Which state has the most fast-growing ZIP codes?

Texas, by a wide margin — driven by the DFW outer ring and Greater Houston. Florida and the Carolinas follow. Arizona's Phoenix metro contributes the largest single-metro cluster outside Texas.

Are these ZIPs still affordable?

Less so each year. Most fast-growing ZIPs are absorbing affluent in-migrants and home values are rising fast. The window of 'cheap and growing' usually closes within 5–7 years.

How current is this data?

ACS5 is a 5-year rolling average and lags real-time growth by 18–24 months. The fastest ZIPs are likely growing even faster than the published numbers show.

Fastest-Growing ZIP Codes in America — 2026 Census

Where Americans are actually moving — at the ZIP level, not the metro level — is one of the most useful signals in U.S. demography. Metro-level growth tells you a region is hot; ZIP-level growth tells you which streets and subdivisions are absorbing the new population. The pattern is consistent: growth concentrates in ZIPs that combine cheap, developable land with proximity to a major job center.

Methodology

We compare the latest ACS5 vintage (2023) population estimate (B01003) for each ZIP Code Tabulation Area (ZCTA) against the prior vintage (2018). We include only ZCTAs with a 2018 base population above 5,000 to avoid the volatility of small ZIPs (where adding a single subdivision can produce a 200% growth rate that doesn't generalize).

Important caveat: ACS5 is a five-year rolling average, so the 'vintage 2023' file actually covers 2019–2023. Real-time growth in 2024–2026 is meaningfully faster in many of these ZIPs than the data shows.

Texas dominates the top of the list

The DFW Metroplex's outer ring (Celina, Prosper, Anna, Princeton in Collin County, plus Aubrey and Cross Roads in Denton County) has produced the most consistent ZIP-level growth in the country. Median household income in these ZIPs is high, the school districts are well-rated, and homebuilders have absorbed enormous farmland in the Dallas-Fort Worth path of growth.

Greater Houston follows the same pattern: Fulshear, Katy, and Manvel ZIPs in the western and southern outer rings. Austin's outer ring (Leander, Liberty Hill, Manor, Pflugerville) shows similar dynamics but with somewhat slower absolute growth than DFW.

Florida: Central and Southwest

Florida's fastest-growing ZIPs are now concentrated inland. The Lakeland-Winter Haven corridor along I-4, the Cape Coral / Fort Myers ZIPs in southwest Florida, and the St. Lucie / Port St. Lucie ZIPs on the Treasure Coast are absorbing the bulk of new population. Coastal South Florida (Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach) is now in net out-migration in many ZIPs — affordability has finally bitten.

The Carolinas and Arizona

Charlotte's southern crescent (Indian Trail, Waxhaw, Fort Mill in South Carolina) and Raleigh's outer ring (Apex, Holly Springs, Wake Forest) post growth rates competitive with the Texas ZIPs. Phoenix's outer ring (Buckeye, Queen Creek, Surprise) and Tucson's far north (Marana, Oro Valley) round out the national list.

Why these ZIPs and not others

Fast-growing ZIPs almost always share three traits: (1) large remaining undeveloped land within 30–45 minutes of a major employment center; (2) school district reputations strong enough to attract families; (3) home prices below the metro median when the growth started, even if they're catching up fast now.

ZIPs that grow but aren't on this list often grow on a percentage basis from a tiny base. Real demographic significance requires both a high growth rate and meaningful absolute population added. We weight both.

Use the data yourself

Look up any ZIP on our ZIP search to see its 5-year population trajectory, and use the rankings page to view fastest-growing ZIPs by state. Use the compare tool to put two fast-growing ZIPs side by side — the differences in income, age structure, and home value can be substantial even between adjacent suburbs.

The 25 Fastest-Growing ZIP Codes in the United States (2026)