Texas is home to the Top 5 fastest-growing cities by percentage of population, the U.S. Census Bureau reports.

Celina, which had been No. 1 in 2023, stole the spotlight from Princeton for the period July 2024 to July 2026. 

The Census Bureau estimated Celina grew by 24.6% during the period, reaching a total of 64,427 residents.

Fulshear, near Houston in Fort Bend County, was No. 2 with a 21.0% growth percentage and 64,630 total population.

Princeton, which has been No. 1, fell to No. 3 despite an 18.1% growth rate, for a total of 43,524 residents. 

“Whether Princeton ranks first, third, fifth, or tenth in growth, our priority remains the same: making sure we grow responsibly and thoughtfully for the long term,” said Mayor Eugene Escobar Jr. “Growth is only meaningful if it protects and improves the quality of life our residents expect: strong neighborhoods, safe streets, good schools, parks and reliable infrastructure.”

No. 4 Melissa grew by 14.5% to 29,969 and No. 5 Anna, with 35,245 residents, grew by 10.2%.

When estimating countywide numeric growth, the Census Bureau said Collin County ranked No. 2 nationally from July of 2024 to July 2025. The county grew by 3.4%, adding 42,966 people for a total just under 1.3 million, the Census Bureau said.

Only Houston’s Harris County added more people, 48,695, for a total of more than 5 million residents.

Other Texas counties on the Top 10 numeric growth list were two others in the Houston area — Montgomery County at No. 4 and Fort Bend County at No. 8 — along with Williamson County north of Austin at ninth.

When it came to percentage of growth, Walker and Kaufman counties were tied for second at 5.7%. Liberty County was No. 8 and Caldwell County rounded out the Top 10.

The Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metro area was ranked second in numeric growth to No. 1 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands. Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos was ranked sixth and San Antonio-New Braunfels was No. 9.

The Census Bureau estimated the DFW metro area added 123,557 people from July 2024 to July 2025, reaching a population of nearly 8.5 million.

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