Big City News

Fort Worth + 5 neighbors rank among fastest-growing affordable cities

Fort Worth is fast-growing and affordable.

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A new national study has declared Texas is home to the most affordable, fast-growing cities in the country, and Fort Worth makes the list.

Fort Worth ranks No. 26 on GoBankingRates.com's new list of "50 Most Affordable, Fastest-Growing Cities in 2025."

The Dallas suburb Frisco tops the national rankings at No. 1, and four more North Texas cities appear on the list: McKinney, Allen, Lewisville, and Denton.

The personal finance website's experts analyzed U.S. cities to find the most affordable places with large population growth based one-year and five-year population growth rates higher than the national average. Additional factors considered include each city's median household income, average home values, average rental cost, and average mortgage cost.

No. 26-ranked Fort Worth's population grew 10 percent over the last five years, with residents making a median household income of $76,602 annually. The average home value in the city limits is a little more than $300,000, the report found.

By comparison, No. 1-ranked Frisco's population swelled nearly 27 percent over the last five years, though it does appear to be slowing down as the suburb's one-year growth rate was only 4 percent. However, its rapid growth further proves that this buzzy city is one of the most desirable places to move to.

Frisco, Texas Suburban dwellers love Frisco. City of Frisco TX - City Hall/Facebook

The study also found the average Frisco home is valued at more than $678,000, which at first glance isn't as affordable as other DFW cities. However, GoBankingRates deems this "affordable" since the median Frisco household income is $146,000.

The study also determined the total cost of living for a Frisco homeowner comes out to $72,262 annually. Renters have a cheaper cost of living, totaling $46,718 per year.

McKinney and Allen each landed at top-five spots in the report, earning respectable ranks as the third and fifth most affordable and fast-growing U.S. cities. Both cities had higher five-year growth rates than the national average – 16.6 percent in McKinney and 8.5 percent in Allen – and they both have similar average home values ($512,667 in McKinney, and $514,490 in Allen).

McKinney's affordability has been a hot topic in 2025 after Motley Fool Money ranked the suburb the No. 1 most affordable U.S. city in its own analysis. The city will only become more popular after its $1.3 billion mixed-use development is completed within the next decade.

The two other DFW neighbors that ranked among the most affordable and fast-growing cities list are Lewisville (No. 8) and Denton (No. 19).

Six more Texas cities earned spots in the report: the Houston suburbs of League City (No. 7) and Pearland (No. 11); Austin (No. 35) and its neighbor Round Rock (No. 10); the Rio Grande Valley city of Edinburg (No. 43); and Central Texas city Killeen (No. 49).

dallas fort worth suburbs population growth frisco mckinney

Home For Sale

Fort Worth castle built for co-owner of Texas Rangers on auction block

Courtesy

9553 Bella Terra

A massive castle in Fort Worth is headed for auction: The property, originally built for a co-owner of the Texas Rangers, is a 19,000-square-foot colossus with turrents, towers, and castle-like stone interiors.

Located at 9553 Bella Terra Dr., the home is also listed for sale for $11.75 million. But it'll also be placed on the block by Concierge Auctions starting December 3 with the final day for bidding on December 18.

The listing describes it as a commanding architectural masterpiece, occupying an exclusive hilltop position within Montserrat, one of West Fort Worth's most prestigious enclaves.

Built in 2006 for Bob Simpson, the co-owner and co-chairman of the Texas Rangers, the J. Lambert Custom Home has 7 bedrooms, 13 full bathrooms, and 5 half bathrooms, and sits on 2.12 acres of landscaped grounds, with both indoor and outdoor pools, private pond, professional sports court, and guest quarters with a studio.

Each bedroom suite is complemented by spa-inspired baths and custom finishes. There are double-height rooms and imposing fireplaces, with a hearth in nearly every room; multiple gourmet kitchens throughout the residence; and multiple living areas for entertaining.

Other decorative features include stone and wooden arches, columns, ornate ceilings, lancet windows, and gilded details. An indoor hot tub sits inside a domed stone-lined chapel-like space.

Several designated spaces include a climate-controlled wine room, private theater, custom-designed gymnasium, and owner's suite with a private office above, as well as a private elevator.

After the home was built, Simpson and his wife purchased the lot next door and added a master suite and the indoor swimming pool with spa. The couple sold the home in 2021.

Michael Hershenberg of the Hershenberg Group at the Real Brokerage, who has the listing with colleague Ricardo Valderrama, told Mansion Global that the estate is “built in a European manner with classic architecture and very high build quality. You have very high-detail stone work, beams [and] hand-carved areas all around the property."

Fort Worth high-rollers do love their castles. The sprawling estate is not even the only castle currently on the market in Fort Worth: The similarly-medieval property at 9888 Boat Club Rd. which was listed in October for a mere $4.75 million, is still up for grabs.

Courtesy

9553 Bella Terra

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