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Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex Growth Assessment

January 26, 202612 min read
Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex Growth Assessment

Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex Growth Assessment

Executive Summary

The Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) metropolitan area has emerged as one of the most dynamic growth engines in the United States. With a population exceeding 8.3 million residents as of 2024, the region has transformed from a mid-sized metro in the 1970s to the nation's fourth-largest metropolitan area. This report examines the demographic, economic, and geographic dimensions of DFW's remarkable expansion.

Population Growth Trajectory

The DFW metro has experienced extraordinary population growth over the past five decades. According to U.S. Census Bureau data, the region's population grew from approximately 2.97 million in 1970 to 8.34 million in 2024—a nearly threefold increase representing one of the fastest growth rates among major U.S. metros.12

Key Population Milestones:

  • 1970: 2,974,805 residents
  • 1990: 4,037,282 residents
  • 2000: 5,221,801 residents
  • 2010: 6,371,773 residents
  • 2020: 7,637,387 residents
  • 2024: 8,344,032 residents

Between July 2023 and July 2024 alone, the metro added 177,922 residents—equivalent to approximately 487 new people per day.3 This growth rate placed DFW as the third-fastest growing metro area nationally, trailing only New York and Houston in absolute numeric gains.4

Fort Worth achieved a historic milestone in 2024, surpassing 1 million residents to become the 11th largest city in the United States. This made DFW the only U.S. metro area with two cities exceeding one million inhabitants.5

Economic Drivers of Growth

Corporate Relocation Capital

DFW has established itself as the premier destination for corporate headquarters relocations in the United States. According to CBRE analysis, the region attracted 100 new corporate headquarters between 2018 and 2024—more than any other U.S. metro.6 Austin ranked second with 81 relocations during the same period, followed by Nashville (35), Houston (31), and Phoenix (31).

Notable corporate relocations to DFW include Charles Schwab, CBRE, McKesson, AECOM, Toyota USA, Caterpillar, and Jacobs Engineering.7 In 2024 alone, 13 corporations announced headquarters moves to North Texas, with approximately 70% of California's departing headquarters choosing Texas as their new home.8

Fortune 500 Concentration

The region hosts 21 Fortune 500 companies as of 2025, representing the fourth-largest concentration nationally behind New York, Chicago, and Houston.9 McKesson, headquartered in Irving, ranks as the highest-positioned DFW company at No. 9 on the Fortune 500 list with 2024 revenues of $309 billion.10

Economic Output

The DFW metro GDP reached approximately $709 billion in 2022, accounting for 29.5% of Texas's total economic output.11 The region's compound annual GDP growth rate of 3.9% from 2013-2023 exceeded the national metropolitan average of 2.5%.12 If DFW were an independent nation, its economy would rank among the world's 20 largest.

Suburban Expansion Patterns

The growth has concentrated heavily in northern Collin and Denton counties, where communities have transformed from rural farmland to major suburban centers within two decades.13

Fastest-Growing DFW Suburbs (2023-2024):

City Growth Rate Population (2024)
Princeton 30.6% ~38,000
Celina 14.8% ~51,000
Anna 14.6% ~22,000
Fate 11.0% ~27,000
Melissa 10.0% ~26,000

Princeton achieved the distinction of fastest-growing city in the United States, with its population more than doubling since 2020.14 Collin County overall added 46,694 residents between 2023-2024, ranking fourth nationally among counties for numeric growth.15

Employment Growth

The DFW labor market has demonstrated sustained strength. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported total nonfarm employment of 4.29 million jobs as of July 2025, representing a 1.0% year-over-year increase.16 The region consistently ranks among the 12 largest metropolitan employment centers in the nation.

