on the rise

2 Dallas neighbors rank among fastest-growing wealthy suburbs in U.S.

Celina had the second highest population growth nationwide from 2018 to 2023.

celina-tx.gov/

Two Dallas-area cities have earned major bragging rights: Celina and Prosper, two boomtowns north of Dallas, are among the top three fastest growing affluent suburbs in the country.

The cities' new affluent status was unveiled in a new GoBankingRates' study ranking the "30 Fastest-Growing Wealthy Suburbs in America" for 2025. The report examined population changes from 2018 to 2023 among cities and towns in major U.S. metro areas with populations between 25,000 and 100,000 residents. Median household income, average home value, and a "livability score" were also calculated for each locale.

Celina came in at No 2 on the list, with Prosper following one slot behind at No. 3.

The No. 1 fastest-growing wealthy American suburb: Fulshear, 37 miles west of Houston. The report said that the city's population has skyrocketed 237 percent over the last five years.

Celina – located 42 miles north of downtown Dallas – experienced the second most dramatic population increase out of all 30 cities in the report. Though the suburb only has an estimated population of 43,317 residents, that number has ballooned 190 percent during the five-year period.

A Celina resident's median income is $155,875 annually, and the average value of a home in the city comes out to $611,512, the report found.

Celina was the fastest growing city in America in 2023, and the city's growth has also lured many new restaurants and chains.

Meanwhile, Prosper's population grew 81 percent to to an estimated 41,660 people. The city is situated about 37 miles north of Dallas (a short drive away from Celina) where residents earn a prosperous median income of $187,603 a year. The average home in Prosper is worth $823,356, according to the study.

Prosper has definitely lived up to its name over the last five years.Town of Prosper, Texas Government/Facebook

Other Dallas-Fort Worth cities that earned spots in the report include Flower Mound (No. 19), Southlake (No. 27), University Park (No. 28), and Colleyville (No. 29).

"The old adage that everything is bigger in Texas is true, considering the number of Lone Star State suburbs that are quickly growing in population and overall wealth," the report's author wrote.

The top 10 fastest-growing wealthy suburbs in America are:

No. 1 – Fulshear, Texas
No. 2 – Celina, Texas
No. 3 – Prosper, Texas
No. 4 – Erie, Colorado
No. 5 – Clarksburg, Maryland
No. 6 – Zionsville, Indiana
No. 7 – Redmond, Washington
No. 8 – Dublin, California
No. 9 – Parkland, Florida
No. 10 – Eastvale, California

population population growth suburbs reports dallas celina growth prosper

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