50 Fastest-Growing ZIP Codes That Are Still Affordable for the Middle Class
Despite the fact that the American middle class is shrinking -- per Pew Research Center, it has fallen from 61% to 50% over the past five decades -- there are still a number of places in the country where the middle class can thrive.
That’s what MoneyLion discovered in its most recent study, which sought to find the 50 fastest-growing ZIP codes that are still affordable for the American middle class. To do so, MoneyLion sourced all ZIP codes with populations over 20,000 in 2024 and compared those to 2019 population levels.
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From that matrix, MoneyLion then located the metros in which the salaries needed to afford the average local mortgage fell into the middle class income range of $53,823 to $161,438. The result: A list of 50 ZIP codes exclusively in the South – with more than half in Texas.
Curious whether your ZIP code made the list? They’re all listed below, ranked from the highest population grow rate to the lowest.
Key Findings
The Lone Star State dominates the list: Texas has a staggering 29 ZIP codes included in the 50 fastest-growing locales still affordable for the middle class.
Florida comes in second: With nine appearances on the list, the Sunshine State follows Texas in terms of speedily-growing inexpensive ZIP codes.
Only one ZIP code is home to more than 100,000: The San Antonio/New Braunfels area of Texas has 104,009 residents, making it the only ZIP code listed to hit a six-figure population.
1. 77493 (Katy, Texas)
Metro: Houston – The Woodlands – Sugar Land, Texas
Population: 71,484
5-year % change in population: 96.7%
Salary needed to afford mortgage: $70,184
2. 75407 (Princeton, Texas)
Metro: Dallas – Fort Worth – Arlington, Texas
Population: 34,171
5-year % change in population: 90.1%
Salary needed to afford mortgage: $60,649
3. 77327 (Dayton, Texas)
Metro: Houston – The Woodlands – Sugar Land, Texas
Population: 42,685
5-year % change in population: 83.4%
Salary needed to afford mortgage: $43,820
4. 78252 (San Antonio, Texas)
Metro: San Antonio – New Braunfels, Texas
Population: 21,790
5-year % change in population: 81.5%
Salary needed to afford mortgage:$50,814
5. 31407 (Port Wentworth, Georgia)
Metro: Savannah, Georgia
Population: 24,893
5-year % change in population: 79.4%
Salary needed to afford mortgage: $64,781
6. 75126 (Forney, Texas)
Metro: Dallas – Fort Worth – Arlington, Texas
Population: 84,799
5-year % change in population: 73.1%
Salary needed to afford mortgage: $63,932
7. 78653 (Manor, Texas)
Metro: Austin – Round Rock – Georgetown, Texas
Population: 41,291
5-year % change in population: 69.8%
Salary needed to afford mortgage: $66,136
8. 75189 (Royse City, Texas)
Metro: Dallas – Fort Worth – Arlington, Texas
Population: 48,739
5-year % change in population: 67.3%
Salary needed to afford mortgage: $65,507
9. 75409 (Anna, Texas)
Metro: Dallas – Fort Worth – Arlington, Texas
Population: 27,131
5-year % change in population: 66.0%
Salary needed to afford mortgage: $71,400
10. 33598 (Wimauma, Florida)
Metro: Tampa – St. Petersburg – Clearwater, Florida
Population: 32,820
5-year % change in population: 63.7%
Salary needed to afford mortgage: $71,826
11. 78109 (Converse, Texas)
Metro: San Antonio – New Braunfels, Texas
Population: 63,067
5-year % change in population: 58.6%
Salary needed to afford mortgage: $50,231
12. 78253 (San Antonio)
Metro: San Antonio – New Braunfels, Texas
Population: 69,282
5-year % change in population: 58.3%
Salary needed to afford mortgage: $66,233
13. 79765 (Odessa, Texas)
Metro: Odessa, Texas
Population: 25,904
5-year % change in population: 57.1%
Salary needed to afford mortgage: $68,055
14. 77447 (Hockley, Texas)
Metro: Houston – The Woodlands – Sugar Land, Texas
