Big City News

Dallas neighbor is the No. 1 fastest-growing affordable city in U.S.

One city is the No. 1 most affordable and fastest-growing city in America.

Photo by Roger Robinson/Visit Frisco

A new national study has declared Texas is home to the most affordable, fast-growing cities in the country, with Dallas suburb Frisco taking the lead at No. 1.

Frisco and five more Dallas neighbors ranked high on GoBankingRates.com's new list of "50 Most Affordable, Fastest-Growing Cities in 2025."

The personal finance website's experts analyzed U.S. cities to find the most affordable places with large population growth based one-year and five-year population growth rates higher than the national average. Additional factors considered include each city's median household income, average home values, average rental cost, and average mortgage cost.

The report said Frisco's population swelled nearly 27 percent over the last five years, though it does appear to be slowing down as the suburb's one-year growth rate was only 4 percent. However, its rapid growth further proves that this buzzy city is one of the most desirable places to move to.

Frisco, Texas Suburban dwellers love Frisco. City of Frisco TX - City Hall/Facebook

The study also found the average Frisco home is valued at more than $678,000, which at first look isn't as affordable as other Dallas-area cities. However, GoBankingRates deems this "affordable" since the median Frisco household income is $146,000.

The study also determined the total cost of living for a Frisco homeowner comes out to $72,262 annually. Renters have a cheaper cost of living, totaling $46,718 per year.

McKinney and Allen also earned top-five spots in the report, earning respectable ranks as the third and fifth most affordable and fast-growing U.S. cities. Both cities had higher five-year growth rates than the national average – 16.6 percent in McKinney and 8.5 percent in Allen – and they both have similar average home values ($512,667 in McKinney, and $514,490 in Allen).

McKinney's affordability has been a hot topic in 2025 after Motley Fool Money ranked the suburb the No. 1 most affordable U.S. city in its own analysis. The city will only become more popular after its $1.3 billion mixed-use development is completed within the next decade.

The three other Dallas neighbors that ranked among the most affordable and fast-growing cities list are Lewisville (No. 8), Denton (No. 19), and Fort Worth (No. 26).

Six more Texas cities earned spots in the report: the Houston suburbs of League City (No. 7) and Pearland (No. 11); Austin (No. 35) and its neighbor Round Rock (No. 10); the Rio Grande Valley city of Edinburg (No. 43); and Central Texas city Killeen (No. 49).

dallas fort worth suburbs population growth frisco mckinney

Dallas Got Robbed

The richest small town in Texas is surprisingly not in Dallas

Facebook / City of Bellaire, Texas

Houston neighbor Bellaire is the richest town in Texas.

A survey of affluent small towns has found one town in Texas to be at the top of the list, but shockingly, it is not in Dallas. The town of Bellaire, a small enclave within the Houston metro area, has earned the top spot as the richest small town in Texas for 2025. Boo.

The report, "The Richest Small Town in Every State," from GoBankingRates, selected one city from each state, using data from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey to determine the 50 richest small towns based on their median household income.

Describing Bellaire as a "small town" might be a misnomer. It's located less than 10 miles from downtown Houston and is fully surrounded by the City of Houston. It's really more of a wealthy enclave within Houston, with a population of just over 17,000 residents.

Those affluent citizens earn a median $236,311 in income every year, which GoBankingRates says is the 11th highest household median income out of all 50 cities included in the report.

The average home in this city is worth over $1.12 million, but Bellaire's lavish residential reputation often attracts properties with multi-million-dollar price tags.

Bellaire also earned a shining 81 livability score for its top quality schools, health and safety, commute times, with an abundance of exceptional local amenities.

Those include conveniently located grocery stores, coffee shops, diverse dining options, and spacious parks.

It's not the first time that Bellaire has caught the eye of GoBankingRates, which previously ranked it as the No. 23 wealthiest suburb in America, and it's been named on similar lists comparing the richest American cities.

Dallas can take comfort in the fact that a different survey found Lewisville to be of the cities attracting the most high-income households, meaning those that make more than $200,000. However, census data places the most recent median income in Lewisville at $85,002 — so it's nowhere close to catching up to Bellaire.

suburbs houston bellaire affluent households