Is An Old HGTV Remodeling Show Ruining Waco Texas?

The "Fixer Upper" show is based in Waco and is getting both praise and blame.

According to the San Antonio Express-News, "Fixer Upper," an HGTV home remodeling show that showcases the charms of Waco, Texas, is attracting tourists and new residents while raising home values and property taxes. The show ended its run in 2018 after five seasons, but the stars, Chip and Joanna Gaines, have started their own network and will launch a new show this year.

Certainly not everyone in Waco is a fan of their hometown's newfound fame. The Gaines phenomenon has led to swarms of tourists descending on the city. And out-of-towners with seemingly unlimited budgets are driving up real estate prices to new heights, leading to higher property taxes for longtime Waco dwellers.

New restaurants, bars, and stores are opening in previously empty buildings. The Silos, the Gaineses' mini empire featuring their home goods store, gardening shop, and bakery, are bringing folks into the community to spend their money. Folks queue up out the door of the couple's restaurant, Magnolia Table, or head to their newly opened coffee shop near the Silos; a Magnolia boutique hotel is set to open in 2021. And there are other changes, too, including the expansion of SpaceX's rocket-making plant as well as a new Sherwin-Williams distribution center.

But there's a literal cost to all this growth: average home prices shot up nearly 52.1% from 2015 through 2019 in McLennan County, which includes Waco, according to local broker Camille Johnson, who runs Camille Johnson Realtors. That's a tough pill for many longtime residents to swallow, particularly if they're making area wages.