Final answer:
Texas is undergoing urbanization with areas like Houston and the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metropolitan region growing rapidly, due to a high-tech economy and the promise of jobs. The influx of population presents urban growth challenges but also illustrates a significant demographic shift in the state.
Step-by-step explanation:
Urbanization in Texas
Areas of Texas are experiencing significant urbanization due to the rural-to-urban shift, catering to the needs of a growing population and the availability of tertiary-sector jobs. Houston, as the largest city in Texas and the fourth largest in the United States, is rapidly growing, with a population exceeding 2.2 million. It hosts a number of Fortune 500 company headquarters, and its economy is diversified, with major industries including high-tech manufacturing, health care, business, and information.
The Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metropolitan area is another hub of urbanization, recognized as the fastest growing metro area in the country. The high-tech industry is a prominent economic sector in the region, with the NASA Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston serving as a key example of the state’s technological prowess.
However, the rapid urban growth presents challenges such as extending public services to the expanding city limits and managing the socio-economic effects in isolated communities. Despite these challenges, the trend of urbanization is steadfast, as Texas transitions through demographic stages, showing a significant decrease in family size and a future trend toward population stabilization.