Five of the nation’s top 10 real estate markets for 2025 are within Dallas-Fort Worth, and a Collin County city sits at the top of the list.
Personal finance company WalletHub released its Best Real Estate Markets (2025) report earlier this week. McKinney took the top spot. The remaining four D-FW cities are in the northern portion of the region.
The top ten are:
McKinneyCary, N.C.Irvine, Calif.Durham, N.C.RichardsonFriscoGilbert, Ariz.Nashville, Tenn.DentonAllen
WalletHub examined 300 cities of varying sizes across 17 key indicators of housing-market attractiveness and economic strength to determine the nation’s top local real estate market. Examined data sets include median home price appreciation to job growth.
McKinney took the top spot in part because of its recent growth, said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo.
“McKinney has the second-highest share of houses that were built between 2010 and 2023, at roughly 38%, which means that new buyers have a lot of options for houses that may not need major maintenance for a while,” he said. “In addition, McKinney ranks among the 40 least expensive cities for maintenance and telephone, and energy costs. To top things off, McKinney has the 11th-highest job growth rate in the nation, at nearly 21% annually.”
The report notes that the median home price in McKinney is 365% of the median income — which ranks 74th out of the 300 cities. It’s not the cheapest city to move to, but it is far from the most expensive.
Frisco, Richardson, Denton and Allen also showed similar strong new-construction activity, which supports long-term growth, Lupo said. North Texas is appealing to both buyers and investors.
“The Dallas-Fort Worth metro area stands out as a strong real estate market largely because of a combination of new housing inventory, ongoing development and solid local economies,” he said.
McKinney was also named the nation’s best place to rent by RentCafe earlier this year. That report noted that McKinney ranked high on affordability and quality of life. The city also has a large share of high-end apartments, consistent job growth, a large park system and excellent schools.
McKinney’s population is nearly 228,000, according to the latest U.S. Census estimates. Since 2020, the city’s population has increased by more than 16%.