The Fastest-Growing Cities in Texas (2026 Edition)

Texas added more population than any other U.S. state in the most recent decade and continues to do so in the latest ACS5. But 'Texas grew' obscures the geographic reality: most of the state has been roughly flat, while a tight cluster of Sun Belt suburbs has grown extraordinarily fast.

This ranking uses ACS5 population estimates (B01003) at the city ('place') level, comparing the latest vintage to the prior. We focus on cities of 50,000+ to filter out small-town noise.

1. Frisco

Frisco, in Collin and Denton counties north of Dallas, is the single fastest-growing large city in the United States in cumulative ACS5 terms over the last decade. From roughly 130,000 residents in 2014 to over 230,000 today. The growth driver is the corporate-relocation boom along the Dallas North Tollway plus the Toyota North America HQ relocation that effectively rewrote the city's economic identity.

2. McKinney

Immediately east of Frisco, also Collin County. Roughly 200,000 residents now, up from ~155,000 a decade ago. Slightly more diversified housing stock than Frisco, lower median home value, and a preserved historic downtown that gives it cultural depth Frisco lacks.

3. Round Rock

Williamson County, north of Austin along I-35. Anchored by the long-time Dell Technologies headquarters. Growth has been driven by the broader Austin tech corridor's spillover north as Austin proper became unaffordable.

4. Pearland

Brazoria County, south of Houston. The model 'fast-growing Sun Belt suburb' — affordable single-family housing, strong schools, easy access to the Texas Medical Center. Growth has been less explosive than Frisco's but more sustained.

5. Conroe

Montgomery County, north of Houston along I-45. The fastest-growing exurb of Houston. Residential development north into Conroe is now a primary release valve for the Houston housing market.

6. New Braunfels

Comal and Guadalupe counties, between Austin and San Antonio along I-35. Has grown faster as the Austin-San Antonio corridor consolidates into a single de facto metropolitan area.

7. Cedar Park

Williamson County, immediately west of Round Rock. Same Austin-spillover dynamic, slightly higher median income.

8. Georgetown

Williamson County, the next ring north of Round Rock. Briefly held the title of fastest-growing U.S. city. The Sun City Texas community drove early growth; broader Austin spillover sustains it.

9. Killeen

Bell County, anchored by Fort Cavazos (formerly Fort Hood). Growth driven by military-related employment and lower housing cost than Austin's outer suburbs.

10. Leander

Williamson County, the outer Austin suburb. The terminus of the MetroRail commuter line into downtown Austin. Strong family-household demographic.

Why this list looks the way it does

Eight of the ten fastest-growing Texas cities are in just three metros: Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin, or Houston. Two (Killeen, Conroe) are exurbs of Houston or central Texas anchored by specific employers (military, oil & gas).

Within DFW, the growth is overwhelmingly Collin and Denton counties — the corporate-relocation belt north of LBJ Freeway. Within Austin, the growth is overwhelmingly the I-35 corridor north and south. Within Houston, the growth is the I-45 corridor north into Montgomery County and the suburban arc south into Brazoria County.

What rapid growth has done to affordability

These cities are not as cheap as their reputation suggests. Frisco's median home value is now well above $500,000 — closer to a Northeast suburb than to a Sun Belt one. Round Rock and Cedar Park have followed Austin's housing curve almost lockstep. Pearland and McKinney remain meaningfully more affordable.

The lesson: 'fast-growing Texas city' no longer reliably means 'cheap Texas city.' Use our compare tool or ZIP search to put a specific Texas city against your current city before assuming the Texas-affordability story still applies.