- Frisco and McKinney ranked first and second nationally in WalletHub’s 2026 best real estate markets study, with Denton and Allen also placing in the top 10.
- WalletHub scored 300 cities across 17 metrics spanning real estate performance, affordability, and economic environment, with North Texas cities scoring highly on new construction and job growth.
- The ranking underscores how far Dallas-Fort Worth’s growth has spread into outlying suburbs, where newer housing stock and stronger job gains now outperform the core metro on affordability-adjusted terms.
Four North Texas cities landed in the top 10 of WalletHub’s 2026 ranking of the best real estate markets in the country, led by Frisco and McKinney in the top two spots, with Denton and Allen ranking fifth and eighth. The study compared 300 U.S. cities across real estate, affordability, and economic-environment metrics, and the region’s showing underscores how far growth has fanned out beyond the traditional Dallas and Fort Worth cores.
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How the Ranking Works
WalletHub ranked cities across 17 metrics. The measures included vacancy rates, median days on market, Zillow’s Home Value Forecast, population growth, median credit score, and housing affordability.
The study grouped the metrics into two categories. One covered real estate market conditions. The other measured affordability and the economic environment. WalletHub then combined both categories to determine each city’s overall rank.
“Current home prices are important, but there are other factors like the cost of living, the potential for home values to increase, the availability of recently built homes, and a city’s job market to consider,” WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said. “The best cities may not always be the cheapest, but they offer excellent housing options and long-term stability.”
The Details
Frisco topped the list largely because of its newer housing stock. Nearly 47% of homes were built between 2010 and 2024. That means fewer buyers face major maintenance costs in the near term. Frisco also posted the seventh-best job growth rate among the cities ranked.
The city ranks as the 95th-cheapest market by home prices relative to income.
McKinney placed second, driven by strong growth metrics. The city has the 10th-highest number of building permits per capita and the second-highest share of homes built since 2010.
McKinney’s job growth rate tops 17% annually. That ranks sixth-highest nationally. However, its median home price equals about 380% of median income. That makes it the 73rd-cheapest city in the ranking. The gap highlights the tradeoff between rapid growth and affordability across fast-growing suburbs.
Richardson, Carrollton, and Fort Worth also ranked among the top 30. Among large cities, Fort Worth ranked fifth and Dallas ranked 15th. Dallas-Fort Worth’s older housing stock puts its core cities at a disadvantage against newer suburbs under WalletHub’s methodology.
Zooming Out
The results align with broader momentum across the region. Collin County’s growth has fueled a wider North Texas economic surge. McKinney and Frisco both sit within the county.
Texas-based broker Bart McLeroy told the outlet that outlying development often costs less than closer-in product. That keeps homeownership within reach even as prices rise across the Dallas-Fort Worth core.
Why It Matters
The ranking reinforces why Texas dominates lists of the nation’s fastest-growing cities. Newer housing, strong job creation, and population growth are pushing development farther from the urban core.
For CRE investors, that trend points to strong demand in Collin and Denton counties. Some submarkets now rival or outperform more established Dallas neighborhoods.
The shift also changes what “mature” means in North Texas. McLeroy said areas once considered outlying are becoming mature markets as the metro expands.
That growth benefits Texas broadly. Population gains continue to support demand for housing and other real estate. “You’ve got that demand component where people view it as a place that is desirable to live, a place that is near to cultural amenities, a place that is a reasonable commuting distance for places you would want to work,” McLeroy said.
What’s Next
McLeroy expects former outlying submarkets to keep maturing as North Texas expands. Continued population growth should support demand for for-sale housing, retail, and multifamily properties.
As Frisco and McKinney’s newer housing stock ages, the next ranking cycle will show whether they can maintain their affordability advantage over Dallas proper.