Population: 25,231
5-year % change in population: 55.3%
Salary needed to afford mortgage: $62,206
15. 33837 (Davenport, Florida)
Metro: Lakeland – Winter Haven, Florida
Population: 47,389
5-year % change in population: 54.7%
Salary needed to afford mortgage: $69,627
16. 33573 (Sun City Center, Florida)
Metro: Tampa – St. Petersburg – Clearwater, Florida
Population: 35,362
5-year % change in population: 52.6%
Salary needed to afford mortgage: $63,232
17. 79928 (Horizon City, Texas)
Metro: El Paso, Texas
Population: 86,599
5-year % change in population: 51.4%
Salary needed to afford mortgage: $52,910
18. 30213 (Fairburn, Georgia)
Metro: Atlanta – Sandy Springs – Alpharetta, Georgia
Population: 50,621
5-year % change in population: 49.2%
Salary needed to afford mortgage: $65,710
19. 32821 (Orlando, Florida)
Metro: Orlando – Kissimmee – Sanford, Florida
Population: 26,161
5-year % change in population: 48.0%
Salary needed to afford mortgage: $72,310
20. 77568 (La Marque, Texas)
Metro: Houston – The Woodlands – Sugar Land, Texas
Population: 23,083
5-year % change in population: 47.2%
Salary needed to afford mortgage: $51,691
21. 74134 (Tulsa, Oklahoma)
Metro: Tulsa, Oklahoma
Population: 23,323
5-year % change in population: 46.7%
Salary needed to afford mortgage: $53,370
22. 78566 (Los Fresnos, Texas)
Metro: Brownsville – Harlingen, Texas
Population: 25,110
5-year % change in population: 44.3%
Salary needed to afford mortgage: $43,427
23. 85138 (Maricopa, Arizona)
Metro: Phoenix – Mesa – Chandler, Arizona
Population: 55,260
5-year % change in population: 43.7%
Salary needed to afford mortgage: $71,238
24. 29016 (Blythewood, South Carolina)
Metro: Columbia, South Carolina
Population: 30,454
5-year % change in population: 42.4%
Salary needed to afford mortgage: $70,353
25. 77303 (Conroe, Texas)
Metro: Houston – The Woodlands – Sugar Land
Population: 28,854
5-year % change in population: 39.7%
Salary needed to afford mortgage: $54,089
26. 33844 (Haines City, Florida)
Metro: Lakeland – Winter Haven, Florida
Population: 51,255
5-year % change in population: 39.7%
Salary needed to afford mortgage: $61,508
27. 30248 (Locust Grove, Georgia)
Metro: Atlanta – Sandy Springs – Alpharetta, Georgia
Population: 36,038
5-year % change in population: 36.9%
Salary needed to afford mortgage: $66,411
28. 29566 (Little River, South Carolina)
Metro: Myrtle Beach – Conway – North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina – North Carolina
Population: 23,806
5-year % change in population: 36.1%
Salary needed to afford mortgage: $70,874
29. 77357 (New Caney, Texas)
Metro: Houston – The Woodlands – Sugar Land, Texas
Population: 37,592
5-year % change in population: 35.6%
Salary needed to afford mortgage: $53,932
30. 31047 (Kathleen, Georgia)
Metro: Warner Robins, Georgia
Population: 20,203
5-year % change in population: 35.5%
Salary needed to afford mortgage: $71,767
31. 78634 (Hutto, Texas)
Metro: Austin – Round Rock – Georgetown, Texas
Population: 46,413
5-year % change in population: 34.7%
Salary needed to afford mortgage: $69,619
32. 35749 (Harvest, Alabama)
Metro: Huntsville, Alabama
Population: 30,710
5-year % change in population: 34.7%
Salary needed to afford mortgage: $63,203
33. 77002 (Houston)
Metro: Houston – The Woodlands – Sugar Land, Texas
Population: 21,015
5-year % change in population: 34.6%
Salary needed to afford mortgage: $73,092
34. 78130 (New Braunfels, Texas)
Metro: San Antonio – New Braunfels, Texas
Population: 104,009
5-year % change in population: 34.4%
Salary needed to afford mortgage: $62,371
35. 34473 (Ocala, Florida)
Metro: Ocala Florida
Population: 26,813
5-year % change in population: 34.1%
Salary needed to afford mortgage: $55,246
36. 32909 (Palm Bay, Florida)
Metro: Palm Bay – Melbourne – Titusville, Florida
Population: 41,804
