Suburb news

Dallas neighbor beckons movers as top U.S. suburb with small-town feel

Wylie's downtown district comes to life during the annual Bluegrass on Ballard car show.

Discover Wylie/Facebook

An unexpected Dallas-Fort Worth neighbor has emerged as a top destination for Americans searching for a suburb with a "small-town feel."

Wylie, a city less than 30 miles from downtown Dallas, ranked as the No. 7 most highly sought-after U.S. suburb of 2025 in MoveBuddha's new national survey.

MoveBuddha's experts analyzed Zillow Home Value Index data and mover search data from August 1, 2024 to September 11, 2025 for 100 of the largest U.S. metro areas. The study then determined the most desirable suburb for each metro by analyzing which had the highest inbound-to-outbound move ratio. Cities that qualified as "suburbs" were those located about 31 miles from their main metros.

In addition to being recognized as the 7th most desirable American suburb, Wylie also ranked as the second-most desirable suburb to move to in Texas. Boerne, a city outside San Antonio, ranked as the No.1 most sought after Texas suburb and the 4th most desirable suburb in the nation.

Wylie specifically stood out among four U.S. suburbs that offer residents a "small-town feel" despite being on the far edge of the Dallas metro.

"While not every top suburb is quaint or historic, in general, the most desirable suburbs nationwide are those with their own unique personalities and strong lifestyle appeal, regardless of their commute times," the report said.

Wylie isn't just being sought out by suburbanites that want to live in a small city with more space; No Demo Reno stars Mike and Jenn Todryk opened a coffee shop in this buzzy suburb earlier in 2025. And there's plenty of other local businesses all adding to "Wide Awake Wylie's" charm.

"Ballard Avenue, Wylie’s 'Main Street,' is home to vibrant shops, such as Shoemaker & Hardt, with its wide array of coffees and unique gifts; Rick’s Home Store, where hand-crafted wood and leather merchandise can be found; and family-owned Wylie Flower & Gifts, the oldest retail business in town, where the staff can handle everything from a small get-well bouquet to a full-scale wedding," the city's website says.

The average home in Wylie is valued at $434,593, landing somewhere in the middle in the national comparison of the most desirable suburbs with the cheapest home values.

Elsewhere in Texas, Georgetown was deemed the most desirable Austin suburb and ranked 27th nationally, while Houston neighbor The Woodlands ranked as No. 48 nationwide. Edinburg, a South Texas city outside McAllen, ranked as the No. 42 most desirable suburb in America.

"In the end, America’s most popular suburbs are proving that big moves don’t always mean big cities," the report said. "Sometimes they mean big charm, with moderate prices, with some proximity to mid-sized metros. And if trends continue, the popularity of these spots — and their housing prices — will only continue to climb in 2026."

The top 10 most sought-after suburbs in America are:

No. 1 – Wake Forest, North Carolina
No. 2 – Eagle, Idaho
No. 3 – Maryvile, Tennessee
No. 4 – Boerne, Texas
No. 5 – Greer, South Carolina
No. 6 – Camas, Washington
No. 7 – Wylie, Texas
No. 8 – Summerville, South Carolina
No. 9 – Alex, North Carolina
No. 10 – Florence, Kentucky

suburbs wylie dallas movebuddha reports

Rent report

Texas opens the door to more renters than any other state, report says

Renters, renting, rent, buying a house, homeowners

Photo by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash

Texas remains attractive to renters thanks to factors such as affordability, job growth, and apartment availability.

Texas reigns as the country’s No. 1 magnet for renters. According to an Apartments.com analysis, Texas gained nearly 73,000 net new renters from 2023 to 2024.

That figure, pulled from U.S. Census Bureau data, takes into account people who moved to and away from Texas.

Apartments.com says Texas remains attractive to renters thanks to factors such as affordability, job growth, and apartment availability. Many of these renters arrive from high-cost states like California and New York.

Among the state’s four major metro areas:

Dallas-Fort Worth rent growth recently slipped into negative territory as a wave of new apartments hit the market. “With modern housing choices backed by a strong job market that supports income growth, it’s easy to see why renters are flocking to Dallas,” says Apartments.com.
Houston continues to stand out nationally for relative affordability and high apartment availability. “Though the city has seen growth in recent years, a steady supply of apartment communities has kept rents low,” according to Apartments.com.
San Antonio now has the highest vacancy rate among major U.S. apartment markets (15.7 percent).
Austin continues to see widespread financial incentives for new renters, with more than 60 percent of properties offering one to two months’ free rent.

“Taken together, the data suggests Texas is entering a new housing phase: Demand remains strong, but the state’s massive apartment buildout is beginning to give renters more leverage than they’ve had in years,” Apartments.com says.

According to Apartment List, these are the top sources, in descending order, of new renters for each of Texas’ four major metros:

Dallas — Houston, Austin, New York City.
Austin — Dallas, Houston, San Antonio.
Houston — Dallas, Austin, New York City.
San Antonio — Austin, Houston, Dallas.

“For renters looking to move out of California, Texas was the most popular destination, edging out neighboring Nevada and Arizona,” Apartment List says.