KYLE, Texas—People and businesses have flooded into Kyle, Texas, since the pandemic, making it the second-fastest-growing city in the U.S. The influx is creating wealth but also contributing to a big problem: Kyle is getting hotter and running low on water.
Housing developments pop up seemingly overnight on this patch of hills and prairie between Austin and San Antonio. Amazon.com recently opened a 308,000-square-foot sorting center in town. Tesla built a megafactory nearby.
But climate change can make living here brutal. Underground, the aquifer that Kyle relied on is shrinking. The city for three years now has had to buy water rights from nearby San Marcos to satisfy its growing population. Temperatures hit nearly 100 degrees before this summer even started, and drought conditions persist. People wear neck fans, limit outdoor time to early morning and nighttime, and keep their children inside.
Cities across the South and Southwest, in states such as Arizona, Florida and Texas, have been growing like gangbusters, especially since the pandemic. Newcomers arrive looking for low taxes and ample space. Expanding populations attract new employers and commerce, which raise property values and bolster tax rolls.
But many of these boomtowns, including Kyle, are hot and dry, and getting more so. They face unique—and costly—challenges, such as where to get enough water and how to heatproof the new football field.
The more people move in, the bigger the strain on dwindling resources and the greater the number of people exposed to harsh weather that can turn deadly.