes growing pains, and we’re struggling to adjust and find space for what we need,” said Police Chief Jeffrey Yarbrough at Thursday’s council meeting. “We don’t have the space to expand where we are. So we’re maximizing as much as we can and we’re adjusting and transferring spaces and places so we can continue to fit and continue to function properly.”
He added the Police Department is finding creative ways to find room for personnel at its existing facility. The chief said his office is being cut in half to create additional space, and an open area in the command center is having cubicles added.
“Hutto’s incredible growth reflects the pride people take in calling this community home. As our city expands, the Hutto Police Department remains prepared to respond to the changes that come with it,” Yarbrough said. “We’ve built strong relationships, invested in resources and are prepared to meet the needs of a growing community while keeping safety and service at the heart of everything we do.”
