| The hottest housing markets in America aren’t downtown—they’re miles beyond the suburbs, where exurban boomtowns are redefining population growth. |
| Exburban explosion: New Census Bureau data show Fulshear, Texas—35 miles west of Houston—was the fastest-growing U.S. city with more than 50,000 residents between 2020 and mid-2025, surging from roughly 17,000 to 64,630. Nearby Celina, north of Dallas, added nearly 13,000 residents in one year, pushing its population above 64,400. |
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| Texas keeps dominating: The DFW metro continues sprawling outward as buyers chase affordability and master-planned communities. Outer-ring cities like Celina and Fort Worth are booming even as Dallas posted a slight population decline. Houston, meanwhile, added fewer residents than some of its exurban neighbors despite its population of 2.4M. |
| Outer-ring Arizona: Phoenix may be the nation’s fifth-largest city, but the real growth is happening beyond its borders. Goodyear, Buckeye, Surprise, and Avondale—all now above 100,000 residents—grew at least 4.5% last year, while Queen Creek expanded 8.2% and is nearing 90,000 residents. |
| New England growth shift: Boston’s affordability crunch is pushing growth beyond the urban core. Manchester and Nashua continue to attract residents with lower housing costs and no state income tax, while Worcester has grown to nearly 214,000 residents. Everett, just outside Boston, also posted a strong 4.6% population increase amid a recent housing boom. |
| The Carolinas are still a magnet: North Carolina’s Research Triangle remains one of the country’s strongest growth engines. Raleigh and Durham grew 9% since 2020, while nearby towns like Cary, Apex, Holly Springs, and Chapel Hill also expanded rapidly. Charlotte, meanwhile, is nearing one million residents after growing 2.2% last year—faster than any U.S. city with more than 500,000 people. |
| Growth finds affordability: National population growth slowed to 0.5% last year—about half the previous pace—due to tighter immigration restrictions. Even so, Sun Belt and exurban markets continue attracting demand as households prioritize larger homes, newer communities, and affordability. |
| ➥ THE TAKEAWAY |
| The next growth frontier: America’s next-generation growth story is increasingly an exurban one. Developers and investors are following households farther from city centers, where cheaper land and master-planned communities are fueling the next wave of demand for retail, multifamily, industrial, and infrastructure. |
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