The Forbes 400

Fort Worth's Alice Walton reclaims crown as America's richest woman, Forbes says

Alice Walton is back on top as the wealthiest woman in America in 2023.

Photo by D Dipasupil/Getty Images

Walmart heiress Alice Walton has reclaimed the title as wealthiest woman in America, according to the newForbes 400, a list of the 400 richest people in the United States for 2023. Walton is also the third-richest person in Texas, and No. 14 in the U.S.

Walton had held the title of America's richest woman from 2015 to 2022, but last year fell second to Julia Koch, the widow of the late philanthropist and businessman David Koch. Last spring, Forbes ranked Walton the third richest woman in the world, again behind Koch.

"Walton, who had been the nation’s wealthiest woman for seven years before 2022, added $10.8 billion to her fortune since last year after a 26 percent rise in Walmart stock," the report says. "Koch, who got a $3.8 billion wealthier, is now the second-richest woman in the country, worth an estimated $59.8 billion."

According to Forbes, Walton's net worth in 2023 is estimated at $66.5 billion, which is much closer to her 2021 net worth of $67.9 billion.

Among Texas' wealthiest, only Austin's Elon Musk and Michael Dell surpass Walton. Unsurprisingly, Musk ranks No. 1 nationally, with a net worth of $251 billion. Dell ranks No. 11 nationally, with a net worth of $71.5 billion, Forbes says.

Walton, 74, the only daughter of Walmart founder Sam Walton, now focuses primarily on her Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas, but Forbes lists her place of residence as Fort Worth.

Forbes' list, published October 3, is a definitive ranking of the wealthiest Americans, using interviews, financial data, and documentation provided by billionaires and their companies.

According to the report, America's elite class is now worth $4.5 trillion total, which ties a record previously set in 2021.

Here's how the rest of Dallas-Fort Worth's billionaires fared on this year's list:

Banking and real estate mogul Andy Beal of Dallas holds the No. 50 spot nationally. His estimated net worth is $13.8 billion. Last year: $10.3 billion.
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones of Dallas sits at No. 48 in the U.S. with an estimated net worth of $14.5 billion. Last year: $16 billion.
Money manager Ken Fisher of Dallas ranks 144th nationally with an estimated net worth of $7.1 billion. Last year: $6.3 billion.
Oil and real estate titan Ray Lee Hunt of Dallas ties for No. 140 nationally with an estimated net worth of $7.2 billion. Last year: $5.7 billion.
Oil and investment mogul Robert Bass of Fort Worth ties for 204th nationally with an estimated net worth of $5.3 billion. Last year: $4.9 billion.
Private equity kingpin David Bonderman of Fort Worth ranks No. 184 nationally with an estimated net worth of $5.7 billion. Last year: $6.5 billion.
Media magnate and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban of Dallas ranks 211th nationally with an estimated net worth of $5.2 billion. Last year: $4.6 billion.
Oil and gas honcho Trevor Rees-Jones of Dallas ties for 227th nationally with an estimated net worth of $4.9 billion. Last year: $4 billion.
Oil baron W. Herbert Hunt of Dallas ties for 227th nationally with an estimated net worth of $4.9 billion. Last year: $4 billion.
Hotel and investment guru Robert Rowling of Dallas ties for 123rd nationally with an estimated net worth of $7.5 billion. Last year: $4.8 billion.
Margot Birmingham Perot of Dallas, widow of tech and real estate entrepreneur H. Ross Perot Sr., ties for 227th nationally with an estimated net worth of $4.9 billion. Last year: $4.5 billion.
Oil and gas tycoon Kelcy Warren of Dallas ties for No. 192 nationally with an estimated net worth of $5.6 billion. Last year: $4.6 billion.
Real estate bigwig H. Ross Perot Jr. of Dallas ties for No. 304 nationally with an estimated net worth of $3.7 billion. Last year: $2.8 billion.
Homebuilder Donald Horton and family of Fort Worth rank 249th nationally with an estimated net worth of $4.6 billion. Last year: unlisted, but an estimated net worth of $2.9 billion in 2021.
Oil and gas magnate Ray Davis of Dallas ties for No. 395 nationally with an estimated net worth of $2.9 billion. Last year: unlisted, but an estimated net worth of $2.3 billion in 2019.
Private equity firm cofounder Carl Thoma ranks No. 326 nationally with an estimated net worth of $3.5 billion. Last year: $3.3 billion.
Oil heir Sid Bass ranks 291st nationally with an estimated net worth of $3.9 billion. Last year: $3.7 billion.
Airplane leasing industry founder Steven Udvar-Hazy of Westlake ranks No. 278 nationally with an estimated net worth of $4.1 billion. Last year: $3.8 billion.

