on the rise

This wealthy Houston neighbor is the fastest-growing suburb in America

Fulshear's population has exploded as much as 237 percent over the last five years.

City of Fulshear/Facebook

The Houston-area city of Fulshear has been keeping a secret from the rest of Texas: It's now the No. 1 fastest growing affluent suburb in the country.

Fulshear's new affluent status was unveiled in a new GoBankingRates' study that ranked the "30 Fastest-Growing Wealthy Suburbs in America" for 2025. The report examined population changes from 2018 to 2023 among cities and towns in major U.S. metro areas with populations between 25,000 and 100,000 residents. Median household income, average home value, and a "livability score" were also calculated for each locale.

Fulshear – which is located 34 miles west of downtown Houston – experienced the most dramatic population increase nationally out of all 30 cities in the report. Though the suburb only has an estimated population of 42,616 residents, that number has skyrocketed 237 percent during the five-year period.

A Fulshear resident's median income is $178,398 annually, and the average value of a home in the city comes out to $521,157, the report additionally found.

Fulshear was the second fastest growing city in America in 2023, and the city's growth is further reflected by the number of new apartments that were built in the area in 2024. One of Houston's most beloved Tex-Mex restaurants has already made the move to the suburb.

Texas cities took the top three fastest growing U.S. suburbs for 2025, with Dallas-area cities of Celina (No. 2) and Prosper (No. 3) experiencing wildly different (yet still sky high) population changes. Celina's population ballooned 190 percent to 43,317 residents, while Prosper's grew 81 percent to an estimated 41,660 people.

Other Texas cities that earned spots in the report include Flower Mound (No. 19), Southlake (No. 27), University Park (No. 28) and Colleyville (No. 29).

"The old adage that everything is bigger in Texas is true, considering the number of Lone Star State suburbs that are quickly growing in population and overall wealth," the report's author wrote.

The top 10 fastest-growing wealthy suburbs in America are:

No. 1 – Fulshear, Texas
No. 2 – Celina, Texas
No. 3 – Prosper, Texas
No. 4 – Erie, Colorado
No. 5 – Clarksburg, Maryland
No. 6 – Zionsville, Indiana
No. 7 – Redmond, Washington
No. 8 – Dublin, California
No. 9 – Parkland, Florida
No. 10 – Eastvale, California

houston population population growth suburbs reports

property tax news

Harris County property taxes have skyrocketed 25 percent since 2019

Houston home sales once again made history.

undefined

It's time for the dreaded tax season, and Houston homeowners may be getting sticker shock looking at their property tax bills in 2025: Harris County property taxes have skyrocketed among the highest levels in the U.S., according to a recent report by information services provider CoreLogic.

The property tax report analyzed the growth in tax rates and housing prices across all 50 states and the most populous U.S. counties.

From 2019 to 2024, Harris County taxes increased 25.4 percent, or 5.1 percent year-over-year. That places Houston 12th on the list of the top 15 counties with the highest five-year property tax increases nationwide.

Property tax hikes follow a similar rise in housing prices, thus putting more pressure on homeowners and first-time homebuyers. The report's findings revealed Texas housing prices have ballooned by 42 percent over the last five years. And there's no sign of relief without changes on the federal level, the report adds.

"While some areas of the country will always be more expensive than others, the national trend toward more expensive properties and greater property tax liabilities is clear," the report said. "Already, the [nation's] tax bills climbed an average of 27 percent from 2019 to 2024. Short of government-led changes, homeowners will continue to contend with rising property taxes year after year."

Higher taxes also have ramifications for renters, who see these costs passed down from landlords in the form of higher rent prices, which may send more renters outside the city in search of more affordable areas.

No. 1 on the list was Broward County in Florida, home to cities such as Fort Lauderdale and Pompano Beach, which had the biggest increase in taxes at 56.8 percent. No. 2 was also in Florida: Miami-Dade County, which endured a 49.5 percent hike in property taxes.

Elsewhere in Texas, Dallas County tied for the No. 3 with San Bernardino County in California, which also had a 32.7 percent increase. Tarrant County was not far behind, coming in at No. 11 on the list with a startling 29.3 percent tax hike during the five-year period, the report found.

Property taxes in 2024
In 2024 alone, Harris County residents paid a median $5,721 in property taxes, which is the seventh most expensive property tax among the most populous U.S. counties. Fort Worth residents in Tarrant counties paid the second most expensive taxes last year, at $6,633, while Dallas County residents paid the third priciest median taxes ($6,409).

According to a state-by-state analysis, Texans paid a median $5,105 in property taxes last year, reflecting a 35.3 percent increase from 2019. Texas' median property tax is far higher than the national median, which came out to $3,018.

As many Texans are aware, it's a high price to pay for not having any income tax and no annual vehicle taxes.

property taxes texas reports real estate