NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Don't mess with Texas! Cities in the Lone Star State were among the fastest growing places in 2009.

Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston gained the most new residents of any city -- netting more than 140,000 each -- according to the Census Bureau's annual metropolitan area population estimates released on Tuesday. Meanwhile, music center Austin posted the second highest growth rate among top cities -- 3.1% -- just behind Raleigh, N.C.

"Texas stands as the most prominent Sun Belt survivor of the last half of the decade because of its diversified economy, smaller run-ups in housing prices, and fewer foreclosures," said William Frey, a demographer for the Brookings Institute, a liberal think tank.

In the past decade the Dallas area has added almost 1.3 million people -- more than any other city. As a result, it stands to receive quite a bit more than the $4 billion in federal funds it earned in 2008. And Election Data Services predicts that Texas will pick up at least three more seats in Congress. (It currently has 32 House seats.)