The result has been a diversification of Texas suburbs including thriving business communities and an increasing number of new homeowners. The rate of home ownership is increasing statewide, but this is primarily a suburban phenomenon. Concurrently, housing unaffordability also is increasing, particularly in center cities. The effects of rapid growth can also be seen on Texas roadways. Texas' urban areas face mounting problems with traffic congestion and vehicle emissions.
Highways also influence economic development.
While MSAs prosper along the Interstate Highway 35 Corridor, those at the terminus of an interstate, or not on one at all, see less growth and reap fewer benefits. Unlike many northeastern cities, none of Texas' MSAs exhibit vast income disparities between center cities and suburbs. But trends in that direction may be slowly emerging in some MSAs, namely Dallas and Houston. The MSAs along the Texas-Mexico border have large minority populations and lower median incomes than other MSAs in the state. Generally, median income within an MSA increases along with its population and its distance from the border.