DALLAS — The fastest-growing city in the U.S. last year was a Dallas suburb that saw its population jump by nearly a third.
The number of residents in Princeton, located about 46 miles (74 kilometers) north of Dallas, increased from about 28,000 to 37,000 from 2023 to 2024, the U.S. Census Bureau said Thursday. The growth has come so quickly that the city — which more than doubled its population since 2020 — has struggled to build roads and infrastructure fast enough as it transforms from a farming community.
Princeton Mayor Eugene Escobar Jr. said that when he first moved to the area over a decade ago, there were just two stoplights, and they had to do their shopping in the next town over. Princeton now has several stoplights and a Walmart, he said, but has had to implement a temporary moratorium on new home construction so infrastructure can keep pace.
Cities of all sizes grew on average from 2023 to 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Vintage 2024 estimates, with New York City, Houston and Los Angeles seeing the greatest numeric gains and some cities in the Northeast and Midwest marking their first population increase in recent years.
The U.S. Census Bureau said that two cities in that time period crossed the 1 million-population threshold: Fort Worth, Texas, and Jacksonville, Florida.
Fort Worth now joins three other Texas cities topping that mark: Dallas with a population of about 1.3 million, San Antonio at about 1.5 million and Houston at about 2.4 million.
Escobar said affordability has been the main draw to the area, which still has a small-town feel even as housing developments have blanketed the area.
“It’s still cheaper to commute and live in Princeton than maybe live closer to work,” Escobar said.
Median home values there, according to a news release from the city, are around $325,000, which is much lower than nearby suburbs.
In addition to Princeton, three other cities in Collin County — Celina, Anna and Melissa — were also among the 15 fastest-growing cities in the U.S. Over the last decade or so, major companies have flocked to Dallas’ booming suburbs, fueling a rapid transformation.