Population boom

Dallas-Fort Worth population headed toward jaw-dropping milestone by 2028

The Metroplex's population in the next five years could balloon to nearly 8.5 million people.

Dallas drivers, prepare to share the roads with nearly a million more people. A new analysis predicts Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington's population could cross the 8 million threshold in the next five years, swelling to nearly 8.5 million total residents.

According to a new study by Site Selection Group, the Metroplex is tracking as the fifth fastest-growing large metro area in the country by 2028. DFW's 2023 population adds up to 7.8 million people, and the area has a projected population growth rate of 8.64 percent.

To be precise, the analysis forecasts DFW's population as 8,479,851 in 2028.

The new report comes on the heels of a recent survey predicting DFW could become the biggest metro area by the year 2100. Another recent report declared Dallas has usurped Austin as the No. 1 destination for California movers.

A continued population boom seems inevitable.

"Most population growth is occurring across the Sun Belt," the Site Selection Group report's author says. "Specific to the large metro areas, eight of the top 10 growth markets are located within the Sun Belt [such as] Florida, North Carolina, Tennessee and Texas."

The report was used to determine the American metro areas that will have the most "favorable long-term labor conditions." Each metro area was categorized into one of three groups based on overall population size: large (over 1 million people), mid-size (between 500,000 and 999,999 people), and small (between 250,000 and 499,999 people).

"Although population growth does not guarantee success with hiring and retaining employees, it does provide validation that labor conditions could be trending in a more favorable direction," the report says.

Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown and Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land landed at the top of the list for the predicted fastest growing large metro areas. Austin's population could climb to over 2.7 million residents with a 13.55 percent growth rate, and Houston could expand 9.62 percent to over 8 million people by 2028.

The top 10 fastest-growing large metro areas by 2028 are:

No. 1 – Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown
No. 2 – Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land
No. 3 – Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin, Tennessee
No. 4 – Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina
No. 5 – Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington
No. 6 – Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, Florida
No. 7 – Salt Lake City, Utah
No. 8 – Charlotte-Concord-Castonia, North Carolina-South Carolina
No. 9 – Jacksonville, Florida
No. 10 – Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, Washington

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Fun times in the city

Dallas swings a spot on new list of most fun cities in U.S. for 2024

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Dallas just wants to have fun, according to WalletHub's new ranking of the most fun cities in America in 2024.

The annual report ranked Dallas No. 31 out of 182 U.S. cities.

WalletHub's experts compared each city using 65 metrics to determine their level of "fun." Metrics were split among three main categories: entertainment and recreation, nightlife and parties, and cost.

According to the study's findings, Dallas was 24th nationally in the category for nightlife and parties, and ranked No. 39 in the "entertainment and recreation" category. That may be especially alluring for anyone who wants to explore the city's vast entertainment opportunities (especially during the holiday season), family-friendly recreational activities, top dining destinations, and more. Plus, Dallas is home to entertainment juggernauts like the State Fair of Texas and TopGolf.

Dallas performed poorly in the overall cost category, earning No. 114 out of all 182 cities. However, this category mostly compares flat costs rather than affordability based on local cost of living.

Potential new Dallasites should do their research before deciding to move here, rather than basing their decision on short trips and vacations alone. But we won't blame them for wanting to live in one of the best cities in the world.

"The top cities offer affordable options for year-round fun for their residents, which is good for residents’ wallets and their mental health," said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo in the report.

Austin (No. 6) and Houston (No. 9) were the only Texas cities to earn a spot in the top 10 most fun U.S. cities list. Austin moved up one spot from last year, while Houston made a 10-place jump.

Other fun-filled Texas cities that made it in the top 100 are El Paso (No. 53), Fort Worth (No. 55), Plano (No. 78), Arlington (No. 79), and Corpus Christi (No. 99).

The top 10 most fun U.S. cities are:

No. 1 – Las Vegas, Nevada
No. 2 – Orlando, Florida
No. 3 – Miami, Florida
No. 4 – Atlanta, Georgia
No. 5 – New Orleans, Louisiana
No. 6 – Austin, Texas
No. 7 – San Francisco, California
No. 8 – Chicago, Illinois
No. 9 – Houston, Texas
No. 10 – New York City, New York

Cities were evaluated based on the number of attractions per capita, nightlife activities per capita, the average prices for eating at a restaurant or buying a movie ticket, and more. Data was sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau, The Trust for Public Land, and the Council for Community and Economic Research, among others.

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