Census Bureau   data released Thursday show that 48 of the 50 most populous   U.S. cities have grown since 2010, compared with only 40 of the top 50 in the first two years after the 2000 Census. Of the top 100, 93 have grown since 2010, compared with just 72 a decade ago. Many of the biggest, such as New York, Houston, Phoenix, San Antonio, San Diego and Dallas, are outpacing the nation's 1.7% growth rate since 2010. "Urban America is recovering faster than more remote places," said Robert Lang, a professor of urban affairs. Only two big cities - Detroit and Cleveland - lost population between 2010 and 2012. The urban recovery is led by mid-sized cities including Austin and Fort Worth and Charlotte. Austin grew 6.6% in two years, becoming the USA's 11th-largest city. In 2000, it was No. 17. Other trends: * New York City grew 2%, adding about 161,500 people since 2010. By far it is the USA's most populous city. * The population of New Orleans continues to grow. In 2005 a terrible natural disaster happened to the city, causing the population to decrease. Now it has a population of three hundred and sixty-nine thousand. The number has grown by 7.4% since 2010. * Government budget crunches   have put state capitals in difficulty. Half are behind the growth rate of their regions. Perhaps the biggest exception to the capital crunch is Austin. It has grown more than 26% since 2000. Population expert William Frey says Austin enjoys a number of qualities that make it attractive. It's a high-tech city with a state university. And it's in Texas, an attractive place for newcomers. "In some ways it's a model of what other cities would like to become," he says. Frey notes that Charlotte, which grew 5.4% since 2010 has grown into a high-tech and financial center whose industries do business not just with those in other U.S. cities but with the rest of the world. William Frey thinks Austin's growth   _  .
is due to its education is the steadiest in the USA attracts well-educated people deserves the attention of other cities