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North Texas dominates in population growth as big blue cities fail to recover to pre-pandemic levels
By Joshua Nelson
Published May 15, 2026
Texas small cities are the fastest growing communities in the United States while the nation’s big blue hubs are failing to recover to pre-pandemic levels.
The Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area, including the cities of Celina, Princeton, Melissa, and Anna saw population gains, according to figures released on Thursday.
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.
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Texas small cities are the fastest growing cities in the United States while the nation’s big blue hubs are failing to recover from pre-pandemic levels. (Bryn Lennon - Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images)
"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.
Tubbs did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
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.
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(The south in general is outperforming the rest of the nation, with South Carolina recently emerging as the fastest-growing state in the nation by percentage.)
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.
While North Carolina saw the highest net domestic migration of any state in 2023, South Carolina has recently emerged as the fastest growing state in the nation by percentage. Between July 2022 and July 2023, the Palmetto State’s population grew by 1.7%, significantly outpacing the national average and fueled by a net influx of over 82,000 domestic migrants.
The growth in these states comes as several traditionally blue states struggle to return to pre-pandemic population levels. Major cities like Boston, New York, and Chicago have seen consistent downward trends in net migration.
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Hollywood sign in California. (Joshua Comins/Fox News)
Los Angeles County has been particularly hard-hit. According to U.S. Census data, the county’s population has shrunk from roughly 10 million in 2020 to about 9.7 million today. Between 2022 and 2023 alone, the county lost more than 56,000 residents.
New York City lost more residents than those that moved in last year, according to a new study from the Citizens’ Budget Commission released recently.
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"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."
https://www.foxnews.com/media/north-texas-dominates-population-growth-big-blue-cities-fail-recover-pre-pandemic-levels