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Fort Worth may soon become the state’s next city with more than 1 million people.

Fort Worth had nearly 990,000 residents as of January 2024, according to recent estimates from the Texas Demographic Center — just barely surpassing Austin to become the state’s fourth-largest city.

Fort Worth has grown faster than any other major Texas city since 2020 as the city added tens of thousands of jobs. The city’s relatively low home prices and rents, laidback Western vibe, cultural offerings like the city’s museum district and proximity to the Dallas Cowboys and Texas Rangers make it an attractive destination for newcomers and contributed to its growth, observers said.

“Fort Worth is on a roll,” said Cullum Clark, director of the George W. Bush Institute’s Economic Growth Initiative at Southern Methodist University. “When you visit, it's pretty clear that it's a place that is booming, where people are very excited about the direction of things.”

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With growth comes challenges. Fort Worth’s housing is more affordable than in many other large cities. But that affordability has waned amid the city’s population boom. It’s now more expensive to rent in the North Texas city than in Austin, which has historically not been the case.

Fort Worth added nearly 71,000 residents from 2020 to 2024, both growing at a faster pace and adding more residents than any other major Texas city. In second place was San Antonio, which grew by more than 62,000 residents in that time frame.

Houston remains the state’s largest city with more than 2.3 million. Its population barely budged. Dallas also barely added new residents in that time frame. El Paso shrank by more than 6,000 residents.

Austin grew in recent years but not as quickly as Fort Worth. Amid the capital city’s pandemic-era run-up in housing costs and layoffs in the tech sector, Travis County saw more residents last year move out than in.

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“It's more difficult to move around there, it's more expensive to do things, it's more expensive to buy housing there,” said Lloyd Potter, the state demographer. “You don't see costs being quite as prohibitive (in Fort Worth) as what we're seeing in Austin.”

The Austin region is growing at a quicker clip than the Dallas-Fort Worth region, Potter noted. International migration to Travis County fueled population growth there in recent years, Potter said. Suburban cities like Georgetown, Leander and Round Rock as well as smaller towns like Liberty Hill have also added tens of thousands of residents since 2020, data from the center shows.

Tthe Dallas-Fort Worth region added more total residents than the Austin region between 2020 and 2024, the demographic center’s data show — a staggering 546,000 residents. The greater Houston region came in second, growing by about 392,000 people in that same period.

Strong job growth in the region undergirds Fort Worth’s population boom, experts said. The Fort Worth-Arlington region has added more than 95,000 jobs in the last three years, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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Fort Worth has long been an aerospace and defense hub — home to American Airlines; Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, which manufactures the F-35 fighter jet; and Bell Textron, a builder of military and commercial helicopters. Last month, Bell announced a $632 million plant to build parts for the company’s new assault helicopter, slated to add more than 500 jobs. It’s also home to the eye care company Alcon Laboratories and BNSF Railway, one of the nation’s largest freight rail operators.

Trade, transportation, and utilities saw the strongest job growth over the last year in the Fort Worth-Arlington region, according to recent figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The region also saw gains in jobs in construction; education and health services; and leisure and hospitality.

“What it shows is that you can experience enormous growth when you become one of the best places in America to operate some of these older industries,” Clark said.

Fort Worth boosters hope a higher education boom will help supply educated workers to attract future employers. Texas Christian University, the city’s preeminent higher education institution, and Texas A&M University are each expanding there. And the University of Texas at Arlington is building a new branch in West Fort Worth.

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“I am very bullish on our higher education institutions and the growth that they are going to bring to Fort Worth,” Robert Allen, who heads the Fort Worth Economic Development Partnership, said. “That's huge because that continues to turn out talent and make sure that talent pipeline is robust, which is obviously a key critical component to continue that growth.”

Like nearly every other major city, Fort Worth’s housing affordability has slipped amid its boom. But it remains more affordable than many of the country’s largest cities.

Asking rents are 30% higher than before the COVID-19 pandemic, Zillow data show. Among the state’s largest cities, Fort Worth had the highest rents toward the end of last year — surpassing even Austin, where rents have fallen for 19 straight months amid a massive apartment building boom. The Fort Worth area, meanwhile, has permitted roughly the same amount of housing units as it did before the pandemic.

