Eight and a half million people. That’s almost the population of Switzerland. It’s also the projected number of people who may call DFW home in roughly five years.

One of America’s Fastest Growing Metroplexes

DFW is tracking to become America’s fifth-fastest-growing major metropolitan area. This is according to a recent study by the location advisory firm Site Selection Group. Their report predicts that by 2028, DFW’s population will be almost 8.5 million. This population growth is significant because it’s tied to another factor: jobs. Site Selection conducted the study to determine which U.S. metropolitan areas have the most “favorable long-term labor conditions.”

How much will the DFW area grow beyond 2028? It could become America’s biggest metropolitan area. By the year 2100, the DFW metroplex could have a population of almost 34 million. That’s the prediction of an analysis by the moving services company moveBuddha. If that projection holds, DFW will be America’s biggest metropolitan area, ahead of New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago.

America’s Highest Job Growth

As the Site Selection study suggests, job growth almost always accompanies population growth. A recent report by the bank holding company Truist shows that the DFW area has the highest year-over-year job growth rate among America’s largest metropolitan areas. The report says that as of April 2023, the DFW area’s five-year job growth was higher than the combined growth of the next two highest metro areas: Atlanta and Phoenix.

The Truist study notes that the DFW area has 24 Fortune 500 companies that generate about $1.3 trillion annually, second only to New York.

DFW is a Top Home-Buying Spot

Why else is population growth so high? Housing. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area ranks among the Top 5 places to buy a home in America. The NAR put the DFW area at number three in the nation on its Markets to Watch in 2023 and Beyond list. The research report bases its determinations on home affordability, home inventories, job growth, and population growth.

The NAR says, “Dallas-Fort Worth has experienced a growing influx of tech workers…with many new start-ups moving in this area. Not only is housing more affordable than nationally, but this area provides more options to buyers.”