- In 2023, Houdini Abtahi moved to Celina, Texas, which is America's fastest-growing city.
- Celina is attracting movers with its relatively lower cost of living and tight-knit community vibe.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Houdini Abtah, a 49-year-old IT consultant who moved to Celina, Texas, from the larger city of Frisco in 2023. Celina's population surged 26.6% from July 2022 to July 2023, making it the fastest-growing city in the US, according to recent Census data. The population as of 2023 was 43,317. The essay has been edited for length and clarity.
I'm a Texas native.
In 2010, I moved to Frisco, a suburb of Dallas. Back then, there were only 100,000 people living in the city. By 2023, the population had grown to almost 250,000 — it was crazy.
Frisco is the home of the Dallas Cowboys practice facility, so it has a lot of entertainment and family attractions. The Dallas Stars hockey team's practice facility is also there, as well as baseball and soccer teams.
A while back, the city was voted the No. 2 place in America to raise a family. But its population has just gotten so big.
The infrastructure hasn't really caught up with the city's growth, and it's made traffic worse. Driving from one side of Frisco to the other takes about 30 to 40 minutes, which becomes bothersome after a while.
With the Universal theme park moving in soon, I expect even more traffic.
Another issue is that most homes in the area are priced at a minimum of $2 million — you can't buy anything in Frisco because everything's so expensive.
In 2023, I decided to move up north to Celina. The town is about 15 minutes from Frisco and 45 minutes to an hour from Dallas.
I initially considered the city of Prosper, which is also about 15 minutes from Frisco, but it's already full and a bit congested.
Celina has a relaxed, family-friendly vibe. The town has only one high school, a big Friday night football scene, and a quaint downtown. The cost of living is also more affordable — it's just completely different from Frisco or Dallas.
I have a much nicer home at a fraction of the cost
I think people get misconstrued because, in Texas, obviously, we don't have an income tax, but our real-estate taxes are crazy.
In 2015, I bought a 5,000-square-foot house with a pool in Frisco for $775,000. By the time I sold it in 2021, the value had doubled. The property taxes were insane, too. I went from paying about $900 a month to almost $1,800.
The cost of homes is way more affordable in Celina, and the houses are newer.
The house I bought in Celina was built in 2018. It's 3,600 square feet and was priced at $700,000.
It has a built-in pool, backdoor patio, grill, and everything I need for my kids. There are little conveniences like USB outlets already built in — it has a lot of things that older homes don't have. It's also within walking distance of an elementary school, even though my kids attend a private Christian school.
My house would probably be $1.2 million or $1.3 million in Frisco.
It wasn't as competitive buying a home in Celina as it was in Frisco, mainly because the interest rates a year ago were so high. But now that interest rates are coming down, I can see more people trying to buy homes in Celina.
Even still, with more people moving in, I haven't seen a difference in traffic or congestion. However, I do see many new people moving in, different neighborhoods popping up, and new elementary schools.
The neighbors on both sides of my Celina home are from New York, which I think is abnormal.
Many of Frisco's older neighborhoods have alleyways for parking, which makes socializing difficult since you often just go into the garage and close it. In Celina, most people park in front of their homes, so people wave at you and say, "Hey, how are you? "It feels much more welcoming that way.
I'm saving more money in Celina
Everything is more affordable in Celina than in its larger neighbors, including food establishments.
The cost of dining out in downtown Celina is definitely cheaper than in downtown Dallas — probably about a third of the price.
In Frisco, Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys significantly impact the area's costs of living, including restaurant prices. A single drink can cost $18 there. Such prices are common in Frisco but not in Celina, which is a significant advantage.
For example, on Taco Tuesdays, a local restaurant in Celina offers three tacos, rice, and beans for $7.99. Even a meal at McDonald's costs around $12.
The most noticeable change for me has been in my electricity costs. In Frisco, my electric bill was between $600 and $700, but now I'm surprised if it exceeds $300. This could be because Celina's newer homes are generally more energy-efficient.
Celina is growing but still has room for improvement
Celina is attractive to many people who are trying to raise a family. They're not looking to party; they simply want to live on their land and have a good life.
I think one reason a lot of people are moving to the area is because the dynamics of working from home have changed. More people can live wherever they want now, whereas before, you had to make sure you were close enough to the office.
Celina is the fastest-growing city in the US, and there are predictions that its population will be nearly double the size of Prosper in 10 years, reaching around 330,000 people.
I am not worried because the town just has so much land.
I think Celina needs more places to shop. People usually have to order from Amazon or drive to Prosper.
They are building a Costco in Celina soon. I think this is good because there still aren't many food or grocery shopping options. Some people are upset about this because they think it will diminish the small-town feel. However, for someone like me, who grew up in Richardson, a larger city, it's great.
Overall, I think Celina has met my expectations.
My only complaint is the distance to other cities. When I have to see friends and family or travel to work in Las Colinas, it can be a bit cumbersome.
But as long as you go at a time that's not traffic-related and your work is flexible enough, I think it's good.