Alice Walton dallas fort worth reports Forbes

population explosion

7 Fort Worth neighbors saw biggest population booms in U.S. for 2023

City of Denton, TX - City Hall/Facebook

Denton had the biggest population growth rate in Dallas-Fort Worth from 2022 to 2023.

Several Dallas-Fort Worth suburbs are among the fastest-growing cities in the nation, according to a new population growth study by SmartAsset.

The report, "These Cities Saw the Largest Growth in Population – 2024 Study," examined U.S. Census population estimates for 2023, 2022, and 2018 to determine one-year and five-year population changes for 610 U.S. cities with populations of at least 65,000 residents in 2023 (where the most recent data was available).

Denton took the lead over all other Dallas-Fort Worth cities with the 16th-largest one-year population growth rate in the U.S., at 5.32 percent. Denton gained over 8,000 residents from 2022 to 2023, bringing the city's total population to 158,361 in 2023.

This should come as no surprise to those who already live in Denton, who may know their hometown was ranked one of the safest suburbs in America.

Mansfield trailed close behind with a 4.16 percent increase in population during that same period, which landed it the No. 26 spot in the one-year population change analysis. The city gained 3,189 new residents in that time, adding up to a total population of 79,775 residents in 2023.

McKinney appeared farther down the list as No. 49 with just a 2.89 percent one-year growth rate from 2022 to 2023, and a total population of 213,504 residents.

Only four other Dallas-Fort Worth cities appeared in the top 100 fastest growing cities in the U.S. from 2022 to 2023:

No. 61 – Frisco (2.48 percent increase)
No. 72 – Rowlett (2.48 percent)
No. 73 – Lewisville (2.17 percent)
No. 99 – Flower Mound (1.73 percent)

The report suggested major population shifts in communities like Denton or Mansfield can result in "a variety of interwoven economic and social impacts."

"The magnitude of the population change can affect demand for businesses and services, which in turn may impact costs – or even the availability of such amenities," the report's author wrote. "Similarly, the relative age of the population can determine the strength or weakness of the local job market, as well as have an impact on local culture, economic trajectory, tax base and more."

Silver Spring, Maryland had the No. 1 biggest population boom nationwide from 2022 to 2023, SmartAsset found. The Washington, D.C. suburb grew 12.86 percent year-over-year, bringing the city's total population from 75,313 to 84,996 residents in 2023.

Fast-growing cities elsewhere in Texas
Texas cities dominated the top 10 list of cities where population grew the most from 2022 to 2023.

New Braunfels, a San Antonio suburb, ranked No. 2 nationally with an 12.49 percent one-year population boom, and a 29.68 percent growth rate from 2018 to 2023. The city gained 12,318 new residents in that time, adding up to a total population of 110,961 residents in 2023.

Just two spots behind New Braunfels is the North Austin suburb of Georgetown (No. 4), which grew 11.34 percent to 96,317 residents in 2023. According to the report's five-year population change analysis, Georgetown ranked seventh with a 29.85 percent growth rate.

The Houston suburbs of Atascocita and Conroe ranked No. 5 and No. 9, respectively. Atascocita's total population grew to 119,502 residents in 2023, which represented a 11.03 percent growth rate from 2022, and a whopping 38.56 percent population increase since 2018. Conroe's 6.73 percent one-year population increase paled in comparison, but the city grew 23.49 percent during the five-year period from 2018 to 2023.

The top 10 U.S. cities where population grew the most from 2022 to 2023 are:

No. 1 – Silver Spring, Maryland
No. 2 – New Braunfels, Texas
No. 3 – Glen Burnie, Maryland
No. 4 – Georgetown, Texas
No. 5 – Atascocita, Texas
No. 6 – Pine Hills, Florida
No. 7 – Elgin, Illinois
No. 8 – Lehi, Utah
No. 9 – Conroe, Texas
No. 10 – Dale City, Virginia

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