Real Estate Photographer in Hutto, TX

The Brief

HUTTO, Texas - A new U.S. Census report put seven Texas cities in the top 15 fastest-growing places in the country.

Hutto was the only Central Texas city on the list.

City of Hutto's growth

What they're saying:

The houses popping up left and right are a testament to that. It's a far cry from what Jena Dubon remembers as a kid.

"They were excited about a Wendy’s coming like twenty years ago, and we finally got it a few years ago, and now we have big places coming," said Dubon.

She's now a realtor in Hutto with On Air Realty. She points to the city's location and affordability as its attractions.

"We have a toll road really close by, 79. We’re in the corridor of when it comes to tech, like big tech companies, so really great place to put some roots down and grow," said Dubon.

According to the U.S. Census, Hutto is the 13th fastest-growing city in the country. Between 2023 and 2024, it grew by more than 9 percent.

"I knew that we were growing fast because I’m exhausted," said Matthew Rector, Hutto's city engineer. "My team is exhausted, but I didn’t realize we were going to rank 13th in the nation. That to me was a shock."

Rector is helping guide that growth with plans to expand water capacity, treatment plants, and roads.

"We have Samsung just to our east, and so they’re going to be generating a lot more traffic, so we’re working with the county and TxDOT to figure out how we can facilitate that without creating too much of an adverse impact for our residents, so we are busy busy busy," said Rector.

It's not just people moving to Hutto. Companies are building new offices, too, like one across from the city hall, which city officials believe is a Swedish company working with Samsung.

"We’re seeing a lot of growth in areas where other metro areas are seeing declines," said Cheney Gamboa, Hutto's director of economic development. "For example, office space. That’s something we’re building here at the Co-Op."

For Gamboa, keeping Hutto's small-town charm with its shiny new big city amenities is all a delicate balancing act.

"Your residents want quality of life, but they need infrastructure," said Gamboa. "Your business needs infrastructure, but their employees want quality of life, so it’s just kind of striking that balance about what you're prioritizing and what you're trying to achieve for the community at any given time."

Georgetown has long boasted of being one of the fastest-growing places in the U.S. It didn't make the list this year, but it was one of seven U.S. cities to pass the population threshold of 100,000 in 2024.

Most Texans and those who share their love for homegrown burger chains like Whataburger don't need the reassurance of a Yelp ranking when it comes to picking favorites. Yet, it never gets easier to see a chain from another state get all the recognition.

That's probably what "hurts the most," as country music group Rascal Flatts once sang, about Yelp's latest ranking of the best burger chains in the country. It's one thing for Whataburger not to be named in the top five spots of Yelp's Top 25 Burger Chains. But, to add insult to injury, three of the top five chains are headquartered in California. One is based in New York City, while the other helms from Wisconsin.

Heck, Whataburger doesn't even land in the top 10 spots of the list and comes in after Jack in the Box. Customers have voiced the changes they've noticed regarding the food quality since BDT Capital Partners, a Chicago-based company, became the majority shareholder of Whataburger in 2019.

Yelp considered a few things when selecting which burger chains to name in the 2025 edition of its top 25 chains, which was made in honor of National Burger Day on May 28. The company states the brands must have at least 100 locations across the U.S., must operate in multiple states and be primarily categorized under "burgers" On Yelp, per the list.

Though Whataburger did not make the top 10, as it landed in the no. 14 spot, another Texas burger chain did find its way to ninth place: Mooyah Burgers, Fries and Shakes. This burger chain originates from the North Texas town of Plano. According to Yelp's ranking, it's "all about building your perfect burger, your way." Everything at Mooyah is customizable, which is a home run for picky eaters.

See if your favorite burger chain made it onto Yelp's Top 25 below: