Big-time bucks

5 affluent Dallas-Fort Worth cities cash in among the richest in Texas

Celina catapulted from No. 14 on last year's list to No. 3 this year.

Photo courtesy of Coldwell Banker

Highland Park and Celina are movin’ on up among the ranks of the wealthiest cities in Texas.

A new ranking from data provider HomeSnacks shows Highland Park climbed from No. 3 on the 2020 list of Texas’ wealthiest cities to No. 2 on this year’s list. Meanwhile, Celina catapulted 11 spots — from No. 14 to No. 3.

To come up with the ranking, HomeSnacks looked at median household income, poverty rates, and unemployment rates for Texas cities with at least 5,000 residents. Therefore, the ranking isn’t based solely on how rich a city’s residents are. Still, you’re curious about the cash, right?

In terms of household income, Highland Park boasts a median total of $211,136. Its unemployment rate is 1.4 percent and its poverty rate is 2.3 percent.

In Celina — about 40 miles north of Dallas — median household income sits at $124,375. There, the unemployment rate is 1 percent and the poverty rate is 0.7 percent.

In all, Dallas-Fort Worth claims five places among the state’s 10 wealthiest cities. Aside from Highland Park and Celina, DFW representatives on the list are Southlake (median household income of $240,248), Prosper, ($146,733), and Melissa ($118,348).

DFW’s Trophy Club (now at No. 36), Willow Park (now at No. 21), and Coppell (now at No. 11) lost their top-10 standings from last year.

Topping HomeSnacks’ statewide list — again — is the San Antonio suburb of Terrell Hills, which rings up a median household income $181,979. The unemployment rate is 1.2 percent and the poverty rate is 0.7 percent.

One of Terrell Hills’ neighbors, Alamo Heights, broke into the top 10 this year. It soared from No. 32 last year to No. 10 this year. Alamo Heights registers median household income of $141,048, a 1 percent unemployment rate, and a 4.4 percent poverty rate.

Here are the 10 wealthiest cities in Texas for 2021, as determined by HomeSnacks.

1. Terrell Hills (San Antonio)

Population: 5,371
Rank last year: 1
Median household income: $181,979
Unemployment rate: 1.2 percent
Poverty rate: 0.7 percent

2. Highland Park (Dallas-Fort Worth)

Population: 9,168
Rank last year: 3
Median household income: $211,136
Unemployment rate: 1.4 percent
Poverty rate: 2.3 percent

3. Celina (Dallas-Fort Worth)

Population: 11,116
Rank last year: 14
Median household income: $124,375
Unemployment rate: 1 percent
Poverty rate: 0.7 percent

4. Bellaire (Houston)

Population: 18,815
Rank last year: 2
Median household income: $206,734
Unemployment rate: 2 percent
Poverty rate: 2.3 percent

5. Southlake (Dallas-Fort Worth)

Population: 31,292
Rank last year: 8
Median household income: $240,248
Unemployment rate: 2.2 percent
Poverty rate: 2.5 percent

6. West University Place (Houston)

Population: 15,603
Rank last year: 5
Median household income: $250,001
Unemployment rate: 2.6 percent
Poverty rate: 1.7 percent

7. Prosper (Dallas-Fort Worth)

Population: 22,517
Rank last year: 12
Median household income: $146,733
Unemployment rate: 2.1 percent
Poverty rate: 2.4 percent

8. Fair Oaks Ranch (San Antonio)

Population: 9,944
Rank last year: 9
Median household income: $128,398
Unemployment rate: 1.8 percent
Poverty rate: 3 percent

9. Melissa (Dallas-Fort Worth)

Population: 9,487
Rank last year: 4
Median household income: $118,348
Unemployment rate: 2.2 percent
Poverty rate: 1.1 percent

10. Alamo Heights (San Antonio)

Population: 8,374
Rank last year: 32
Median household income: $141,048
Unemployment rate: 1 percent
Poverty rate: 4.4 percent

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Unhappy holidays

Porch pirates pilfer nearly $2B worth of Texas packages, study shows

Porch Pirate Person in Glasses Steals Packages

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’Tis the season for porch pirates. If past trends are an indicator, the Grinch will swipe close to $2 billion worth of packages delivered to Texas households this year, with many of those thefts happening ahead of the holiday season.

An analysis of FBI and survey data by ecommerce marketing company Omnisend shows porch pirates stole more than $1.8 billion worth of packages from Texans’ porches last year. Porch pirates hit nearly one-third of the state’s households in 2024, according to the analysis.

Omnisend’s analysis reveals these statistics about porch piracy in Texas:

30.1 million residential package thefts in 2024.
An average household loss of $169 per year.
An annual average of 2.9 package thefts per household.

“Most stolen items are cheap on their own, but add them up, and retailers and consumers are facing an enormous bill,” says Omnisend.

Another data analysis, this one from The Action Network sports betting platform, unwraps different figures regarding porch piracy in Texas.

The platform’s 2025 Porch Pirate Index ranks Texas as the state with the highest volume of residential thefts, based on 2023-24 FBI data.

Researchers at The Action Network uncovered 26,293 reports of personal property thefts at Texas residences during that period. The network’s survey data indicates 5 percent of Texas residents had a package stolen in the three months before the pre-holiday survey.

The Porch Pirate Index calculates a 25.8 percent risk of a Texas household being victimized by porch pirates, putting it in the No. 5 spot among states with the highest risk of porch piracy.

The Action Network included online-search volume for terms like “package stolen” and “porch pirates.” Sustained spikes in these searches suggest that “people are actively looking for guidance after something has happened. Search trends serve as an early warning system, revealing emerging-risk areas well before annual crime statistics are released,” the network says.

Tips to avoid being a victim
So, how do you prevent porch pirates from snatching packages that end up on your porch? Omnisend, The Action Network and Amazon offer these eight tips:

Closely monitor deliveries and quickly retrieve packages.
Schedule deliveries for times when you’ll be home.
Use delivery lockers or in-store pickup when possible.
Ask delivery services to hide packages in out-of-sight spots outside your home.
Install a visible doorbell camera or security camera.
Coordinate deliveries with neighbors or building managers if you’ll be away from your home when packages are supposed to arrive.
Request that delivery services hold your packages if you can’t be home when they’re scheduled to come.
Illuminate the path to your doorstep and keep porch lights on.

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