Buying a home in Fort Worth is also more expensive than it used to be. The typical sales price of a home sat at $340,000 last November, about 48% higher than in the same month in 2019. It’s cheaper to purchase a home in San Antonio or El Paso than in Fort Worth, though not as expensive as in neighboring Dallas or Austin — where the typical home now goes for more than half a million dollars. Homes are cheaper in Fort Worth than in many neighboring suburbs.

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“Fort Worth is a dramatically more affordable place to live,” Clark said.

Disclosure: BNSF Railway Company, George W. Bush Institute, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, Southern Methodist University, Texas A&M University, Texas Christian University and University of Texas - Arlington have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

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More than 12,000 homes were sold statewide for $1 million in 12 months, the study found.

DALLAS — This article was originally published by our content partners at the Dallas Business Journal. You can read the original article here.

The number of luxury home sales in Texas rose significantly last year, according to the latest data from the Texas Realtors — and Dallas-Fort Worth led the way.

The study found a 10% increase in the number of Texas homes that sold for $1 million or more from November 2023 to October 2024 when compared to the prior year.

The Texas Sales of Million-Dollar Homes Report uses data provided by the Data Relevance Project, a partnership between Texas Realtors and local Realtor organizations across the state. The report analyzes single-family homes priced at $1 million and higher during the 12-month period.

More than 12,000 homes were sold statewide for $1 million or more during the studied period. These homes spent an average of 68 days on the market.

Almost 90% of these million-dollar homes were sold in the state’s four largest metros: Austin, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio. According to the data, 4,992 homes were sold in the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington area, or 38.7% of the state total. DFW has traditionally been the largest market for high-end homes in the state — in the prior Texas Realtors report, covering 2022-23, the Metroplex accounted for 37.3% of the state's million-dollar home sales. North Texas is home to some of the priciest listings in the state, from the "White House of Dallas" to a modern mansion in Fort Worth that could set a new record in Cowtown.

The Houston area followed behind Dallas with 26.2% of sales in the state with Austin not far behind at 19.1%. Meanwhile, 5.1% were sold in the San Antonio-New Braunfels area.

The Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metro area saw around $8.5 billion in luxury home sales from late 2023 to late 2024, with a 14% jump in the number of million-dollar properties that changed hands. There were 9,340 new listings during the study’s timeframe and inventory stood at six months in October, compared with 5.8 months a year earlier.

Plus, million-dollar home sales accounted for 19% of all residential home sale volume in the Metroplex. But the average days on the market in DFW increased to 57 days as of October, up from 44 a year prior.

The average price per square foot among luxury homes statewide increased from $409 to $418, according to the study.

The Texas Real Estate Research Center at Texas A&M University provided data analysis for the study.

Light snowfall across parts of North Texas is possible early next week.

The National Weather Service Fort Worth is tracking a strong cold front that will bring arctic air to the Metroplex this weekend. Daily highs are expected to be in the 30s, followed by lows in the 10s and 20s.

Here’s a look at the forecast for the next several days in North Texas.

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Daily highs on Friday, Jan. 17, will be in the mid-60s to low 70s, ahead of the cold front arriving later in the evening.

Friday will also be breezy with winds between 15-25 mph and gusts up to 35 mph, according to the NWS. There’s also a chance for a few rain sprinkles across the region into the early afternoon.

Saturday, Jan. 18, will see a drop in temperatures into the 40s, alongside strong winds with gusts up to 25 mph.

Temperatures will continue to drop overnight Saturday, as sub-freezing temperatures begin settling in across the Metroplex, according to the NWS. Daily highs from Sunday through Tuesday, Jan. 21, will be in the 30s, followed by overnight lows in the 20s.

Wind chills are expected to be in the single-digits and 10s in the morning hours over the next few days:

Light snow flurries are expected late Monday into Tuesday, according to the NWS.

Much of North Texas will see little to no accumulations, with the better chance of snowfall coming from Central Texas, where half an inch is expected. If Central Texas gets more moisture leading up to early next week, snow accumulations could be between 1 to 2 inches.

As cold weather approaches, the NWS is asking folks to take proper precautions and protect the four P’s: People, pets, pipes and plants.

This story was originally published January 17, 2025 at 12:43 PM.

Rockhill Capital & Investments sold 1,807 acres near Fort Worth to Lennar for a 4,000-home development.

Credit: Jake Dean via DBJ

FORT WORTH, Texas — This story was originally published by our content partners at the Dallas Business Journal. You can read the original version here.

