Texas leads in affordable, fast-growing cities

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1. Empty nesters own 28% of large homes nationwide

Empty-nest baby boomers own nearly twice as many homes with three or more bedrooms as millennial families, according to a new Redfin report.

Baby boomers in one- to two-adult households own 28% of three-bedroom-plus (“large”) homes, while those in households with three or more adults account for an additional 7%.

Millennials with children living at home own 16% of large homes. Although they are the largest generation of parents, they own relatively few family-sized homes due to a shortage of large properties and high prices and mortgage rates that put many homes out of reach.

2. Texas leads in affordable, fast-growing cities

Texas topped all 50 states, with 11 cities ranked among the most affordable and fastest-growing in the country, according to a study by MoneyLion.

To qualify, cities needed a population of at least 100,000, along with one-year and five-year growth rates above the national average and rental or mortgage costs below the national average.

Texas cities claimed four of the top 12 spots on the national list, with Frisco taking the No. 1 overall ranking, followed by New Braunfels at No. 3, McKinney at No. 4, and Allen at No. 6. League City, Conroe, Lewisville, Pearland, Denton, Fort Worth, and Grand Prairie rounded out the list of Texas cities.

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3. Catch up quick

💸 Mapped: It takes 10.3 years to save for a home in Texas. (VisualCapitalist)

⚠️ AI drove 25% of job cuts in March. (Challenger,Gray&Christmas)

🏰 $7.5M castle-like mansion hits Fort Worth market. (MySA)

💻 Google-backed AI data center planned in Texas. (TheGuardian)

💁‍♀️ Over 20M single women are homeowners, outpacing single men. (NAR)

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4. Pending home sales jump in March

Newly pending listings rose 29.8% from February, reaching 281,546, according to Zillow. That’s the second-strongest monthly total since the post-pandemic slowdown in 2022.

Zillow noted that both the annual and monthly gains were the largest for any March in the past five years. Meanwhile, average daily page views per listing were 32% higher than a year ago.

The typical monthly payment on a median-priced home is estimated at $1,789 with 20% down. That’s still about 4.4% lower than a year earlier, though up 1.5% from February.

5. El Paso ranked no. 2 best big city

El Paso has landed near the top of U.S. News & World Report’s national rankings of the best large cities to live in, earning the No. 2 spot for 2025–2026.

The report evaluated cities with populations above 500,000 based on factors including quality of life, value, desirability, job market, and migration trends. El Paso’s combination of affordable housing, low median rent, and overall livability helped set it apart from most of the nation’s largest metros.

Texas cities dominated the rankings, with six placing in the top 15. Austin came in at No. 3, Fort Worth at No. 4, San Antonio at No. 6, Houston at No. 10, and Dallas at No. 13. Oklahoma City claimed the No. 1 spot.

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