Hottest 'hoods

North Texas town boasts 5th hottest ZIP code in U.S. for buyers, report says

This adorable home in Forney is on the market for $399,990.

Photo courtesy of Estately.com

A small town east of Dallas is a big magnet for homebuyers. Forney, in fact, boasts one of the hottest ZIP codes in the country.

According to OpenDoor’s 2022 Hottest ZIP Codes in America report, Forney's 75126 was the fifth most popular ZIP code for buyers around the U.S. last year. It moved up from No. 8 in the 2021 report.

OpenDoor analyzed data from the local Multiple Listing Services (MLS) where Opendoor Brokerage operates, they say. The neighborhoods were ranked by total homes that went into contract within 90 days of listing in 2022.

Forney - a town of 27,000 about a half-hour east of Dallas - tracks with a post-pandemic trend that OpenDoor identified when compiling its 2022 list: that buyers were gravitating toward “a small-town feel while close to a bustling downtown for entertainment, dining, and shopping,” they say.

“Whether to be closer to outdoor and recreational activities or to join a close-knit community, the desire to belong remained strong in 2022 as the recalibration of work and personal priorities encouraged people to move away from city centers,” the report’s author says.

For the same reasons, another North Texas town - Aubrey - was deemed a top “emerging” ZIP for 2022. Its 76227 lands at No. 13 on the list. It had been No. 15 in the 2021 report.

Aubrey, population 6,500, is about an hour north of Dallas, in northeast Denton County. It is home to sprawling ranches and considered the “horse capital of Texas.”

“We are seeing homeowners vie for that sense of belonging in cities and towns accessible to major metros via short commutes – like Aubrey,” OpenDoor says.

Elsewhere in Texas
Aubrey and Forney are the only Dallas-area ZIPs to make it into the top 20, but they are in good company with several others around Texas.

Katy’s 77494, in the Houston area, is the highest-scoring ZIP in the state, landing at No. 3.

“Half of first-time home buyers say ‘family’ is the top reason they decided to purchase a home in 2022. Katy, TX and Yukon, OK continued their reign on our hottest ZIPs list,” OpenDoor says. “They draw homeowners for their proximity to major employers while still being a good fit for families.”

Another Houston suburb, Cypress’ 77433, comes in at No. 7.

Also in the mix are a few ZIPs in the Austin-San Antonio area: No. 4 is 78130 in New Braunfels, and No. 9 is 78641 in Leander. The San Antonio ZIP of 78253 is No. 11.

The hottest ZIP code in the country is 37042 in Clarksville, Tennessee, which has “a thriving, close-knit local community while still being close to the action in Nashville,” OpenDoor says.

The top 20 ZIP codes in the U.S. for 2022 are:

Clarksville, Tennessee (37042)
Yukon, Oklahoma (73099)
Katy, Texas (77494)
New Braunfels, Texas (78130)
Forney, Texas (75126)
Summerville, South Carolina (29486)
Cypress, Texas (77433)
Kissimmee, Florida (34747)
Leander, Texas (78641)
Murfreesboro, Tennessee (37128)
San Antonio, Texas (78253)
Loganville, Georgia (30052)
Aubrey, Texas (76227)
Winter Garden, Florida (34787)
Cumming, Georgia (30040)
Suwanee, Georgia (30024)
Gallatin, Tennessee (37066)
San Diego, California (92101)
Port Saint Lucie, Florida (34953)
Parker, Colorado (80134)

Welcome Home

Dallas neighbor declared No. 1 Texas city for first-time homebuyers

Photo courtesy of Arista McKinney

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The Dallas housing market may not be for everyone, but one shining suburb is a cut above the rest. McKinney has been named the best market for first-time homebuyers in Texas, and it's among the 100 best in America, according to a new study.

WalletHub's new study — which analyzes the affordability, quality of life, and real estate market in 300 U.S. cities — ranks McKinney No. 70 overall in the U.S. to buy your first home. And, when broken down by city size, WalletHub ranks McKinney No. 31 out of 102 mid-sized cities in America.

McKinney's outstanding real estate market and quality of life are the biggest appeal for first-time buyers, with affordability its main detractor, according to the report's findings.

The Dallas suburb ranks 9th out of all 300 U.S. cities studied for its housing market, and its quality of life is 61st nationally. The report found McKinney also boasts the second-lowest property crime rates in the U.S. The city's affordability ranking, however, is among the 50 worst, at No. 258, but that wasn't enough to outweigh its stellar performance in the other main categories.

Overall, the Lone Star State has taken a tumble among the best places for first-time buyers. McKinney is the only city in Texas to appear among the top 100, with a total of 20 Texas cities ranking below that section of the report.

For 2026, Dallas plummeted as the second-worst housing market for first-time homebuyers in Texas, ranking No. 233 nationally. Dallas' real estate market is the 60th best in the U.S., but its poor quality of life and affordability scores — No. 248 and No. 252, respectively — significantly brought down the city's overall performance.

This is how WalletHub ranked first-time homebuyer appeal across other cities in North Texas:

No. 106 – Plano
No. 110 – Grand Prairie
No. 111 – Denton
No. 130 – Fort Worth
No. 134 – Frisco
No. 148 – Allen
No. 170 – Richardson
No. 177 – Garland
No. 184 – Arlington
No. 189 – Irving
No. 194 – Carrollton
No. 202 — Mesquite

Laredo (No. 200), San Antonio (No. 208), and Houston (No. 271) join Mesquite and Dallas as the five worst housing markets for first-time buyers in Texas.

First-time buyers across the country are entering the housing market at a difficult time, the report says. The National Association of Realtors reported the share of first-time homebuyers sank to an all-time low in 2025, to 21 percent, whereas the historic national average is 40 percent.

"Buying a home for the first time is an exciting and important milestone for many Americans, but achieving that milestone is getting more difficult as prices and interest rates continue to rise," the report's author wrote. "People willing and able to invest in a house this year must balance what they want and need with what they can afford. Often, people begin searching for their dream home without a realistic idea of market prices, interest rates or even their eligibility for a mortgage."

wallethub real estate housing market first time homebuyers reports