Celina is the fastest-growing city in America

The Census Bureau Vintage 2025 estimates (released May 14, 2026, covering July 2024 to July 2025) put North Texas on top:

-Celina, TX (Collin County, ~45 min north of downtown Dallas) was the No. 1 fastest-growing US city among places of 20,000+, growing 24.6% to 64,427 residents - about 12,710 people in one year (U.S. Census Bureau; Texas Tribune, 2026).
-Three more North Texas suburbs made the national top five: Princeton (+18.1% to 43,524), Melissa (+14.5% to 29,969), and Anna (+10.2% to 35,245) (Community Impact, 2026).
-Only Houston-area Fulshear (No. 2, +21.0%) broke up the run, giving DFW 4 of the 5 fastest-growing cities in the country (WFAA, 2026).
-Eight of the nation 15 fastest-growing cities are in Texas, most of them DFW exurbs, including Forney (+8.5%) and Greenville (+7.5%) (Community Impact, 2026).

The big-city picture: Fort Worth cracks the top 10

Growth is not just the exurbs:

-Fort Worth added more new residents than any US city except Charlotte, gaining roughly 19,500 people year over year (Texas Tribune; CBS Texas, 2026).
-Fort Worth passed Jacksonville to become the 10th-most-populous US city, putting four Texas cities (Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, Fort Worth) in the national top 10.
-The Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metro reached about 8,477,157 residents, adding roughly 123,557 people in the year (near 339 per day), still the nation 4th-largest metro (Fort Worth EDP, 2026).

Why it matters to DFW buyers, renters and investors

Explosive demand, but a more balanced market:

-Demand supports values in these Collin County suburbs, but it also front-loads heavy new-construction supply, which is why DFW median prices have flattened: Realtor.com pegged the DFW median list price at $435,999 in May 2026, down 0.9% year over year.
-Days-on-market has stretched to roughly 54 days (about 7-8 weeks) metro-wide, so even in hot suburbs buyers have more negotiating room than in 2021-2022 (NTREIS/Realtor.com, 2026).
-For investors and renters, the wave of new rooftops means rising rental inventory and strong tenant demand tied to job access along US-75 and the Dallas North Tollway.
-Fast growth strains infrastructure, so verifying a specific address school zone, flood risk, and city limits matters more here than in built-out cities.

Verify it yourself

Celina, Princeton, Melissa and Anna are all in Collin County, so verify parcel, owner, assessed value and tax history against the Collin Central Appraisal District (Forney is Kaufman CAD, Greenville is Hunt CAD). Fast exurban development pushes into former farmland near creeks, so pull the FEMA flood zone for the exact address, and confirm the ISD and campus zoning (Celina ISD vs Prosper ISD boundaries overlap in the area). Booming new-construction markets attract fake builder-lot listings and duplicate rental scams on vacant new homes - RPV lets a buyer confirm the property is real, who owns it, and whether the price aligns with verified comps before sending money.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the fastest-growing city in the US right now?

Per the Census Bureau Vintage 2025 estimates released May 14, 2026, Celina, TX (Collin County, DFW) is the fastest-growing US city among places of 20,000+, up 24.6% to 64,427 residents between July 2024 and July 2025.

Which DFW suburbs are growing the fastest?

Celina (+24.6%), Princeton (+18.1%), Melissa (+14.5%) and Anna (+10.2%) rank as four of the five fastest-growing cities in the entire country. Forney (+8.5%) and Greenville (+7.5%) also made the national top 15. All are DFW exurbs, mostly in Collin County.

Are DFW home prices rising with all this growth?

Not sharply. Despite record population gains, heavy new-construction supply has kept prices flat: the DFW metro median list price was about $435,999 in May 2026, down roughly 0.9% year over year, and homes were taking about 54 days to go under contract.

How can I verify data before buying in a boom suburb?

Because these cities grow so fast, check the property against the county appraisal district (Collin CAD for Celina/Princeton/Melissa/Anna), confirm the FEMA flood zone, verify the actual school district and city limits, and cross-reference the asking price with local market data before committing.

Sources

U.S. Census Bureau - Vintage 2025 City & Town Population Estimates (May 14, 2026)
The Texas Tribune - Texas fastest-growing cities (May 14, 2026)
Community Impact - 8 of nation fastest-growing cities in Texas (May 2026)
CBS Texas; WFAA - North Texas fastest-growing cities (May 2026)
Fort Worth Economic Development Partnership (Apr 2026)
Realtor.com / NTREIS - DFW market data (May 2026)

North Texas Has 4 of 5 Fastest-Growing Cities