A quiet yet striking shift is unfolding across the Dallas suburbs — rental households are rising faster than ever before. In just five years, North Texas has quietly outpaced all other U.S. metro areas in adding new renters, signaling a deep change in suburban living. With places like Frisco and Addison leading this quiet surge, the traditional image of suburbia is being reshaped. As rentership overtakes homeownership in key pockets, this study exposes a new housing rhythm—steady, sweeping, and reshaping the very edge of the American dream.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Dallas suburbs add more new renters than any U.S. metro over the past five years

• Suburban rentership grew by nearly 18%, compared to 8% within Dallas city limits

• Frisco tops all suburbs with 10,213 new rental households between 2018–2023

• Addison leads North Texas in renter share, with over 82% of homes rented

• Euless, Farmers Branch, and Lewisville now have more renters than owners

The American suburb, once synonymous with picket fences and homeownership, is experiencing a quiet transformation. A fresh wave of renters is reshaping the outskirts of Dallas, placing North Texas at the forefront of a national shift. A new analysis by Point2Homes reveals that Dallas-Fort Worth suburbs have seen the highest increase in renter households of any U.S. metro area in the past five years.

Once considered the domain of permanent residents and home-buying families, suburbs are now welcoming an influx of renters at a pace that is outstripping urban cores — and nowhere is this more visible than in North Texas.

A Fundamental Shift in Suburban Living

The findings come from Point2Homes’ analysis of U.S. Census data across 20 of the nation’s largest metropolitan areas. The study examined suburbs with populations over 10,000, seeking to understand how rentership is evolving outside major cities.

“The rise of the renter suburb is not a blip. It’s a fundamental shift in how Americans live and think about housing,” the report states.

And in that shift, Dallas-Fort Worth emerges as the leader — not only in terms of absolute numbers, but also in pace of change. While the city of Dallas itself saw an 8% increase in renter households from 2018 to 2023, the surrounding suburbs surged ahead with a 17.9% increase in the same timeframe — the highest suburban rental growth rate among all major U.S. metros.

Suburban Growth Driven by Population Boom

Behind this change lies the Metroplex’s explosive growth. North Texas has been one of the fastest-growing regions in the country for over a decade, attracting families, young professionals, and companies at a relentless pace.

“The main driving force behind these numbers is the metro’s exponential population growth,” Point2Homes notes. “Dallas continues to be one of the largest and fastest-growing U.S. metros.”

As new residents pour in, many are opting for the suburbs — and more of them are choosing to rent. Housing affordability, changing lifestyle preferences, and the sheer availability of rental properties in suburban developments are contributing to this shift.

Frisco Leads the Rental Boom

Among the suburban standouts, Frisco claims the top spot in North Texas — and nationally — for new renter households added. Between 2018 and 2023, the city added 10,213 new renter households, according to the report. This number far surpasses the increases seen in most other U.S. suburbs.

The boom in Frisco reflects a broader trend in North Texas, where four of the five U.S. suburbs that added the most renters during this period are located.

Addison Tops in Rentership Rate

While Frisco leads in volume, Addison leads in density. According to the study, 82.1% of Addison households are rentals, making it the seventh highest in the nation overall — and fourth when military suburbs are excluded.

Addison’s profile as a dense, centrally located suburb with strong commercial and nightlife appeal makes it an attractive hub for renters who want urban convenience without living in downtown Dallas.

More Renters Than Owners in Several Suburbs

The shift isn’t limited to just one or two cities. Euless, Farmers Branch, and Lewisville have all crossed a new threshold — they now have more renters than homeowners. These changes are not merely statistical quirks; they represent an ongoing redefinition of what it means to live in the suburbs.

For generations, suburban homeownership was tied to the American dream. Today, that dream is being reimagined.

A Sign of Things to Come?

Experts suggest that the Dallas-Fort Worth pattern could be a bellwether for the rest of the country. The combination of rapid job growth, steady population increases, and evolving attitudes toward homeownership is driving this shift in household dynamics.

What was once a clear urban-suburban divide is now becoming increasingly blurred. As renting becomes a long-term choice for more Americans — not just a transitional phase — suburbs are adapting.

Whether by necessity or by preference, more Americans are renting in places traditionally dominated by homeowners. And if the Dallas suburbs are any indication, the age of the renter suburb is here — and it may be here to stay.