Building boom

5 Dallas-Fort Worth cities nail rankings among U.S. hot spots for apartment construction

Every great apartment complex has gotta have a great pool.

Photo courtesy of 5 Mockingbird

When it comes to new construction, five Dallas-Fort Worth cities reign as multifamily meccas.

A ranking compiled by Lattice Publishing indicates Lewisville and Irving saw some of the country’s biggest spikes in planned construction of apartments from 2020 to 2021. The numbers for Dallas, Fort Worth, and Arlington also shot up during the same one-year period.

Nationwide, Dallas ranks fourth among U.S. markets for the most apartments under construction, according to RealPage Market Analytics. RealPage tallies 32,143 apartments being built in the Dallas area.

Lattice Publishing ranked small, midsize, and large cities based on the percentage change in the number of multifamily units authorized from 2020 to 2021.

On the list of small cities, Lewisville appears at No. 5, with a 1,469 percent jump in building permits for apartments from 2020 to 2021. Among midsize cities, Irving lands at No. 13, registering a 363.7 percent rise in multifamily permits during that period.

Meanwhile, Dallas, Fort Worth, and Arlington posted big gains among large cities. However, their percentage increases fell short of those for Lewisville and Irving:

Dallas ranked third among large cities, recording a 250.6 percent boost in multifamily building permits from 2020 to 2021.
Fort Worth ranked 12th among large cities, recording a 90.1 percent boost in multifamily building permits from 2020 to 2021.
Arlington ranked 14th among large cities, recording a 73.1 percent boost in multifamily building permits from 2020 to 2021.

Lattice Publishing notes that as the U.S. emerges from the pandemic, a promising sign for improving the availability of housing is an overall uptick in planned construction of apartments.

Multifamily housing “increases the density and availability of housing units in urban and suburban locations, and it is more efficient and cost-effective to develop than single-family stock,” Lattice Publishing says. “And with more people now returning to their offices — along with restaurants, bars, venues, and other amenities — denser housing closer to work and social attractions is regaining its appeal.”

Research conducted by Hoyt Advisory Services shows that through 2030, the U.S. will need to build an average of 328,000 apartments every year to keep pace with housing demand. That mark has been achieved just five times since 1989, according to the National Multifamily Housing Council and the National Apartment Association.

rent rankings lists

hottest zips

Surprising Dallas neighbor ranks among hottest ZIP codes in U.S.

City of Lavon/Facebook

Movers are loving Lavon for its small-town feel and proximity to the big city.

A recent analysis of American relocation trends has revealed the small city of Lavon outside Dallas was one of the top five hottest ZIP code for movers nationwide in October 2025.

Lavon's 75166 ZIP code ranked No. 5 on MovingPlace's new list ranking the U.S. cities with the highest number of new movers per 1,000 current residents during the month of October.

According to the study's data, 961,650 moves took place across the nation last month. Lavon (population: 13,800) saw 10.8 moves per 1,000 residents in October, the fifth highest moving rate out of all U.S. cities.

Lavon is located 32 miles northeast of Dallas in Collin County. It was praised as a highly sought-after locale for movers who want to live somewhere affordable outside Dallas while still reaping the benefits from a community with a small-town feel.

The report also added that Lavon's 75166 ZIP was the No. 1 hottest ZIP code in September, but relocations dipped 7.7 percent from September to October.

"When looking at the top ZIP codes in each state, it’s clear that less populated ZIP codes often show dramatic month-over-month increases, sometimes exceeding 100 percent," the report said. "Larger cities, by contrast, maintain consistently high move volumes without extreme spikes, because their larger populations dampen the impact of individual moves."

These are the top 10 hottest U.S. ZIP codes based on moves per capita in October:

No. 1 – 78616 in Dale, Texas
No. 2 – 34987 in Port Saint Lucie, Florida
No. 3 – 37228 in Nashville, Tennessee
No. 4 – 80019 in Aurora, Colorado
No. 5 – 75166 in Lavon, Texas
No. 6 – 32461 in Inlet Beach, Florida
No. 7 – 10004 in New York, New York
No. 8 – 43137 in Lockbourne, Ohio
No. 9 – 30346 in Atlanta, Georgia
No. 10 – 78656 in Maxwell, Texas

The hottest U.S. ZIP codes by total move volume
Five Texas ZIPs ranked among MovingPlace's separate analysis of the top 10 hottest U.S. ZIP codes based on total move volume.

McKinney's ever-popular 75071 ZIP code ranked No. 5 on the list after gaining 298 new residents last month, only 72 residents shy from No. 1-ranking Washington, D.C.'s new resident count.

This North Dallas suburb also previously ranked as the No. 8 most popular ZIP for movers during the first five months of 2025.

The report said McKinney's most attractive qualities are its safety, its high-performing schools, and its proximity to outdoor recreational activities. it also helps that the suburb consistently ranks as the No. 1 hottest housing market in America, and it frequently tops lists comparing the best cities for renters or the most affordable cities in the U.S.

The top 10 hottest American ZIP codes in October based on total move volume were:

No. 1 – 20002 in Washington, D.C.
No. 2 – 78130 in New Braunfels, Texas
No. 3 – 78641 in Leander, Texas
No. 4 – 77433 in Cypress, Texas
No. 5 – 75071 in McKinney, Texas
No. 6 –32256 in Jacksonville, Florida
No. 7 –77493 in Katy, Texas
No. 8 – 85142 in Queen Creek, Arizona
No. 9 – 98052 in Redmond, Washington
No. 10 – 28269 in Charlotte, North Carolina

suburb real estate housing market moving mckinney dallas