The 'incredibly safe' Texas city whose population has almost tripled making it the fastest growing in America

You might need to search Google Maps to find America's fastest growing city-- a place that offers affordable housing with Friday Night Lights charm, but just minutes away from big city amenities.

Celina, Texas grew 53 times faster than the rest of the nation, the US Census announced-- earning it the fastest growing city title.

The city, about an hour north of Dallas, grew by 26.6%, while the national growth rate is 0.5%,

Pronounced Sa-lina by locals, Celina's population nearly tripled in the last three years.

In 2020, it was just a rural outpost of just 17,800 people outside of Dallas, but three years later, the population ballooned to 43,300.

The US Census named Celina, Texas the fast-growing city in the US

In fact, Celina isn't the only Lone Star State city to make the list of fast growing, according to the US Census. 

Eight of the 10 fastest-growing cities in the US are in Texas, and most are in the Dallas area, with new arrivals turning suburbs like Princeton, Anna, Prosper and Forney into boom towns.

That data tracks with projections that Texas cities are poised to overtake New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago.

By 2100, 'everything's bigger in Texas' will be true of the population, with the state expected to be home to a whooping 96 million people.

Dallas will replace New York City as the largest city in the country, while Houston will overtake Los Angeles and Austin will bump Chicago. 

Although part of the larger Dallas-Fort Worth area, Celina gets high marks for safety, with 9 in 10 residents rating it as excellent or good ratings for safety.

It was also ranked as 64% safer than the rest of country by Neighborhoodscout.com. 

Home builders are constructing jaw-dropping McMansions for a fraction of the price if you bought a similar home in other parts of the country.

While Celina does offer its share of mini-castles, the median home price is about $340,000.

"It's really still a great price point to get into a city in the (Dallas-Fort Worth) Metroplex,' said realtor Tiffany Caballero in an online tour of Celina.

'And it's the median, then there are lots of houses under that as well.' 

Celina is considered rural, the home seller explained, adding that anyone moving there would have to be mindful of that, adding that the town's one high school is top rated.

Currently under contract and last listed at $3,795,000, this 6 bedroom, 7 bathroom home in Celina, Texas is 6800 square feet. It was built this year and features a  pool, spa and five-car garage

Members of the Celina Police Department pose during a community event

'Everyone supports the Bobcats and wears orange and black like it's Friday Night Lights,' Caballero said, referencing the movie about football culture in small-town Texas. 

'But it's because there's only one high school. Everybody is super community-oriented and involved.'

Celina's population is expected to peak at 350,00, meaning more schools will definitely be built as new families moves in. 

Almost every Texas city has seen incredible growth in the last few years, largely due to relatively lower cost of living compared with many other states, however, the cost of living has swelled for many natives and long-time residents who are feel priced out of their own state.

Texans also do not pay state income tax. 

The job market is also incredibly healthy, as the state is ranked third in the nation in CNBC’s 2024 top states for business rankings.