Buzzy Suburb

Conroe ranks among most desirable U.S. suburbs to move to in 2025

Suburban dwellers love Conroe.

Photo courtesy of Margaritaville Lake Resort

A new list on the most desirable suburbs in America puts one buzzy Houston-area city in the top 20: According to a recent growth report by moving services website moveBuddha, Conroe comes in at No. 19 on the list of American suburbs that everyone wants to move to.

The survey ranks the suburbs that are the most in-demand in the most populous U.S. metros for 2025.

It ranks cities by two criteria: recent mover search data from January 2024 to February 2025 which reflects moves planned for the current year; and the most recent Zillow Home Value Index data for home averages in each of the 50 biggest metros.

Conroe had a "move in-to-out ratio" of 1.45, meaning there are 145 searches for moves in for every 100 searches for moving out.

This charming city's explosive growth can be attributed to its small-town feel, renter-friendliness, and much more.

The No. 1 suburb on the list was Summerville, South Carolina, 25 miles northeast of Charleston. The three other cities that topped Frisco were Meridian, Idaho just outside Boise; St. Augustine, Florida, 40 miles southeast of Jacksonville; and Vancouver, Washington, 10 miles north of Portland, Oregon.

According to the report's findings, Conroe is also among a select few desirable suburbs that can provide affordable housing without giving up its popularity. The average Conroe home was worth $318,335 in December 2024, which is nearly $39,000 lower than the national average home value.

"These suburbs prove that affordability doesn’t mean compromise, offering newcomers a chance to settle in growing communities without breaking the bank," the report's author wrote.

Conroe's affordability also makes it much more appealing than other Texas suburbs that made it on moveBuddha's list. Homes in the Dallas-area suburb of Frisco – which ranked No. 5 nationally – were worth $671,173 in December. A move to that particular North Texas city won't come cheap.

The report does caution top suburbs like Conroe that offer a "city-like culture" can sometimes inherit problems of those same cities residents are trying to escape from, such as high housing costs and congested traffic.

"Whether they’re following in the footsteps of a booming metropolis or quietly living off the charm of a slower-paced past, these top suburbs were made to fit every taste and budget," the report said.

Other desirable Texas suburbs
Besides Frisco and Conroe, only two other Texas cities ranked among the top 50 most in-demand American suburbs: The North Austin suburb of Georgetown (No. 18) and Canyon Lake (No. 42) outside San Antonio.

The top 10 most desirable suburbs to move to in 2025 are:

No. 1 – Summerville, South Carolina (Charleston)
No. 2 – Meridian, Idaho (Boise)
No. 3 – St. Augustine, Florida (Jacksonville)
No. 4 – Vancouver, Washington (Portland)
No. 5 – Frisco, Texas (Dallas-Fort Worth)
No. 6 – Tempe, Arizona (Phoenix)
No. 7 – Saint Paul, Minnesota (Minneapolis)
No. 8 – Fort Mill, South Carolina (Charlotte, North Carolina)
No. 9 – Clermont, Florida (Orlando)
No. 10 – Cary, North Carolina (Raleigh)

dallas frisco suburbs reports real estate

rustic ranch livin'

17-acre Hill Country ranch with stunning views listed for $3.7M

HC Carter Camphouse property for sale in Dripping Springs, Spanish-style main house exterior

Photo courtesy of Republic Ranches

The 17-acre ranch is located at 1601 Creek Rd. in Dripping Springs.

A spacious property for sale in the bustling Austin suburb of Dripping Springs is now offering just over 17 acres of land for $3.7 million.

The HC Carter Camphouse, located at 1601 Creek Road, presents a rare opportunity for its next owners to live less than two miles from downtown Dripping Springs. The 17.03-acre ranch was once part of a much larger, 205-acre ranch that contained "one of the finest Longhorn cattle herds in Texas," according to the listing description.

The property features two renovated homes: a two-bedroom, two-bathroom, Spanish-style main house that was originally built in 1956; and a restored "Pioneer Cabin" that was built in the mid-to-late 1800's and currently serves as the guest house.

The primary home has a gated stone courtyard with a water fountain, and a tiled wraparound porch overlooking the front yard and in-ground fire pits. Terracotta tile runs throughout the interior of the home, and rustic wood details cohesively tie the rooms together. The spacious primary bedroom features wide French doors that open to the front porch, a high angled wood panel ceiling, and a Santa Fe-style fireplace.

HC Carter Camphouse property for sale in Dripping Springs, main house primary bedroom The fire place in the primary bedroom will be very handy during the winter.Photo courtesy of Republic Ranches

The restored cabin maintains its vintage charm with stone flooring, all-wood ceilings, log beams, and antique furnishings. The home contains two bedrooms with window AC units, two fireplaces, "working bathrooms," and a kitchen.

Onion Creek runs through the property to provide stunning Hill Country views and a barrier of separation from Creek Rd. However, it also means a majority of the land south of the creek — including the areas where both homes sit — is in a FEMA 100-year floodplain and a Dripping Springs localized floodplain. The property's survey map fills in the details.

"The property has approximately 1,600 feet of frontage on Onion Creek, providing year-round water, and stunning views of the creek," the listing says. "The creek has never gone dry on this part of the creek since the owners have owned the property."

The ranch first entered the market in late July as a 9.999-acre parcel of land, but the listing has since been updated to add 7.031 more acres in an adjoining lot. The land addition improves the property's privacy, nearly doubles the Onion Creek frontage, and increases the size of the "most probable new home site location," according to the listing. The expansion also effectively reduces the price-per-acre by a third.

Photo courtesy of Republic Ranches

The 17-acre ranch is located at 1601 Creek Rd. in Dripping Springs.

Whoever purchases the ranch will also become the owners of an additional one-acre lot located "outside of, but contiguous to" the 9.999-acre lot. This portion of land is leased to the property's caretaker, who previously managed the original 205-acre ranch for 25 years. The listing specifies that the caretaker "does not have the right to sell this 1 acre, which will revert to the owner in case of his death."

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