Download the PDFHow to find your place in North DFW
Narrow down where to live by work, daily life, budget and the home you may need to sell, before you fall in love with a house.
When someone tells me they're moving to Dallas, my first question is usually, “Where will you be working?”
Not because that answer decides everything. Because “Dallas” rarely means one city.
It usually means Dallas–Fort Worth: dozens of cities, several counties and many school districts. It's spread out enough that two neighborhoods that look close on a map can be very different drives at 8 a.m.
It's easy to fall for a beautiful kitchen and work out the commute later. But you'll make that drive far more often than you'll cook in that kitchen.
So this guide is written in that order: where your days will happen first, the house second. And if you have a home to sell before you move, that comes into the plan early too.
It focuses on the ten North DFW cities where I work every week. The questions are the same for everyone. The answers are different for each of us, and DFW isn't the right fit for every priority. That's worth knowing early.
-Anna
The City of Dallas is one large city, with its own neighborhoods and its own city government.
Dallas–Fort Worth is the whole metro: Dallas, Fort Worth and dozens of surrounding cities. Each has its own government, and often its own school districts and tax rates.
This guide covers ten cities north of Dallas, along the Dallas North Tollway, US-75, SH-121 and I-35E.
City limits, county lines and school district boundaries are three different maps, and they often don't match. A home can have one city's address and sit in another city's school district.
Those lines affect your tax rate, your school assignment and your city services. For any home you're serious about, confirm three things for that exact address: the city, the county and the school district.
Take ten minutes with these before you browse listings. There are no wrong answers, and “not sure yet” is a useful answer too.
Then write down your top two priorities in a home and neighborhood. The PDF has space to fill these in.
Every city below can be the right fit for someone. Use this to decide where to look first, not where to land. Within each city, the right street depends on your commute, your budget and the home itself. They run from the most established to the newest.
Established neighborhoods with DART Green and Silver Line rail, plus the A-train at Trinity Mills.
Most homes predate 2000, and the city spans three counties and several school districts.
How much would rail to downtown Dallas or DFW Airport matter in my week?
Established neighborhoods, a historic downtown, and DART rail on the Red and Silver lines.
Most homes were built before 2000, so updates and upkeep deserve a close look.
Would I rather update an established home or buy newer construction farther north?
Lewisville Lake, a historic Old Town, and three A-train rail stations, plus I-35E.
A wide mix of home ages, so condition varies from street to street.
Would being near the lake and rail change how I spend my weeks?
Mostly homes built since 2000, with US-75 and the Sam Rayburn Tollway close by.
Fewer brand-new options than the cities farther north.
Do I want a home with a few years on it, or something brand new?
A historic downtown on the National Register, alongside homes mostly built since 2000.
Several school districts serve different parts of the city, so check each address.
Do I want to be near the historic downtown, or closer to the highways I'll use most?
Mostly newer homes and a major business and entertainment corridor along the Dallas North Tollway.
Four school districts share the city, so the district depends on the exact address.
How will my daily drive feel as the corridors around a home keep building out?
Miles of Lewisville Lake shoreline and mostly newer neighborhoods.
More than one school district serves the town, and daily routes lean on US-380 and FM 423.
How much do I value being near the lake compared with being near my commute?
Nearly all homes built since 2000, with the Dallas North Tollway reaching into town.
The Tollway extension (expected late 2027) and US-380 work will shape traffic in the meantime.
How will ongoing road and home construction affect my daily routine?
A historic town square from 1910, surrounded by mostly new construction.
The population nearly quadrupled since 2020, and the Tollway extension isn't expected until late 2027.
Am I comfortable buying while roads and services are still being built around me?
Mostly new construction, with US-75 and SH-121 running through the area.
The population more than doubled since 2020, and several nearby roads are still being widened.
How far north am I comfortable living for the newness I want?
None of these is a reason not to move here. They're just easier to plan for when you know them in advance.
Texas has no state income tax, but property taxes are set locally, by the city, county, school district and sometimes special districts. Two homes at the same price can have very different monthly costs once taxes, insurance and HOA dues are included. Confirm the total tax rate for the exact address, and if it will be your primary residence, ask about the homestead exemption.
Hail is part of life in North Texas, and it shapes what homeowners insurance costs and how policies are written. Get quotes early and read the deductible carefully.
Much of DFW runs on toll roads, and a TollTag quickly becomes part of daily life. Distance isn't a reliable guide here. The same drive can feel very different depending on the road and the hour.
HOAs are common, especially in newer neighborhoods. Their rules can cover anything from fences and exterior colors to parking and rentals.
Every home, new or established, deserves a careful inspection and a realistic maintenance plan. North Texas soil moves with moisture, so it's normal for foundations to come up in inspections and conversations here.
Many people moving here still own a home, either where they live now or already in DFW. The order you sell and buy in shapes your timing, your costs and your stress, so decide it early.
You know your numbers and you aren't carrying two homes. You may need a short rental or a few months somewhere in between.
You move once, straight into the new home. You carry two homes for a while, so talk with your lender early about what that means for you.
Some sales let the seller stay in the home for an agreed time after closing. Your agent and the title company can walk you through how that is written.
Selling where you live now? List with a strong agent who knows that market. I'm glad to help you find one and to line up the timing on both ends.
Selling a home here in North DFW? Start with two questions: what would it sell for today, and what does it need before it lists? The higher the price, the more the preparation and the first weekend on the market matter, so give it lead time.
Review your contract's deadlines with your agent. Arrange inspections, insurance quotes and a review of any HOA documents promptly, so you have time to follow up on questions.
You don't need every answer before we talk. If you know where you'll be working, roughly when you need to move and what matters most to you, that's enough to start.
I'll help you narrow down the areas worth exploring first and talk through the trade-offs in each: the drive, the type of home and the full monthly cost. If you're selling too, we'll plan the timing on both ends. From there, we decide together what's worth seeing next.