North Texas dominates in population growth as big blue cities fail to recover to pre-pandemic levels

Celina, Texas tops the list as the fastest growing city in the nation, the U.S. Census Bureau reported on Thursday. The bureau announced that the five fastest-growing cities in the nation with a population of 20,000 or more were all in Texas - four in the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington suburbs and one outside Houston.

"Celina, Texas (near Dallas), was the fastest-growing city in the nation, surging by a notable 24.6%. Rapid growth is nothing new for Celina, which was also the nation's fastest-growing city in 2023," the Census Bureau reported.

"Families are drawn to Celina for our outstanding schools, safe neighborhoods, and dynamic community life, while businesses recognize the strategic advantages of our location, robust infrastructure, and supportive environment," Celina Mayor Ryan Tubbs told Dallas local news affiliate WFAA.

The second-fastest growing city is Fulshear, located outside of Houston, according to Census data. The other Dallas-Fort Worth suburban cities round out the list of the top five fastest-growing cities.

The South in general is outperforming the rest of the nation.

"The South dominates the lists of the nation's fastest-growing and highest-gaining cities. The region claims 10 of the nation's 15 fastest-growing cities as well as 11 of the 12 largest numeric gains," the Census Bureau reported.

"The nation's largest counties ... are often international migration hubs," said Census Bureau demographer George M. Hayward. "With fewer gains from international migration, these types of counties saw their population growth diminish or even turn into loss."