Is being in an area of Texas that’s growing quickly a good thing or a bad thing?
Depends on who you ask.
Some want bigger, more exciting cities like Houston and San Antonio, while others want peace and quiet like in Gilmer and Mineola, thank you very much.
But today, we’re going to put opinions aside and look at the cold, hard facts — since 2010, which cities in Texas have grown the fastest.
After getting knee-deep in the Census’s American Community Survey using Saturday Night Science, we emerged with this set of cities in the Lone Star State that have people climbing over each other to get in.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In Texas For 2026
What’s the fastest growing city in Texas for 2026? Based on the most recent ACS data, Fulshear ranks as the fastest-growing city in Texas. If you happen to be a resident of Fulshear, you’re probably not surprised to find it on our list.
If you’re surprised — and you’re wondering why these places are a big deal — keep reading. We’ll tell you what makes each of these 10 places in Texas grow like weeds.
For more Texas state reading:
- Best Places To Live In The United States
- Fastest Growing States In The United States
- Best Places To Live In Texas
- Cheapest Places To Live In Texas
- Most Dangerous Places In Texas
The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In Texas For 2026
1. Fulshear
/10
Population: 34,868
Population 2010: 813
Percent Growth 4188.8%
Absolute Growth: 34,055
More on Fulshear: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
2. Josephine
/10
Population: 5,842
Population 2010: 601
Percent Growth 872.0%
Absolute Growth: 5,241
More on Josephine: Crime | Movers
3. Iowa Colony
/10
Population: 12,891
Population 2010: 1,328
Percent Growth 870.7%
Absolute Growth: 11,563
More on Iowa Colony: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
4. Liberty Hill
/10
Population: 8,371
Population 2010: 1,028
Percent Growth 714.3%
Absolute Growth: 7,343
More on Liberty Hill: Crime | Movers
5. Celina
/10
Population: 34,268
Population 2010: 5,603
Percent Growth 511.6%
Absolute Growth: 28,665
More on Celina: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
6. Northlake
/10
7. Melissa
/10
Population: 20,136
Population 2010: 4,163
Percent Growth 383.7%
Absolute Growth: 15,973
More on Melissa: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
8. Prosper
/10
Population: 37,869
Population 2010: 8,173
Percent Growth 363.3%
Absolute Growth: 29,696
More on Prosper: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
9. Manor
/10
Population: 18,603
Population 2010: 4,383
Percent Growth 324.4%
Absolute Growth: 14,220
More on Manor: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
10. Fate
/10
Population: 22,884
Population 2010: 5,422
Percent Growth 322.1%
Absolute Growth: 17,462
More on Fate: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Methodology: How We Measured The Fastest Growing Cities In the Lone Star State for 2026
To figure out which cities are growing the most, we used Saturday Night Science to look at the growth rates for cities since the beginning of the decade, according to the American Community Survey put out by the census every year. Specifically:
- Current Population
- Population in 2010
- Growth rate from 2010 to Current (The latest available data which came out in Dec 2024)
We ranked all 371 Texas cities with a population over 5,000 people from highest growth rate to lowest.
The city with the highest growth rate during this time was crowned the fastest-growing city in the Lone Star State.
And for those of you who are a little rusty with their statistics, you can calculate the growth rate by the following formula:
[Current Population – Population 2010] / [Population 2010]
The data has been updated for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the fastest growing cities in Texas.
Here’s a graph of the cities in Texas with the most significant percent increase in population:
Summary: These Places Grew Up So Fast In Texas, You Know?
So there you have it, the fastest growing cities in Texas are led by Fulshear which has been growing at a blistering pace this decade relative to other cities and towns around the state.
The fastest-growing cities in Texas are Fulshear, Josephine, Iowa Colony, Liberty Hill, Celina, Northlake, Melissa, Prosper, Manor, and Fate.
It’ll be interesting to see if these places can keep growing at the same rate over the next couple of years. We’ll be here to let you know!
These places have been growing (or shrinking) the slowest (fastest):
- Crystal City
- Freeport
- Robstown
For more Texas reading, check out:
Fastest Growing Places In Texas For 2026
| Rank | City | Population | Population 2010 | Growth | Absolute Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fulshear | 34,868 | 813 | 4188.8% | 34,055 |
| 2 | Josephine | 5,842 | 601 | 872.0% | 5,241 |
| 3 | Iowa Colony | 12,891 | 1,328 | 870.7% | 11,563 |
| 4 | Liberty Hill | 8,371 | 1,028 | 714.3% | 7,343 |
| 5 | Celina | 34,268 | 5,603 | 511.6% | 28,665 |
| 6 | Northlake | 8,283 | 1,363 | 507.7% | 6,920 |
| 7 | Melissa | 20,136 | 4,163 | 383.7% | 15,973 |
| 8 | Prosper | 37,869 | 8,173 | 363.3% | 29,696 |
| 9 | Manor | 18,603 | 4,383 | 324.4% | 14,220 |
| 10 | Fate | 22,884 | 5,422 | 322.1% | 17,462 |