Fort Worth is thriving as the western anchor of the rapidly growing North Texas area where more than 4 million people live and work. During the next 20 years, the city s population growth is expected to grow at an annual rate of 1.1 percent, which means Fort Worth s population will reach or exceed 630,000 by the year 2020. Fort Worth s growing population will place additional demands on existing community facilities and infrastructure. This will result in the need for additional libraries, schools, roads and other services. While the city s population grows, there will also be changes in the composition of the population.
Employment is up and so are wages.
The Alliance corridor experienced the most significant employment growth from 1990 to 1998, adding almost 11,000 jobs at an average annual growth rate of 11.5 percent. Downtown was second in the number of new jobs, with approximately 3,600 new positions added during this eight-year period. Economic expansion and population growth call for detailed fiscal planning by the City of Fort Worth to provide new infrastructure and public services. The City of Fort Worth has handled its finances wisely during the past few years by reducing the debt load and reducing tax burdens on citizens whenever possible. Fort Worth relies heavily on property tax revenues, with about 50 percent of the general fund revenue collected from this source.