Key employment sectors include professional and business services, trade and transportation, financial activities, and manufacturing. The manufacturing sector has shown particular resilience, adding 8,800 jobs over the year ending August 2024—a 2.8% increase compared to a 0.1% national decline.17

Drivers of Regional Attractiveness

Several factors have contributed to DFW's sustained growth trajectory:

  1. Tax Environment: Texas lacks corporate and personal income taxes, creating significant advantages for both businesses and residents.18

  2. Cost Competitiveness: Despite appreciation, DFW housing costs remain substantially below coastal markets. Median home prices in growth suburbs like Princeton average $325,000 compared to $500,000+ in established communities like McKinney.19

  3. Geographic Centrality: DFW's location provides access to both coasts and serves as a natural logistics hub. Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport ranks among the world's busiest facilities.20

  4. Workforce Availability: The region's population growth ensures a large, expanding talent pool. Texas is projected to surpass California as the nation's most populous state by 2045.21

  5. Business-Friendly Regulations: Lighter regulatory environments have attracted companies seeking operational flexibility.22

Challenges and Considerations

Rapid growth has created infrastructure pressures across transportation, utilities, and housing. Princeton implemented a four-month moratorium on new residential building approvals in 2024 to allow utility services to catch up with development.23 Traffic congestion has intensified, particularly in northern corridors, though expansions of the Dallas North Tollway and construction of outer loop highways are underway.24

Water resource management presents long-term sustainability questions as the region's population continues expanding in a semi-arid climate. Housing affordability has declined in established suburbs, pushing growth to outer communities with less developed infrastructure.

Outlook

Current demographic trends suggest DFW will continue its growth trajectory. One projection estimates Dallas could become the nation's largest metropolitan area by 2100, potentially reaching 33.9 million residents.25 More conservatively, the region appears positioned to overtake Chicago as the nation's third-largest metro within the coming decades, as DFW has added 231,000 more residents than Chicago over just the past two years.26

The region's economic diversification across technology, healthcare, finance, logistics, and manufacturing provides resilience against sector-specific downturns. Continued corporate relocation activity suggests sustained job creation and population inflows for the foreseeable future.

References

Report compiled January 2026. All statistics sourced from U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Bureau of Economic Analysis, and cited publications.

Footnotes

  1. U.S. Census Bureau, Decennial Census 1970-2020. ↩

  2. Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, FRED Economic Data, "Resident Population in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX (MSA)," March 2025. ↩

  3. CultureMap Dallas, "Dallas-Fort Worth was the 3rd fastest growing U.S. metro in 2024," March 2025. ↩

  4. U.S. Census Bureau, "Population Estimates for Metropolitan Statistical Areas," March 2025. ↩

  5. Fort Worth Economic Development Partnership, "Fort Worth Tops One Million," May 2025. ↩

  6. CBRE, "Corporate Headquarters Relocations Analysis 2018-2024," June 2025. ↩

  7. Dallas Regional Chamber, "Economic Development Guide 2025." ↩

  8. The Real Deal, "Dallas-Fort Worth Attracts Most U.S. Headquarters Relocations," June 2025. ↩

  9. Dallas Morning News, "21 Dallas-Fort Worth companies make Fortune 500," June 2025. ↩

  10. Fortune 500, 2025 Edition. ↩

  11. Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, "Metroplex Region Economic Profile," 2024. ↩

  12. City of Dallas Office of Economic Development, "Economic Indicators," 2024. ↩

  13. Wikipedia, "Demographics of Dallas–Fort Worth," citing U.S. Census Bureau data. ↩

  14. NBC DFW, "Fort Worth's population surpasses 1 million residents: Census," May 2025. ↩

  15. U.S. Census Bureau, County Population Estimates, March 2025. ↩

  16. Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Dallas-Fort Worth Area Economic Summary," September 2025. ↩

  17. Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Dallas-Fort Worth Area Employment — August 2024." ↩

  18. Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, "Hang your hat in Texas: State remains a leader in firm relocations," 2024. ↩

  19. The Fastest Growing Cities in Texas Report, October 2025. ↩

  20. Dallas Regional Chamber, "DFW Facts: Economy, Growth & Business Environment." ↩

  21. Bisnow, "U.S. Corporate Relocations Quintuple," May 2025. ↩

  22. Visual Capitalist/CBRE, "Corporate Relocation Trends 2018-2024." ↩

  23. NBC DFW, "Princeton, Texas fastest-growing city," May 2025. ↩

  24. Texas Tribune, "The fastest-growing city in the U.S. is in Texas," May 2025. ↩

  25. Dallas Express, "DFW Metroplex Sees Continued Growth," March 2025. ↩

  26. Yahoo News/Dallas Morning News, "Dallas-Fort Worth no longer leads nation in population gain," March 2025. ↩