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

Homebuying strategy

The best time of year for deals on Houston homes is coming soon

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Back-to-school season turns out to be prime homebuying season.

Back-to-school season turns out to be prime homebuying season in Dallas-Fort Worth and the state’s three other major metros.

A new report from real estate brokerage Redfin finds mid-September reigns as the best time for homebuyers to score a deal in Dallas, Fort Worth, and San Antonio.

The report pegs late August as Austin’s best period for nailing down a home deal, while late September is Houston’s sweet spot.

“Each homebuyer has their own timeline based on personal circumstances. But seasonality trends suggest buyers in these places looking to score a bargain may want to hit the pavement as summer comes to a close and the leaves start falling,” Asad Khan, a senior economist at Redfin, says in a release.

“Sellers who put their home in the market in the spring or early summer and haven’t offloaded it yet may be open to dropping their price or offering concessions,” Khan adds.

Redfin cautions that the best time to buy is more complicated than when a homebuyer is most likely to land a deal. Redfin economists recommend balancing choice and competition when shopping for a home.

“More inventory to choose from improves the chance of finding the home that’s right for them, and more competition creates more urgency and requires stronger offers to win a home, decreasing the likelihood that buyers will get a deal,” says Redfin.

Redfin emphasizes that most places in Texas are now buyer’s markets, equipping buyers with negotiating power. In fact, the majority of Texas markets have roughly twice as many buyers as sellers, according to Redfin.

The Redfin analysis, based on data from Home Economics, looked at three metrics for determining the best times for homebuyers to make a deal:

The week when the number of new listings is the greatest compared with the annual average.
The week when the number of active listings on the market for 60 days or less is the greatest compared with the annual average.
The time when the average home price drops the most heading into late fall or winter.