By Photo: Larry D. Moore / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 4.0
By Peyton Lederman | The Now Daily
Kaufman County’s continued population surge is putting new attention on the infrastructure needed to serve one of the fastest-growing areas in Texas.
New estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau put Kaufman County’s population at 209,235 as of July 1, 2025. That represents a 44% increase from the county’s April 2020 population estimate base of 145,337.
The county added more than 11,000 residents between July 2024 and July 2025 alone, placing it among the fastest-growing counties in the country.
As more families move into communities east of Dallas, health care is one area where major expansion is already underway.
Kaufman County Continues Rapid Population Growth
Kaufman County’s growth has accelerated as communities such as Forney, Kaufman, Crandall and surrounding areas attract new residents.
The Census Bureau estimated the county grew 5.7% between July 2024 and July 2025. Among U.S. counties with populations of at least 20,000, Kaufman County ranked third nationally for percentage growth during that period.
The longer-term change is even larger. The county’s estimated population has increased by approximately 64,000 people from its April 2020 estimate base to July 2025.
That growth brings additional demand for roads, schools, housing, emergency services and medical care. Health providers are already making investments designed to accommodate a larger population across the county.
Texas Health Is Expanding Its Presence
Texas Health Resources is building a new full-service acute-care hospital in Forney on approximately 50 acres along U.S. Highway 80.
According to Texas Health, the facility will be the first full-service acute-care hospital in Forney and is being designed with room for future expansion. The hospital is expected to open in 2027.
Plans include an emergency department with 17 exam rooms, operating suites, labor and delivery services, imaging and other medical services.
Texas Health has said the project is also expected to bring several hundred jobs to Kaufman County, adding an economic-development component to an expansion primarily intended to address the area’s growing health care needs.
More Health Care Options Are Already Arriving
Residents do not have to wait until the new hospital opens to see Texas Health’s presence expanding in the area.
In March 2026, Texas Health opened its first Breeze Urgent Care location in Kaufman County near the Heartland community. The center is located less than 15 minutes from the hospital currently being built in Forney.
Texas Health also continues operating Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Kaufman, an 81-bed full-service hospital that has served Kaufman and surrounding communities for decades.
Together, the existing hospital, new urgent-care location and future Forney hospital represent a significant expansion of medical infrastructure as the county’s population continues climbing.
Growth Is Changing What Kaufman County Needs
The health care expansion illustrates a broader challenge facing rapidly growing communities: population growth creates demand for more than new houses.
Kaufman County now has tens of thousands more residents than it did just a few years ago. Those residents rely on emergency departments, schools, roads, utilities and other public and private services that must expand alongside housing development.
The new Forney hospital is designed with future expansion in mind, suggesting providers expect demand to continue growing.
How quickly Kaufman County’s population increases over the next several years will help determine whether current infrastructure projects can keep pace with the number of people moving into the area.
The Now Daily will continue tracking population growth, development and infrastructure projects affecting Kaufman County and surrounding North Texas communities.
Sources Consulted
- U.S. Census Bureau — Kaufman County QuickFacts
- U.S. Census Bureau — Vintage 2025 County Population Estimates
- Texas Health Resources — Texas Health Forney
- Texas Health Resources — System Expanding Services in Kaufman County
- Texas Health Resources — Texas Health Opens First Breeze Urgent Care in Mesquite
- Texas Health Resources — Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Kaufman