America's fastest growing city: Mother reveals why Celina, Texas, is so popular

A young mom who moved pinch her family from California to America's fastest-growing city person revealed what drew them to nan mini town.

Michelle Clifford, 33, says she has ever been enamored by Texas culture, and moreover attended assemblage there. 

So erstwhile an opportunity to move to Celina successful nan Lone Star authorities popped up, she and her hubby decided to spell for it. 

It was a extremity she had wanted to fulfill for immoderate clip - but nan brace had antecedently settled down successful confederate California pursuing her graduation after falling successful emotion pinch nan man of her dreams who attended schoolhouse successful nan Bay Area. 

The brace lived successful San Diego for 5 years earlier moving to San Francisco wherever they sewage joined and had their first daughter, Clifford writes successful an effort for Business Insider.

During nan pandemic, she and her hubby moved to Oceanside, California, and she became pregnant pinch her 2nd daughter. But by past they wanted much retired of life.

'Over time, our priorities changed,' Clifford wrote. 'We wanted to slow down and bargain a house, but it wasn't realistic for america successful California.'

As she was moving remotely astatine nan time, her and her hubby decided it was clip to move to Texas.

At first they moved to Prosper, a municipality northbound of Dallas that has besides seen a roar successful caller years.

Census information shows its organization successful 2009 was conscionable astir 10,000 people. Its organization now stands astatine astir 40,000, according to nan Prosper Economic Development Corporation. 

In Prosper, nan mates was renting a three-bedroom, two-bath location that sits connected a 3rd of an acre for $2,650 a period - a awesome upgrade from their cramped location successful Oceanside, wherever they were renting a two-bedroom, two-bathroom bungalow build successful nan 1960s for $3,300.

But now they are upgrading moreover more, moving into a 2,400-square-foot location successful Celina, Texas, which sits connected an acre of land. 

Clifford and her hubby were capable to acquisition nan spot for conscionable astir $600,000, and Clifford said nan process to bargain nan location was a breeze compared to what they would person faced backmost successful California wherever they could not find properties they liked wrong their fund of $700,000.

'I person friends who mislaid bidding wars for homes successful California to buyers consenting to connection up to $150,000 supra nan asking value and often successful cash,' she recounted.

'But uncovering a location successful Celina was nan easiest process - it was for illustration nan stars aligned.'

Clifford said nan sellers accepted their connection nan aforesaid time they made it, and they were capable to adjacent connected nan woody wrong conscionable 15 days.

'If we stayed successful California, we knew that buying a location would apt require moving acold east, distant from nan ocean, aliases settling for a life of renting aliases surviving successful a mini townhouse pinch a backyard,' she wrote.

'We're outdoorsy people, truthful it would consciousness for illustration we were getting robbed.' 

She added that they besides fell successful emotion pinch nan civilization of Celina, writing: 'It felt for illustration nan perfect spot to settee down and found roots.

'More importantly, it was astir doing thing wholly different,' Clifford said.

'We've knowledgeable metropolis life and wanted to clasp state surviving and ain immoderate land.'

Their caller next-door neighbors ain 8 cows, and Clifford and her hubby precocious purchased their ain chickenhearted coop, she said. 

She went connected to picture nan metropolis arsenic having a 'small, cozy vibe' contempt its ample onshore mass.

'Everyone says hullo and I consciousness for illustration we each cognize 1 another,' Clifford wrote. 

'It's difficult to describe, but it feels for illustration you're going backmost successful time,' she said, describing really nan metropolis and residents person preserved their civilization pinch mini businesses and 'almost nary fast-food chains.'

'I'm honored to see myself a Celina resident and americium grateful to beryllium welcomed,' she said. 

Clifford added that she is besides grateful that her children will person a location of their own.

'I'm not usually an affectional person, but successful nan past month, I swear, I cried each nan time. I conscionable ne'er thought it was going to happen,' she said of nan anticipation of owning a home.

'I've been renting aliases moving almost each twelvemonth since I was 18,' she continued.

'To yet person thing that's excavation is nan astir astonishing feeling.

'Knowing that my daughters will person abstraction to tally astir successful Celina is nan biggest blessing. I support imagining them playing astatine nan extremity of a cul-de-sac conscionable for illustration I did erstwhile I was increasing up.

'I'm conscionable truthful grateful,' Clifford concluded. 'It feels for illustration it was each meant to be.'

But, she noted, each of nan charms that drew her to Celina are now bringing successful much and much Californians who are raising nan prices. 

Its median location value has besides skyrocketed to roughly $680,000, 29 percent higher than nan mean location value successful adjacent Dallas.

Celina's newest transplants are apt location for nan hourlong commute to Dallas, its good classed schools and debased crime rates.

Celina has besides has a adjacent spot of civilization successful its ain right, known for hosting festivals filled pinch bully nutrient and attractions.

Its downtown quadrate hosted its yearly Cajun Festival successful May, billing nan arena arsenic nan 'Biggest Crawfish Boil successful North Texas.'

The arena was complete pinch unrecorded alligator shows, a family-friendly carnival and unrecorded capacity by state prima Aaron Watson.

And of course, thousands of pounds of caller crawfish for residents and passersby alike to enjoy.

Now, Clifford said she hopes 'Celina doesn't suffer nan quaint consciousness that drew maine present successful nan first place.'