full steam ahead

11 Dallas suburbs soar as fastest-growing U.S. cities in last decade

Celina's population has soared over 300 percent in the last 10 years, according to the report.

City Government of Celina, Texas - Facebook

It's no secret that Dallas-Fort Worth's population is growing faster than most other metros in the U.S., but now several surprising Dallas neighbors have been named among the top 10 fastest-growing suburb nationwide over the last decade.

Celina nearly led the nation with an astonishing 314 percent increase in population from 2014 to 2023, according to a recent growth study by marketplace platform StorageCafe. The far-flung suburb, which is located about 45 miles north of downtown Dallas, ranked No. 2 in the report's rankings of the 100 fastest-growing U.S. cities during the 10-year period.

The report said Celina was home to more than 27,000 residents in 2023, but now the U.S. Census Bureau estimates the city's population has grown to more than 43,300 people.

"A mix of diverse housing options, proximity to city amenities, a strong local economy and access to top-rated schools and entertainment have made it one of the most attractive places to settle in the region," the report's author wrote.

This isn't the first time Celina has entered the spotlight for its exploding population: It was the No. 1 fastest-growing U.S. city in 2023, and recently came out on top of GoBankingRates' new study ranking of the fastest-growing affluent suburbs in America for 2025.

Four more Dallas-Fort Worth suburbs earned spots among the top 10 fastest-growing U.S. cities from 2014 to 2023: Melissa (No. 3), Princeton (No. 7), Prosper (No. 8), and Fate (No. 9).

In all, 11 DFW cities earned spots in the report, including:

No. 14 – Anna
No. 33 – Midlothian
No. 43 – Royse City
No. 45 – Forney
No. 58 – Little Elm
No. 72 – Frisco

Fate, Dallas suburb The small town of Fate has grown by 172 percent since 2014, StorageCafe says.fatetx.gov/

"Aside from Frisco, which is already a well-established suburb, the rest are smaller cities — six of which more than doubled in size during this period," the report said. "The remaining cities still saw impressive gains, with population increases exceeding 60 percent. Meanwhile, Dallas proper experienced more modest growth, with a 5 percent increase over the decade."

The report added that Dallas-Fort Worth's population surge has also led to a high demand for housing. Home prices in Celina stood at nearly $611,000 in November 2024, whereas Melissa's home prices were about $466,000 during that same period.

For comparison, the national average price of a home is $354,000.

Only three Dallas suburbs had the most affordable home prices out of the total 11 DFW suburbs on the list: Princeton ($326,299), Royse City ($332,537), and Forney ($323,229).

StorageCafe says the reasons for population shifts vary greatly, with many people seeking out cities with a more affordable cost of living, or those moving for socioeconomic factors like better employment opportunities.

"Population growth is far from even across the U.S. Some cities are experiencing significant increases, directly driven by steady in-migration, rising immigration and birth rates outpacing death rates," the report said. "But what’s fueling these trends runs deeper — economic and social forces like shifting job markets, the rise of remote and hybrid work and soaring living costs are all reshaping where people choose to live."

Other fast-growing Texas cities
Texas had the greatest number of cities to earn spots in the report's ranking of the 100 fastest-growing U.S. cities over the last decade, with 25 total cities making the cut with the highest growth rates nationwide.

Austin had five suburbs land on the list: Manor (No. 6), Leander (No. 16), Kyle (No. 53), Hutto (No. 54), and Buda (No. 68).

San Antonio also had five suburbs make the top 100, including Boerne (No. 63), Selma (No. 74), Fair Oaks Ranch (No. 70), New Braunfels (No. 77), and Canyon Lake (No. 99).

Houston only had four entries on the list, but Fulshear led the nation as the fastest-growing U.S. city over the last 10 years. The remaining Houston-area cities included in the report were Manvel (No. 24), Katy (No. 82), and Conroe (No. 83).

The top 10 fastest-growing cities over the last decade are:

No. 1 – Fulshear, Texas
No. 2 – Woodbridge, Virginia
No. 3 – Celina, Texas
No. 4 – Davenport, Florida
No. 5 – Melissa, Texas
No. 6 – Manor, Texas
No. 7 – Princeton, Texas
No. 8 – Prosper, Texas
No. 9 – Fate, Texas
No. 10 – Nolensville, Tennessee

celina celina growth frisco little elm prosper storagecafe suburbs us census bureau population growth

rent report

Here's how much rent prices have dropped in Dallas-Fort Worth since 2025

Photo by TOM on Unsplash

Rent prices are on the decline in most DFW cities.

Rent prices are falling statewide, and prices in certain Dallas-Fort Worth cities have declined by nearly 8 percent since last year, according to a new national rent report from Zumper.

The Zumper National Rent Report tracked year-over-year and month-over-month rent price changes in 100 U.S. cities for both one- and two-bedroom units using the most recent data available from May 2026.

Plano had the fourth-steepest rent decrease in Texas, with prices for one-bedroom units dipping 7.5 percent year-over-year to $1,360. Two-bedroom rent has dropped 5.5. percent from last year to $1,900.

In Dallas, one-bedroom rent prices fell 5.6 percent to $1,350, and two-bedroom rent is down 6.4 percent since last year to $1,900.

Arlington was the only major Texas city where rent prices increased from May 2025 to May 2026. One-bedroom rent increased nearly 3 percent to $1,090, and two-bedroom rent increased 2.1 percent to $1,480.

The cost for a single-bedroom apartment in Irving is $1,280, or the same price as it was a year ago, the report found. Two-bedroom units are 3 percent cheaper than they were last year, at $1,610.

In Fort Worth, respective rent costs for one- and two-bedroom units come out to $1,240 and $1,560.

Rent prices elsewhere in Texas
San Antonio saw the steepest drop in rent prices statewide, with one-bedroom rents falling by 10.4 percent to $950. Two-bedroom units have declined 6 percent year-over-year to $1,250.

These are the rent prices for other Texas cities in May 2026:

Austin: $1,420 for one-bedroom units; $1,860 for two-bedroom units
El Paso: $810 for one bedroom; $1,130 for two bedrooms
Houston: $1,130 for one bedroom; $1,430 for two bedroom

The report also revealed that four of the 10 U.S. metros offering the most concessions are located in Texas. Austin leads nationally with more than a third of rental units "dangling incentives to fill space," followed by San Antonio, Houston, then Dallas. A separate rent report from real estate data firm CoStar found Dallas-Fort Worth had the fifth highest apartment vacancy rate in the U.S. in March, meaning residents may be able to save on their rent depending on the financial incentives offered by landlords.

Additionally, these same markets offering generous rent concessions are also among the 10 U.S. metros with the largest population growth, which Zumper says signals ongoing tension between tenants and their landlords regarding prices.

"So while Texas absorbed a significant share of the 2023-2025 supply wave, inventory still has to lease up before landlords regain pricing power, and the steady inflow of new residents says the demand is there," the report said. "It’s just a question of when supply stops outrunning it."

From 2023 to 2024, Texas gained nearly 73,000 net new renters, making it the No. 1 magnet for renters nationwide.

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