How to Choose a Dallas Neighborhood: A Practical Checklist

Is it better to buy in Dallas or the suburbs?

Neither is better in general. It depends on what you want from the house and the location. Close-in Dallas neighborhoods give you older homes, established trees, shorter routes to downtown and Love Field, and restaurants nearby. Suburbs such as Plano, Frisco, McKinney and Allen often give you newer houses, newer subdivisions and more square footage for the money.

Write down your answers to four questions before you look at houses: where you and your partner work, which school district you want, whether you want an older home or new construction, and how much yard you need. Those four usually point clearly to either Dallas or the suburbs.

• Taxes: suburbs have their own city and school district rates, and some newer subdivisions add a municipal utility district or other special district. Look up the units for each address.
• HOAs: newer suburban subdivisions usually have one, and many older Dallas streets do not. Read the dues, rules and resale certificate.
• Lot and house age: older Dallas lots are often larger relative to the house. Suburban homes are often newer and need fewer near-term repairs.
• Daily trips: list the five places you go every week and map them from each candidate area.

Should I buy in Plano or Preston Hollow?

Pick Preston Hollow if you want the City of Dallas, larger and older lots, and a shorter route to downtown, the Park Cities and Love Field. Pick Plano if you want a separate suburban city with newer subdivisions, more homes with HOAs and community amenities, and you work north of LBJ Freeway.

• Schools: Preston Hollow is mostly in Dallas ISD. Most of Plano is in Plano ISD, with some areas in other districts. Check each address.
• Taxes: Preston Hollow pays City of Dallas and Dallas County units. Plano is mostly in Collin County. The appraisal district record lists the units for each property.
• Houses: Preston Hollow mixes 1950s ranch homes with new custom houses on big lots. Plano is mostly newer subdivision homes.
• Roads: both sit on the Dallas North Tollway. Plano also has US 75 and the President George Bush Turnpike.

See the Preston Hollow page and the Plano page for the streets and housing stock in more detail.

Does a Dallas address mean Dallas ISD schools?

No. The City of Dallas overlaps several school districts, and "Dallas, TX" on an envelope is a postal name, not a school assignment. Much of Lake Highlands is in Richardson ISD. Parts of Far North Dallas are in Richardson ISD, Plano ISD or Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD. Many Highland Park and University Park homes use a Dallas mailing address but are in Highland Park ISD.

1. Find the district on the property's DCAD record, which lists the school district as a taxing unit.
2. Enter the exact address in that district's own school or boundary lookup on its website.
3. Call the district's enrollment office to confirm, especially for addresses near a boundary.
4. Ask what proof of residency the district requires at enrollment.

For University Park and Highland Park, use Highland Park ISD's own attendance information. Boundaries can change, so check again close to closing if a specific school matters to you.

Are property taxes different in Highland Park and University Park?

Yes. Each town sets its own city rate, while both share the Highland Park ISD rate and the Dallas County units. The same logic applies anywhere in Dallas County: your bill is the sum of the rates of every unit listed on the DCAD account, times the taxable value.

To compare two houses, look up both DCAD accounts, note the taxing units and the appraised value, and check the current adopted rates with the Dallas County Tax Office. Ask your lender or CPA how a homestead exemption would apply to you. I do this comparison with every client before an offer.

Where should I live for easy access to the Dallas North Tollway?

Live in a neighborhood that sits right on the Tollway's path: Uptown, the west side of Highland Park and University Park, Greenway Parks, Bluffview, Preston Hollow, North Dallas around 75230 and 75240, and Far North Dallas up to 75252. Farther north, Addison, west Plano and Frisco sit along it as well.

The Tollway is operated by the North Texas Tollway Authority and charges tolls, so add them to your monthly budget. Check how far the house is from the nearest entrance in the direction you will drive every day, not just the closest exit.

How do I test a commute before I buy?

Drive it yourself at the hour you would actually leave, on a weekday, in both directions. Lakewood, for example, connects to downtown by Gaston Avenue, Swiss Avenue and Live Oak Street, and the time changes with traffic, school zones, construction and where you park.

I do not quote commute minutes because any single number would be wrong half the time. Try the route twice, and try the DART option if there is one near the house.

Also check the trips you make outside rush hour: school pickup, the airport, the grocery store. A house near the Dallas North Tollway or Central Expressway may be quick to reach downtown but slow to reach a suburb on the other side of town. Love Field is easiest from the neighborhoods around it, such as Bluffview, Greenway Parks and Oak Lawn.

Your neighborhood checklist

Use this list on every house you seriously consider. It takes an hour and saves expensive surprises.

1. City: is the address in Dallas, Highland Park, University Park or another city? DCAD shows it.
2. School district: confirm with the district's own lookup.
3. Taxing units: note them from DCAD and check current rates with the county tax office.
4. Flood: check FEMA's Flood Map Service Center and the City of Dallas floodplain resources.
5. Street: is it a cut-through, does the house face or back onto a busy road, is there a commercial lot behind it?
6. Commute: drive it at rush hour.
7. Rules: HOA documents, or a city conservation or historic district if you plan to renovate.

A busy street usually means fewer interested buyers when you sell, so weigh it now. If you want help running these checks, get in touch, or start with the neighborhood pages.