May 21, 2026 - News
Fulshear leads America's great exurban surge
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The demographic landscape of the U.S. is shifting dramatically as growth shifts from cities to exurban communities, per new U.S. Census Bureau estimates.
Why it matters: The shift will affect congressional apportionment, federal funding formulas, school districts and political power for years to come.
Zoom in: Texas is home to the nation's five fastest-growing cities with populations of 20,000 or more, including Fulshear, about 40 minutes west of Houston, past Katy.
- Fulshear ranked as the nation's second-fastest-growing city among suburbs and mid-sized cities for the third year in a row.
- The city added nearly 11,200 residents — the seventh-largest population increase in the country. Nearly 65,000 people now live in Fulshear.
Zoom out: Houston ranked sixth in numeric growth with a gain of roughly 11,500 people.
The intrigue: Like many big cities, Houston isn't growing as quickly as its surrounding suburbs.
- Houston remains the nation's fourth-largest city, but its population growth has slowed sharply, largely because of a drop in immigration.