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Surprising Dallas neighbor declared the No. 2 boomtown in America

Denton Main Street Association presents Arts & Autos Extravaganza

Denton — and Frisco and McKinney — are booming.

Photo by Jason Bodor

One North Texas city is booming like no other. Denton has catapulted to the No. 2 position among U.S. cities for economic and population growth, according to a new ranking from personal finance website SmartAsset released December 3.

To determine the top “boomtowns” in the U.S., SmartAsset analyzed economy-related data for 500 cities nationwide. The site considered these factors: population change; unemployment rate; economic growth rate (measured by GDP, or economic output); business growth; housing growth; and growth in household income.

Denton lands at No. 2 in SmartAsset’s 500-city study. From 2014 through 2018, the population of Denton rose 8 percent, and the city’s household income soared by more than 36 percent, SmartAsset says. Meanwhile, the number of businesses climbed 18.62 percent from 2012 through 2016.

The Denton Economic Development Partnership cites the city’s central location in the U.S., presence in the Dallas-Fort Worth labor market, low-cost business climate, low cost of living, “excellent” quality of life, and two public universities as characteristics as making it “a natural place for business and industry success.”

Two other The Dallas-Fort Worth suburbs, Frisco and McKinney, come in at Nos. 13 and 14, respectively.

Frisco’s population jumped 29.73 percent and McKinney’s went up 22.27 percent from 2014 through 2018. Also, housing growth exploded in both cities — Frisco at 36.78 percent from 2014 through 2018 and McKinney at 22.14 percent.

The Frisco Economic Development Corp. brags that the city “is one of the most desirable locations in the United States to live, work, educate, and innovate.”

For its part, the McKinney Economic Development Corp. points out that the city “has a young, highly educated workforce. We are one of the fastest-growing communities and regions in America, so our resources only continue to grow.”

The North Texas cities aren’t the only economic stars from the Lone Star State.

New Braunfels ranks sixth overall. From 2014 through 2018, the city’s population grew by more than 30 percent, SmartAsset notes, and the number of housing units increased more than 41 percent. Furthermore, New Braunfels saw its GDP rise 4.75 percent from 2013 through 2017 and the number of businesses shoot up 16.45 percent from 2012 through 2016.

Appearing at No. 10 overall is Round Rock, the biggest suburb in the Austin metro area. Round Rock’s population jumped 14.52 percent from 2014 through 2018, according to SmartAsset, while its economic growth from 2013 through 2017 came in at 5 percent. Most notably, Round Rock ranked third for business growth among the 500 cities analyzed. It saw a 20.32 percent leap in the number of businesses from 2012 through 2016.

Austin ranks 12th overall, but it comes in first among cities with at least 900,000 residents. Austin’s standout numbers include a five-year population growth of 5.64 percent, average yearly growth in GDP of 5.19 percent, five-year change in number of businesses of 14.71 percent, and five-year growth in housing rate of 8.39 percent.

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Outpacing the competition

Dallas suburb flexes as No. 1 fittest city in Texas for 2026

Photo courtesy of City of Plano

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The people of Plano deserve to take a victory lap: The Dallas-Fort Worth suburb has been crowned the fittest city in Texas for 2026.

This year’s American Fitness Index puts Plano at No. 12 among the country’s 100 most populated cities, up from 14th place last year, and at No. 1 in Texas, the same spot as last year. Plano ranks 10th in the personal health category and 30th in the community and environment category.

The index shows 86 percent of Plano residents had exercised in the previous month, 67 percent had met aerobic activity guidelines, and 37 percent had met aerobic and strength activity guidelines. All three of those numbers are above the 100-city averages.

The Elevance Health Foundation and the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) produce the annual index, which they say combines measures of personal health behavior, chronic disease outcomes, community infrastructure and environmental factors “to provide a comprehensive picture of how well cities promote fitness and well-being.”

Arlington, Virginia, tops the index, followed by Washington, D.C.; Minneapolis; Seattle; and Denver.

“The cities that consistently rank at the top aren’t succeeding because of one program or one investment,” Stella Volpe, past president of ACSM and chair of the Fitness Index Advisory Board, says in a press release. “They’ve built systems that support healthier living over time. They are the ones creating environments where physical activity can easily become a part of everyday routines.”

In Plano’s case, the highly rated park system contributes to the city’s healthy environment. In May, Plano landed at No. 1 in Texas and 13th in the U.S. in the annual ParkScore Index. Plano’s No. 13 ranking marked an all-time high for the city.

Every year, land conservation nonprofit The Trust for Public Land rates park systems in the 100 biggest American cities on accessibility, equity, acreage, investment, and amenities.

Here’s how other DFW cities in the American Fitness Index:

Frisco ranks 32nd (making its index debut).
Dallas ranks 43rd, up from 46th last year.
Fort Worth ranks 69th, up from 80th last year.
Garland ranks 72nd, up from 75th last year.
Arlington ranks 78th, up from 83rd last year.
Irving ranks 86th, down from 84th last year.

Among other Texas cities appearing in the American Fitness index are:

No. 28 Austin, down from No. 21 last year.
No. 44 Houston, up from No. 49 last year.
No. 80 San Antonio, up from No. 94 last year.

“Where you live increasingly determines how healthy you are,” Volpe says. “The healthiest cities don’t just encourage exercise — they make movement part of daily life through infrastructure, transportation, and community design.”

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Outpacing the competition

Dallas suburb flexes as No. 1 fittest city in Texas for 2026