If you’ve been house-hunting in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, chances are Anna, Texas has crossed your radar. What used to be a sleepy railroad town of a few thousand people has become one of the fastest-growing cities in the entire country, and for good reason. Here’s what’s drawing so many new residents north of McKinney.

1. It’s genuinely one of the fastest-growing cities in America

This isn’t just marketing talk. Anna’s population went from roughly 17,000 in 2020 to over 39,000 by 2026, more than doubling in six years. Census data released in 2026 put Anna in the top five fastest-growing cities in the U.S. among towns over 20,000 people, with a 10.2% jump in a single year alone. The city itself has projected growth to around 100,000 residents by 2050.

That kind of growth means new roads, new retail, and new infrastructure are constantly being built. You’re getting in on a city that’s actively investing in its own future rather than one that’s already maxed out.

2. Affordability that’s hard to find closer to Dallas

Compared to the pricier, more built-out suburbs closer to Dallas proper, Anna offers noticeably more house for your money. Homes tend to sit on larger lots, new construction is abundant (over 5,000 homes built since 2015), and the lower land costs translate into a lower per-square-foot price than you’ll find in central Collin County. If you’re being priced out of McKinney, Frisco, or Allen, Anna is often the next logical stop north.

3. Easy access to the whole Metroplex

Anna sits along US Highway 75, State Highway 5, and State Highway 121, with five major highways intersecting nearby. That means:

About 40–45 minutes to downtown Dallas

15 minutes to McKinney National Airport

Roughly 45 minutes to DFW International Airport

Quick access to McKinney, Sherman, and the broader job market along the 75 corridor

You get small-town living without being cut off from the metro area’s job centers, airports, and healthcare systems (Medical City McKinney and Baylor Scott & White are both just minutes away).

4. A real, honest-to-goodness small-town feel

Anna still has the things that make a small town a small town: neighbors who know each other, a Friday night football game that’s a genuine community event, and a slower pace than you’ll find in Dallas high-rises or dense inner suburbs. For families or anyone burned out on big-city anonymity, that’s a major draw.

5. A growing, well-resourced school district

Anna ISD is a fast-growth 5A district serving more than 6,000 students across five elementary schools, two middle schools, and Anna High School, with enrollment climbing every year. The district has been expanding facilities and resources to keep pace with the population boom, rather than trying to squeeze more kids into aging buildings.

6. Jobs are moving north too

The growth isn’t just residential. Texas Instruments’ semiconductor plant in nearby Sherman has been a major employment driver pulling workers, and their families, into the Anna area. The city’s Economic Development Corporation has also focused on attracting retail, service, and light industrial businesses, meaning more local jobs and amenities are arriving each year instead of everything staying concentrated in Dallas.

7. Parks, lakes, and outdoor space

If you want room to breathe, Anna delivers. Natural Springs Park and Slayter Creek Park offer walking trails, sports fields, and playgrounds, and Forrest Moore Park adds even more green space. Lavon Lake is a short drive away for boating and weekend getaways, a nice contrast to the concrete-heavy recreation options in the urban core.

8. You’re getting in early

Fast-growing towns like Anna go through a window where affordability, land availability, and small-town charm all coexist before the next wave of growth catches up. Anna’s home values have appreciated over 21% in the last decade, and with the population still expected to more than double by 2050, buying in now, whether for a home or a business, means getting in before the next price tier kicks in.

The trade-offs to know about

To be fair, Anna isn’t for everyone. The commute into Dallas is real (30–45+ minutes depending on where you’re headed), local retail and dining options are still catching up to the population, and a rapidly growing town means construction, traffic changes, and evolving infrastructure will be part of daily life for a while. If you want dense urban amenities within walking distance, Anna won’t scratch that itch yet.

Bottom line

Anna, Texas offers a rare combination in today’s DFW market: relative affordability, small-town community, and highway access to a major metro, all in a city that’s actively growing rather than already built out. If you’re weighing a move north of McKinney, Anna is one of the clearer value plays in the region right now.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; City of Anna, TX; Anna Economic Development Corporation; Anna ISD.