Population Explosion

2 Dallas neighbors among the fastest-growing cities in the U.S., says Census Bureau

Frisco continues to attract new residents.

Photo courtesy of Visit Frisco

Population growth in two North Texas cities is exploding. Recent estimates by the U.S. Census Bureau rank Denton and Frisco Nos. 23 and 26, respectively, for population growth from July 2020 to July 2021.

Not surprisingly, the Austin-area suburbs of Georgetown and Leander rank first and second nationally, the Census Bureau says.

In 23-ranked Denton, population grew at a rate of 4.1 percent during that time period. No. 26-ranked Frisco saw a growth rate of 3.9 percent.

By comparison, top-ranked Georgetown grew faster (at 10.5 percent) than any other U.S. city with at least 50,000 residents during the time period. At that rate, the population of Georgetown (75,420 as of July 2021) is on track to double in just seven years, the bureau says. Leander's population rose 10.1 percent during the one-year period, winding up at 67,124. Georgetown and Leander are the only cities with 50,000 residents or more to experience population growth of at least 10 percent from July 2020 to July 2021, according to the Census Bureau.

Elsewhere in Texas, a few other cities put up impressive numbers for population growth from 2020 to 2021, according to the Census Bureau:

Fifth-ranked New Braunfels (San Antonio), 8.3 percent.
18th-ranked Conroe (Houston), 4.5 percent.
28th-ranked Texas City (Houston), 3.8 percent.

Meanwhile, the populations of Texas’ five largest cities hardly budged or even shrank from 2020 to 2021:

Fort Worth, 1.4 percent.
San Antonio, 0.9 percent.
Austin, 0.1 percent.
Houston, -0.5 percent.
Dallas, -1.1 percent.

Dallas and Houston were among nine of the country’s 15 largest cities to lose population during the pandemic, the Census Bureau says.

Despite the low percentage, San Antonio managed to post the biggest numeric growth during the one-year period, adding 13,626 residents. Fort Worth came in third (12,916), with Frisco at No. 8 (7,933 residents), New Braunfels at No. 9 (7,538), Georgetown at No. 10 (7,193), Leander at No. 12 (6,159), Denton at No. 14 (5,844), and McKinney at No. 15 (5,568).

From 2020 to 2021, three Texas cities surpassed the 50,000-resident mark: Kyle (51,789), Burleson (51,618), and Little Elm (51,042).

Lloyd Potter, the Texas state demographer, says the new Census Bureau data offers “a first look at the influence of the pandemic on local population dynamics.”

While the data doesn’t reflect precisely how the population of Texas cities has shifted — namely births minus deaths and move-ins minus moveouts — “we do know that both Dallas and Harris counties experienced net out-migration from 2020 to 2021, and suburban ring counties grew dramatically from positive domestic migration,” Potter tells CultureMap. “Thus, cities in suburban ring counties were growing from people moving from urban cores to suburban areas, and from people moving from other parts of Texas and other states.”

Not every resident of Texas is thrilled about the state’s continued population expansion. The latest University of Texas/Texas Politics Project Poll, released in early May, shows 40 percent of Texans believe population growth has been bad for the state. It was the first time in the poll’s history that the percentage of Texans who viewed population growth as negative outnumbered the percentage of Texans who viewed population growth as positive.

“Amidst increasing economic worries, the population growth that has become a frequent bragging point for political leaders and boosters is now viewed negatively or with uncertainty by a majority of Texas voters,” the pollsters say.

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Dallas sees Texas' biggest one-year jump in cost of raising kids

Courtesy of SmartAsset/iStock

Raising a child in Dallas will cost parents over $23,000 this year.

Raising a child is not an easy or inexpensive feat, and a new study has determined Dallas parents are saddled with the second-highest costs for childrearing in Texas, with expenses jumping higher than any other metro statewide since 2025.

SmartAsset's latest report, "Cost of Raising a Child in Major U.S. Metros – 2026 Study," calculated year-over-year changes in the annual cost of raising a child (factoring in childcare, additional housing costs, food, transportation, medical costs and other necessities) in the 48 largest U.S. metro areas. MIT's Living Wage Calculator was used to compare the living costs of a household with two working adults and one child to that of a childless household with two working adults.

Childrearing costs in Dallas-Fort Worth have grown 4.5 percent since last year, totaling $23,340 for a family of three in 2026. That's over $1,000 more than what it took to raise a child in 2025, and it's $1,414 higher than what it took in 2024.

This is how SmartAsset broke down the cost for raising a child in Dallas:

Cost of childcare: $10,736
Cost of food: $1,826
Other expenses: $10,778

Though Dallas has the second-steepest costs for raising a child in Texas, the metro is actually much more affordable than most other places in the U.S.: DFW ranked 39th in SmartAsset's national list of cities with the highest childrearing costs in 2026, making it the 10th most affordable U.S. metro for raising a family.

San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont in California topped the list with the highest childrearing costs in the U.S., at $43,171. The cost for raising a child in this California metro soared nearly 11 percent higher since last year.

Memphis, Tennessee ranked dead last as the most affordable U.S. metro for raising a child in 2026. Families will spend less than $20,000 to raise a child in Memphis, only 3.24 percent more than what was needed in 2025.

Raising a child in other Texas metros
It may come as no surprise that Austin is the most expensive place to raise a child in Texas, and it appeared as the 31st most expensive U.S. metro for families. Parents will spend nearly $25,000 to raise a child in the state's capital city, which is $703 higher than it was a year ago.

Meanwhile, San Antonio-New Braunfels is the most affordable metro in the Lone Star State for raising a family, and it's the third-most affordable place for raising a child nationwide. San Antonio parents will spend $21,393, or $448 more than last year, on their childrearing costs.

Houston also ranked among the top 10 most affordable U.S. metros for raising a child, landing in 7th place nationally, with childrearing costs adding up to $22,605 in 2026. That's only $737 more than last year.

The top 10 most affordable U.S. metros for raising a child in 2026 are:

No. 1 – Memphis, Tennessee ($19,922)
No. 2 – Nashville, Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin, Tennessee ($21,216)
No. 3 – San Antonio-New Braunfels ($21,393)
No. 4 – Birmingham, Alabama ($21,684)
No. 5 – Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, Virginia ($22,314)
No. 6 – Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, Georgia ($22,470)
No. 7 – Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands ($22,605)
No. 8 – Richmond, Virginia ($22,658)
No. 9 – Louisville/Jefferson County, Kentucky ($23,270)
No. 10 – Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington ($23,340)

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