The fastest-growing city in the U.S. last year was a Dallas suburb that saw its population jump by nearly a third.
The number of residents in Princeton, located about 46 miles (74 kilometers) north of Dallas, increased from about 28,000 to 37,000 from 2023 to 2024, the U.S. Census Bureau said Thursday. The growth has come so quickly that the city — which more than doubled its population since 2020 — has struggled to build roads and infrastructure fast enough as it transforms from a farming community.
Princeton Mayor Eugene Escobar Jr. said that when he first moved to the area over a decade ago, there were just two stoplights, and they had to do their shopping in the next town over. Princeton now has several stoplights and a Walmart, he said, but has had to implement a temporary moratorium on new home construction so infrastructure can keep pace…