Where homes are affordable

There's an energy rush on in Watauga. Many residents own land on the natural gas-rich Barnett Shale. Energy companies have offered signing bonuses and royalties worth thousands of dollars in exchange for drilling rights.

The town's growing population has attracted a new medical facility, Gertrude Tarpley JPS Health Center, which expects to bring in more than 16,000 patients in its first year of operation. Three-bedroom, single-family homes here start at a budget-friendly $65,000.  --B.B.

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