Frisco-based real estate developer Rockhill Capital & Investments LLC has sold a large chunk of land outside of Fort Worth that will turned into thousands of homes.

Rockhill announced Jan. 15 that it sold a 1,807-acre property in New Fairview, 30 miles northwest of Fort Worth, to Miami-based homebuilder Lennar Corp. The price wasn't disclosed. Lennar plans to develop more than 4,000 homes plus apartments or townhomes in a community called Ranchland near County Line Road and Farm to Market Road 407.

Lennar expects to break ground this summer and deliver homes by summer 2028, according to the announcement.

"This community will offer something for everyone — beautiful homes for all stages of life, a vibrant town square, schools, parks, commercial spaces, and a host of amenities that bring people together," Greg Mayberry, division president at Lennar, said in a statement. "Ranchland is designed to be more than just a community; it’s a destination where families can grow, connect and create lasting memories."

Rockhill bought the land in 2022. The land extends across Wise, Denton, Northwest and Decatur independent school districts. Development consultant Ocie Vest of Southridge Park lead entitlement efforts.

"At Rockhill, we strive to identify desirable, high-potential land opportunities and work alongside cities to understand their own visions for growth," Ryan Griffin, principal and CEO at Rockhill Capital & Investments, said in a statement. "We worked closely with the City of New Fairview to envision a thriving new master-planned community. Lennar is the ideal builder to bring this project to life."

The neighborhood will be a significant construction project in New Fairview, which had an estimated 2023 population of about 1,500.

Lennar (NYSE: LEN) builds homes in 26 states across the country, and reported delivering 73,087 homes nationwide in 2023. The company is one of the busiest developers in North Texas, and is especially active in northwest Fort Worth. Lennar last year revealed plans to expand the Northpointe community in that city, with around 1,000 more homes in the cards.

Rockhill Capital is expanding its land portfolio. The company is also creating Uptown Celina, a 2,500-home community across 675 acres in Collin County.

This center will help consolidate operations and support Cardinal Health’s at-Home Solutions division.

by FWTX staff

January 16, 2025

1:38 PM

Cardinal Health (NYSE: CAH) said on Tuesday that construction is underway on a new distribution center in north Fort Worth

Officials with the Dublin, Ohio, company said the new facility will support its at-Home Solutions business, a leading medical supplies provider that serves more than five million patients each year in the United States.

The new 340,000-square-foot distribution center will combine the company’s two existing warehouses into a single, larger facility, adding approximately 74,000 square feet of inventory capacity while retaining its current workforce. Once operational, the facility will handle the shipment of an average of 10,000 packages per day to patients’ homes nationwide.

The building is expected to be fully operational by the summer, officials said.

"Our business plays a critical role in the lives of the patients we serve, and we are honored to continue this important work in the Fort Worth community," said Rob Schlissberg, Cardinal Health president of at-Home Solutions, in a statement. "When it comes to delivering medical supplies directly to patients in need, there is absolutely no room for error. Our team in Fort Worth is passionate and committed to delivering on our promises, and I am thrilled to see what they accomplish in this new space."

Cardinal Health is a distributor of pharmaceuticals and specialty products; a global manufacturer and distributor of medical and laboratory products; a supplier of home-health and direct-to-patient products and services; an operator of nuclear pharmacies and manufacturing facilities; and a provider of performance and data solutions.

The facility will be located in the Melody Hills section of town, near the confluence of Interstate 35W and Loop 820 in north Fort Worth.

The new facility will be fully equipped with some of the world's leading robotics and automation technologies. These enhancements will assist employees with picking, packing and shipping packages with enhanced speed, safety and efficiency, according to the company.

Those technology features include 74 robots, a 1,500-foot-long automated conveyor system, and four automated box-making machines that create 500 custom boxes per hour while minimizing waste.

Additionally, the facility will use a leading cloud-based warehouse management system that utilizes artificial intelligence to maintain resiliency and flexibility in inventory volume management. The system is used across at-Home Solutions' entire warehouse network to unify distribution operations across demand, labor, robotics, automation, inventory and transportation within a single platform.

"Because of the investments we've made in our warehouse network already, in our first quarter of fiscal year 2025, we reported the best on-record metrics in quality, service, efficiency and employee safety," said Schlissberg. "In Fort Worth and beyond, we will continue to invest in these critical technologies that are already proving their value in improving customer experience while making us a great place to work."

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