Twenty years ago a small town in Texas had a population of 10,000. The population has increased 8% each year since then. What is the current population of this town?

An 8% yearly increase means the population is multiplied by 1.08 each year. After 20 years, the population is 10,000 × 1.08²⁰ ≈ 46,609. The current population is therefore approximately 46,609, choice a.

AI-written and checked against the verified answer.