Regions in North Texas are leading the nation in housing growth while the rest of the country experiences a construction slowdown. According to an analysis by StorageCafe, four cities in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex rank among the 15 fastest-growing housing markets nationwide and are breaking records across key sectors.
Across the country, housing inventory grew 16.7% from 2005 to 2023, but a housing deficit of about 3.7 million homes remains, the report said. Texas is at the forefront of that growth, with 15 cities ranking among the top performers in housing stock over that time period.
The Dallas metro area, in particular, performed well thanks to its high density of top-growth housing markets. Frisco has tripled its housing inventory since 2005, surpassing 85,000 units in 2023. The city ranks first nationwide for multifamily and single-family home growth.
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Strong housing growth positively impacts the self-storage market. In Frisco, self-storage inventory reached about 1.7 million square feet in 2023, more than doubling its capacity over two decades. The average cost of storage units in the city is $142 per month.
McKinney and neighboring Allen posted the fastest growth in middle housing inventory, increasing 185% and 182% respectively. McKinney also had a 127% overall housing inventory expansion, reaching nearly 79,000 units, and Allen’s housing stock grew by 76% to reach 40,600 units in 2023.
Six Dallas metroplex cities saw housing inventory expansion of more than 50%, driving much of the growth in North Texas, the report said. These markets were previously affordable but have become more competitive as home prices have more than doubled across the region. In Frisco, prices increased 227%, followed by Fort Worth at 218% and Denton at 207%.
Across the country, middle housing – including duplexes, triplexes and small apartment buildings – has trailed other housing sectors with growth of just 11%. In the Dallas Metroplex, only three suburbs expanded in the middle-market sector. Forth Worth saw a 22% increase in this category, while Dallas posted a decrease of 9% between 2005 and 2023.
The middle market is considered a crucial element in addressing housing affordability, but in Texas cities with significant price hikes, middle housing makes up less than 20% of inventory and demand far outpaced supply, said StorageCafe.
Nationwide, middle-market housing increased by 11.3% from 2025 to 2023, which was the smallest growth among all housing types. Within middle housing, townhouses had the largest increase, up 29% to total more than 9 million units.
“The focus on single-family homes has created a significant gap in the middle housing segment, one that remains difficult to fill even as multifamily housing gains momentum,” said Doug Ressler, business intelligence manager at Yardi Matrix, a StorageCafe sister organization. “Reviving ‘missing middle’ housing requires more than just building additional units — it involves rethinking zoning laws, offering financial incentives, and exploring innovative solutions like office-to-residential conversions. These approaches can help maximize existing spaces while ensuring they align with community needs.”
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Kristen Smithberg
Kristen Smithberg is a Colorado-based freelance writer who covers commercial real estate, insurance, benefits and retirement topics for BenefitsPRO and other industry publications.