5-year % change in population: 33.8%
Salary needed to afford mortgage: $64,453
37. 78414 (Corpus Christi, Texas)
Metro: Corpus Christi, Texas
Population: 54,263
5-year % change in population: 33.5%
Salary needed to afford mortgage: $62,960
38. 76036 (Crowley, Texas)
Metro: Dallas – Fort Worth – Arlington, Texas
Population: 36,044
5-year % change in population: 33.2%
Salary needed to afford mortgage: $64,458
39. 33897 (Davenport, Florida)
Metro: Lakeland – Winter Haven, Florida
Population: 30,159
5-year % change in population: 32.56%
Salary needed to afford mortgage: $71,451
40. 77304 (Conroe, Texas)
Metro: Houston – The Woodlands – Sugar Land, Texas
Population: 44,225
5-year % change in population: 32.6%
Salary needed to afford mortgage: $67,746
41. 33811 (Lakeland, Florida)
Metro: Lakeland – Winter Haven, Florida
Population: 29,472
5-year % change in population: 32.2%
Salary needed to afford mortgage: $68,720
42. 78640 (Kyle, Texas)
Metro: Austin – Round Rock – Georgetown, Texas
Population: 77,531
5-year % change in population: 31.9%
Salary needed to afford mortgage: $61,298
43. 78254 (San Antonio)
Metro: San Antonio – New Braunfels, Texas
Population: 77,893
5-year % change in population: 31.8%
Salary needed to afford mortgage: $62,413
44. 74037 (Jenks, Oklahoma)
Metro: Tulsa, Oklahoma
Population: 24,547
5-year % change in population: 31.6%
Salary needed to afford mortgage: $68,285
45. 78626 (Georgetown, Texas)
Metro: Austin – Round Rock – Georgetown, Texas
Population: 48,072
5-year % change in population: 31.5%
Salary needed to afford mortgage: $72,676
46. 29456 (Ladson, South Carolina)
Metro: Charleston – North Charleston, South Carolina
Population: 41,214
5-year % change in population: 31.4%
Salary needed to afford mortgage: $64,799
47. 77583 (Iowa Colony, Texas)
Metro: Houston – The Woodlands – Sugar Land, Texas
Population: 52,747
5-year % change in population: 30.2%
Salary needed to afford mortgage: $65,208
48. 35475 (Northport, Alabama)
Metro: Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Population: 20,745
5-year % change in population: 30.1%
Salary needed to afford mortgage: $59,548
49. 70435 (Covington, Louisiana)
Metro: New Orleans – Metairie, Louisiana
Population: 22,475
5-year % change in population: 30.0%
Salary needed to afford mortgage: $61,300
50. 76131 (Saginaw, Texas)
Metro: Dallas-Fort Worth – Arlington, Texas
Population: 56,322
5-year % change in population: 29.4%
Salary needed to afford mortgage: $68,183
Methodology: For this piece MoneyLion looked at all ZIP codes with a (1) 2024 population above 20,000 (via the 2024 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau). With these ZIP codes isolated, MoneyLion then found (2) the 2019 population of each ZIP code; as well as the (3) percent change in 5-year population change and (4) numerical change in 5-year population. MoneyLion then found the (5) January 2026 home value for each ZIP (sourced from Zillow’s January 2026 data). With home values secured, MoneyLion was then able to find (6) monthly and (7) annual mortgage costs assuming a 20% down payment and a 30-year fixed rate loan set at 6.01% (sourced from Freddie Mac) and including no PMI, HOA, or property taxes. MoneyLion then found (8) salary needed to comfortably afford mortgage, assuming no more than 28% of gross income would go toward a mortgage. In order to qualify, the ZIP code had to have a January 2026 home value below the national average AND factor (8) had to be within the national middle-class income range of $53,823 to $161,438 (defined as two-thirds to double the median income of an area). All research is up to date as of Feb. 24, 2026.
This article was provided by MoneyLion.com for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, legal or tax advice.
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