in the 'burbs

Fort Worth neighbor is 9th fastest-growing affordable suburb in U.S., report says

Burleson's rich history may be a draw for newcomers.

www.movebuddha.com

Life in the Fort Worth area may not be as affordable as it used to be. But one local city - Burleson - is still a bargain, according to a new report by moveBuddha on "The Top 20 Fastest-Growing Affordable U.S. Suburbs."

The south Fort Worth suburb ranked No. 9, with a population growth rate of 11.2 percent as of 2020, the report said.

The report notes that some suburbs have stagnated, in the wake of a trend of people moving toward more walkable inner cities. But the allure of space and safety is still a lure for many home buyers. Burleson is just 15 miles from downtown Fort Worth, making a manageable commute part of its appeal.

Burleson's average housing price is $318,568. The study says Burleson residents are paying much less than most Americans for their homes, which is part of its allure.

The city's population has been on an upward trajectory for decades (as longtime residents who've witnessed its growth can attest).

"Burleson struggled during the Great Depression, maintaining a population of just a few hundred," the report says. "Today, the jobs and people are back in droves. Burleson’s grown from just over 46,000 residents in 2017 to more than 53,000 today."

For comparison, the north Austin suburb of Georgetown took the lead as No. 1 on the list with a 26.7 percent growth rate since 2020. Georgetown's average housing price is $453,376, a significantly higher cost than a home in Burleson.

Elsewhere in the Metroplex, Little Elm - located north of Dallas at the northeast corner of Lewisville Lake - earned the No. 4 spot in the study. An earlier U.S. Census report also confirmed Little Elm's skyrocketing population growth. Rockwall lands at No. 20.

Overall, nine out of the top 20 "bargain" suburbs in the report are in Texas.

The top 10 fastest growing affordable American suburbs are:

No. 1 – Georgetown, Texas
No. 2 – Kyle, Texas
No. 3 – Leander, Texas
No. 4 – Little Elm, Texas
No. 5 – Westfield, Indiana
No. 6 – New Braunfels, Texas
No. 7 – Maricopa, Arizona
No. 8 – Buckeye, Arizona
No. 9 – Burleson, Texas
No. 10 – Conroe, Texas

The report defined a suburb as any "non-principal" city in a metropolitan area with a population of fewer than 100,000. Over 800 suburbs were examined based on 2020 and 2022 U.S. Census Bureau's population estimates, and narrowed down into the final 20. It also defined the "affordability" category by sorting cities with average home prices below $500,000 using the Zillow Home Value Index for single family homes. The cities were ultimately ranked based on their growth rates.

The full report can be found on movebuddha.com.

suburbs austin dallas fort worth houston texas reports population growth

Elite address

One Texas community makes list of the richest small towns in America

Photo courtesy of Compass

Bunker Hill Village is a coveted address in the Houston area.

An upscale community in Texas is among the top 10 richest towns in America, according to a new 2024 report. The community is Bunker Hill Village in Houston, and it's home to the richest residents in Texas. Sorry, Colonial Hills.

The analysis, by loan provider TitleMax, lists the 50 richest small towns — one from each state — using median household income data from the U.S. Census Bureau. In Bunker Hill Village, the median household income is about $250,000, the report says.

Of course, "small town" is a bit of a misnomer for Bunker Hill Village. Situated 13 miles west of downtown Houston, Bunker Hill joins five other communities – Hunters Creek, HiIlshire, Hedwig, Piney Point, and Spring Valley – to make up Houston's iconic Memorial Villages. In 2023, Bunker Hill was ranked the third-most expensive Houston neighborhood, with homes on the market for upwards of $2.7 million.

Notably, the area is home to Houston's only Frank Lloyd Wright-designed house.

"We are very proud of our quiet, wooded environment, and as a community, we work hard to preserve it for future generations," the city's website says.

The study found that more than half (56.5 percent) of the 1,250-home community make over $200,000 a year, while the enclave's median household income amounts to $247,188.

To put that into perspective, TitleMax revealed that the national median household income is $67,521. The Census Bureau's 2023 American Community Survey estimates the median income of a household in Texas came out to $75,780 in 2023.

Bunker Hill joins the likes of Houston's Bellaire and West University Place as some of the most affluent suburbs in America. The North Texas suburb of Southlake also made it on that list.

The No. 1 slot went to Monte Sereno, a suburb of San Jose, California with a median household income of more than $250,000, according to the report.

"While many people consider cities to be the epicenters of the rich, many retreat to small towns that offer safety, beauty, and privacy," the report's author wrote.

These are the top 10 wealthiest small towns in America, with their median household incomes:

No. 1 – Monte Sereno, California ($250,000-plus)
No. 2 – Cherry Hills Village, Colorado ($250,000-plus)
No. 3 – Mission Hills, Kansas ($250,000-plus)
No. 4 – Short Hills, New Jersey ($250,000-plus)
No. 5 – Scarsdale, New York ($250,000-plus)
No. 6 – Belle Meade, Tennessee ($250,000-plus)
No. 7 – Glencoe, Illinois ($248,851)
No. 8 – Bunker Hill Village, Texas ($247,188)
No. 9 – Clyde Hill, Washington ($238,958)
No. 10 – Chevy Chase Village, Maryland ($238,333)

The full report can be found on titlemax.com.

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in the 'burbs

Fort Worth neighbor is 9th fastest-growing affordable suburb in U.S., report says

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One Texas community makes list of the richest small towns in America

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