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

Deadbeat City

Dallas County Tax Office issues warning re: property tax deadline

Photo by Kostiantyn Li on Unsplash

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Dallas homeowners, the Dallas County Tax Office is here with a stern reminder: The annual deadline to get your property taxes paid up is January 31, 2025. This is two days away.

This deadline won't matter to the many homeowners who have their property tax factored into their monthly mortgage payments. However, some homeowners — those whose mortgage is paid up, for example — do not have their property taxes put aside by an outside party. It is those who are facing a deadline to pay up. Missing that deadline incurs penalty fees, which can often be expensive. Don't ask me how I know, let's just say it happened to a friend.

This comes at a time when Dallas County property taxes have skyrocketed in 2025 to among the highest levels in the U.S., according to a recent report by information services provider CoreLogic.

The property tax report analyzed the growth in tax rates and housing prices across all 50 states and the most populous U.S. counties. From 2019 to 2024, Dallas County taxes increased 32.7 percent, or 6.5 percent year-over-year — putting Dallas in the No. 3 position on the list. (Two counties in Florida — Broward and Miami-Dade — had higher rates.)

For those who have not yet paid their property taxes, Dallas County Tax Assessor/Collector John R. Ames says that the wisest route at this late stage is probably to pay online.

“All seven of the Dallas County Tax Office locations are open Monday through Friday from 8 am-4:30 pm to assist taxpayers with their property tax payments, but we encourage taxpayers to pay online whenever possible to avoid the crowds,” Ames says. "Pay online, don’t stand in line!"

The seven locations are listed on their website, as follows: downtown Dallas, Garland, Grand Prairie, Mesquite, North Dallas, Oak Cliff, and South Dallas.

Dallas County citizens can pay online in two ways:

Via an eCheck, for no additional fees
MasterCard, Visa, Discover, and American Express credit and debit cards but with fees

They can also pay property taxes over the phone by calling 1-800-831-3147. Or they can mail their payment — although at this point, with the deadline being two days away, that is risky.

For those who can't afford to make the payment in full, The Dallas County Tax Office allows partial payments — but there's still a penalty fee although the amount is reduced.

"Partial payments will be applied and only the remaining balance will be subject to penalties rather than the full original amount due," Ames says.

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