By TX3DNews Staff | April 25, 2025
Welcome to Princeton, Texas—the place where the streets are newly paved, the homes are freshly built, and the fire trucks are… running a little behind schedule. Once a rural pit stop between McKinney and Farmersville, Princeton is now one of the fastest-growing cities in the country. The population? Up nearly 80% since 2020, according to U.S. Census estimates. The city is not just growing—it’s blasting past the speed limit.
But here’s the thing: while the new subdivisions come with granite countertops and curb appeal, the city’s behind-the-scenes systems—water, roads, fire response, sewer—are wheezing like a lawnmower in July. And all that glitzy growth? Someone’s gotta pay for it.
Let’s start with infrastructure. Roads, water lines, fire stations, sewage systems—these are the grown-up responsibilities of a growing town. And Princeton’s solution so far? Debt. Buckets of it. The city has leaned on municipal bonds to keep pace with rapid growth. That means borrowing big to build now, with taxpayers footing the bill later. Think of it as buying a giant house on a starter income.
In simple terms: borrow now, build fast, and pay later. But for taxpayers, it’s like maxing out a credit card to renovate the kitchen—eventually, the bill comes due, and it doesn’t care how nice the backsplash looks.
According to city financial reports, Princeton’s long-term obligations now exceed $135 million—and growing. That’s money we all owe, whether you’ve lived here 20 years or just moved in last week. And while you might not see the receipts right away, you will feel it eventually—in higher property taxes, rising utility fees, or cuts to public services when budgets get tight.
If you own a home in Princeton, bond debt matters. It affects how much you pay the city, and what you get back. It’s what funds your fire stations, your water pressure, and whether there’s a pothole outside your kid’s school that never gets fixed. If the city overcommits without a backup plan, you’re the one left holding the bag.
In January, the city council did something rare in boomtowns: they hit the brakes. A 180-day moratorium on new residential construction was approved to assess whether Princeton’s infrastructure could handle what’s already been built. Among the top concerns? Emergency response times and water supply reliability. WFAA reported that the city’s fire department has been stretched so thin, response times can exceed 12 minutes in some neighborhoods (WFAA).
Meanwhile, property appraisals are climbing—fast. According to the Collin Central Appraisal District, average home values in Princeton rose by over 23% in 2024 alone. That means higher tax bills for homeowners, especially as bond payments start hitting city budgets.
And don’t forget the human side. Princeton has added nearly 10,000 people in just five years, but emergency services and road infrastructure haven’t kept up. Anyone who’s tried to drive down 2-lane roads like Beauchamp or FM 982 during rush hour knows the struggle—especially when Highway 380 turns into a parking lot. Add in the reality that it could take 12–15 minutes for an ambulance to reach you, and the cracks in our ‘booming’ reputation start to show. Granite countertops won’t help if you’re stuck in traffic behind a school zone and emergency help can’t make it through.
This isn’t about being anti-growth. Growth is good. It brings jobs, businesses, better restaurants, maybe even a new HEB. But smart growth is better. And that starts with asking: are we planning for our future—or just reacting to it?
As Princeton continues to grow, residents have every reason to care about where the money’s going, how it’s being borrowed, and who’s keeping track. Because in a city this size, fiscal choices don’t stay on spreadsheets. They show up in your mailbox, your commute, your water bill.
So while Princeton basks in the glow of boomtown status, the question isn’t whether we’re growing. It’s whether we’re growing up.
Got thoughts on how Princeton should manage its boom? Tag us @TX3DNews or drop us a message. Because if we’re all paying for the ride, we should at least help steer.