diff --git a/core/src/com/unciv/ui/tilegroups/CityButton.kt b/core/src/com/unciv/ui/tilegroups/CityButton.kt
index 3c86bad4f8..6afa7563a9 100644
--- a/core/src/com/unciv/ui/tilegroups/CityButton.kt
+++ b/core/src/com/unciv/ui/tilegroups/CityButton.kt
@@ -216,14 +216,18 @@ class CityButton(val city: CityInfo, private val tileGroup: WorldTileGroup): Tab
             iconTable.add(connectionImage).size(20f).padLeft(5f)
         }
 
-        iconTable.add(getPopulationGroup(uncivGame.viewEntireMapForDebug
+        val populationGroup = getPopulationGroup(uncivGame.viewEntireMapForDebug
                 || belongsToViewingCiv()
-                || worldScreen.viewingCiv.isSpectator())).padLeft(5f)
+                || worldScreen.viewingCiv.isSpectator())
+        iconTable.add(populationGroup).padLeft(5f)
+        populationGroup.toBack()
 
         val cityButtonText = city.name
         val label = cityButtonText.toLabel(secondaryColor)
         iconTable.add(label).padRight(20f).padLeft(20f) // sufficient horizontal padding
                 .fillY() // provide full-height clicking area
+        label.toBack() // this is so the label is rendered right before the population group,
+        //  so we save the font texture and avoid another texture switch
 
         if (uncivGame.viewEntireMapForDebug || belongsToViewingCiv() || worldScreen.viewingCiv.isSpectator())
             iconTable.add(getConstructionGroup(city.cityConstructions))
@@ -309,6 +313,9 @@ class CityButton(val city: CityInfo, private val tileGroup: WorldTileGroup): Tab
             turnLabel.pack()
 
             group.addActor(turnLabel)
+            turnLabel.toBack() // this is so both labels are rendered next to each other -
+            // this is important because when switching to a label, we switch out the texture we're using to use the font texture,
+            //  so this has a direct impact on framerate!
             turnLabel.x = growthBar.x + growthBar.width + 1
         }
 
diff --git a/core/src/com/unciv/ui/tilegroups/TileGroup.kt b/core/src/com/unciv/ui/tilegroups/TileGroup.kt
index e1a67763bd..784371f0b5 100644
--- a/core/src/com/unciv/ui/tilegroups/TileGroup.kt
+++ b/core/src/com/unciv/ui/tilegroups/TileGroup.kt
@@ -60,7 +60,9 @@ open class TileGroup(var tileInfo: TileInfo, var tileSetStrings:TileSetStrings)
     protected var pixelCivilianUnitImageLocation = ""
     protected var pixelCivilianUnitGroup = Group().apply { isTransform = false; setSize(groupSize, groupSize) }
 
-    class MiscLayerGroupClass:Group()
+    class MiscLayerGroupClass:Group(){
+        override fun draw(batch: Batch?, parentAlpha: Float) { super.draw(batch, parentAlpha) }
+    }
     val miscLayerGroup = MiscLayerGroupClass().apply { isTransform = false; setSize(groupSize, groupSize) }
 
     var resourceImage: Actor? = null
@@ -70,7 +72,9 @@ open class TileGroup(var tileInfo: TileInfo, var tileSetStrings:TileSetStrings)
 
     val icons = TileGroupIcons(this)
 
-    class UnitLayerGroupClass:Group()
+    class UnitLayerGroupClass:Group(){
+        override fun draw(batch: Batch?, parentAlpha: Float) { super.draw(batch, parentAlpha) }
+    }
     val unitLayerGroup = UnitLayerGroupClass().apply { isTransform = false; setSize(groupSize, groupSize);touchable = Touchable.disabled }
 
     val cityButtonLayerGroup = Group().apply { isTransform = true; setSize(groupSize, groupSize);