suburb news

Bustling Dallas suburb declared one of America's newest boomtowns

Lewisville is the 5th newest boomtown in America for 2026.

Lewisville City Hall/Facebook

What do you get when you combine a city's surge in population, housing growth, and economy? For a place like Lewisville, it all adds up to being named America's No. 5 newest boomtown, according to a new survey from SmartAsset.

The personal finance website's just-released report analyzed more than 400 U.S. cities with populations of 65,000 or more to identify places experiencing rapid growth based on five-year changes in economic output, housing units, and labor force size.

Texas is home to the second-highest concentration of new boomtowns in America with 18 out of 75 located in the Lone Star State. Only Florida ranks higher than Texas by just one.

However, Texas nearly locked out the top five most bustling boomtowns in America. Austin suburb Georgetown topped the list, and its Central Texas neighbors New Braunfels (No. 2) and Leander (No. 4) ranked close behind. Dallas-Fort Worth mid-city Lewisville claimed the No. 5 spot. Lehi, Utah ranked in third place.

Two more Dallas suburbs, McKinney and Frisco, respectively ranked as the 8th and 10th newest boomtowns in America.

From 2019 to 2024, Lewisville saw a 24 percent increase in housing units, with its labor force growing by 23 percent during that time. SmartAsset also determined that Denton County's economic output grew at compound annual rates of 6.7 percent — higher than almost all other counties in the U.S.

Lewisville is no stranger to the "boomtown" label – the city previously appeared as the 9th biggest American boomtown in SmartAsset's 2022 report, and it become one of the most sought-after suburbs over the last several years. The city's food scene has also seen rapid expansion this year with the opening of new restaurants like F&F On The Go and Shady's Burgers and Brewhaha.

The report says population booms and "expanding business activity" can create "visible momentum" for an up-and-coming city, but these fast changes can alter a city in ways residents may not expect.

"In recent years, some American cities stand out for attracting people, investment and development at a pace that sets them apart," the report said. "Boomtown status does not mean growth benefits everyone equally, but it does reflect a city’s expanding economic capacity and the new opportunities that come with it."

America's top 10 new boomtowns are:

No. 1 – Georgetown
No. 2 – New Braunfels
No. 3 – Lehi, Utah
No. 4 – Leander
No. 5 – Lewisville
No. 6 – Palm Coast, Florida
No. 7 – Nampa, Idaho
No. 8 – McKinney
No. 9 – Conroe
No. 10 – Frisco

boomtown smartasset reports lewisville mckinney frisco

gone fishin'

Texas Parks & Wildlife launches free day of fishing this weekend only

Photo by Matthew McBrayer on Unsplash

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It's the reel deal: Texas' annual Free Fishing Day returns Saturday, June 6, allowing all Texans (and visitors) to fish in any public waterway without obtaining a license.

According to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), Free Fishing Day was created to encourage Texans to explore the outdoors with their family and friends, and to give new anglers the opportunity to try fishing without having to pay for a license.

"Our hope is that experienced anglers will use this opportunity to take others fishing and share their knowledge, skills, equipment and love of the sport to recruit new anglers," said Tim Birdsong, Director of Inland Fisheries at TPWD.

To learn the basics of fishing, TPWD offers resources for how to get started, safety, supplies and gear, casting and baiting, cleaning and storing fish on its website.

The Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center (TFFC), located at 5550 FM 2495 in Athens, is offering free admission for everyone on Free Fishing Day from 9 am to 4 pm, and visitors will have a chance to catch a tagged catfish and win a prize of their choice during its “Fish Tag Friendzy” event. The event will also feature hourly drawings for summer pass packages, dive shows at 11 am and 2 pm, and hatchery tram tours. Visitors may bring their own fishing tackle or borrow gear from the TFFC.

To make the most of Free Fishing Day, TPWD provided these ideas for finding fun and high-quality fishing opportunities:

Fishing close to home: Texas offers numerous lakes and rivers with access to fishing throughout the state. The Lake Finder page on the TPWD website can help anglers find lakes by region or alphabetically. Information and fishing tips on more than 150 lakes are available. Check out the River Fishing page to find out where to get access to Texas’ flowing waters.
Saltwater fishing from a pier: There are numerous wheelchair-accessible fishing piers available for public use up and down the coast. Piers are a great place for the entire family to try saltwater fishing without the need for a boat. Public access sites can be found in every bay system.
Fishing in the city: TPWD’s Neighborhood Fishin’ lakes provide urban angling access for the entire family across the state. All 18 Neighborhood Fishin’ lakes provide a great opportunity to catch channel catfish, including five lakes in Dallas-Fort Worth, four in the Houston area, two each in the Austin and San Antonio areas, and one each in Amarillo, College Station, San Angelo, Waco and Wichita Falls. Information on lake locations and how-to fishing videos can be found on the Neighborhood Fishin’ website.
Community fishing lakes: Check out all the community fishing lakes in Texas which can be great options for Free Fishing Day and year-round.
Kayak fishing on a Texas Paddling Trail: With more than 3,700 named streams, 15 major rivers and some 3,300 miles of tidal shoreline along the Gulf Coast, Texas offers unlimited possibilities for paddling adventures and angling opportunities of all types. Enjoy improved and maintained fishing and paddling access to rivers, creeks, lakes, ponds, bayous and bays on any of the 83 official Texas Paddling Trails available throughout the state. Kayak fishing opportunities also abound through TPWD’s River Access and Conservation Areas (RACA) program.

Additionally, anglers can fish for free at more than 70 state parks all year long, though park fees still apply. This weekend, Guadalupe River State Park outside San Antonio, Lake Arrowhead in Wichita Falls, and Lyndon B. Johnson State Park and Historic Site in the Hill Country are offering a variety of Free Fishing Day events.

TPWD reminds that anyone fishing in federal waters must acquire a license for the private recreational angler red snapper season, which opened on May 22.

texas parks and wildlife department fishing free fishing day