Dallas Suburbs (These are the 2019 best Dallas suburbs)

best dallas suburbs

When people talk about Dallas, what they really mean is Dallas plus all the suburbs in the area. Suburbs like Plano, Frisco, Richardson, McKinney, Southlake, Colleyville, Westlake, Coppell and more. So, what makes one suburb better than another? Information concentrating on just the best neighborhoods in Dallas, Texas, can be found here.  Some factors which make one suburb more desirable than another might be the cost of the homes; public schools and school district ratings; shopping, entertainment, and dining; commute times to work and airports; unique things about each city, and more.

In this article, we are going to count down the top suburbs in and around Dallas - Fort Worth to purchase a home.  We will talk about the criteria mentioned above and use that criterion as a sort of "measuring stick" for purchasing a home in Dallas.

The article is written so that no particular suburb will actually be called #1, rather we will simply provide the best suburbs as a group below.  So, let's get started...

Allen Texas: Reasonable Pricing Makes This Suburb One of the Best

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Home to currently the nation's largest high school football stadium, Allen, Texas is a high school sports machine!  Allen High School football won three consecutive state championships from 2012 to 2014.  Great Schools gives Allen ISD high marks of 9/10.

Located in Collin County, the drive to the airports can be a tad long but Allen is an absolute for this list.  Why?  Great schools, friendly people, and a super small town atmosphere.

List prices on houses in Allen average a shade under $500,000.  However, buyers can find plenty of homes in the area starting around the $200,000 mark.

One of the bigger attractions to Allen is the shopping.  The city is home to the Allen Premium Outlet Mall which features dining, clothing, accessory, shoe & home stores.  Some of the bigger named stores at the mall include but are not limited to Adidas, American Eagle, Banana Republic, Brooks Brothers, Gap, J Crew, Kate Spade, Nike, Reebok, The North Face, Under Armor and Zales Jewelers.

Allen has a population around 92,000 residents but has a low crime rate, great schools, above average home value appreciation and a high percentage of owner-occupied properties.  With stats like these, Allen definitely makes the list of the best suburbs in Dallas.

Click here to search all homes for sale in Allen Texas

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Colleyville Texas: One of the Best Suburbs in Tarrant County

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Colleyville, Texas homes have an average list price of a shade under $900,000.  With these types of prices, Colleyville is on the luxury side of the suburbs around Dallas.  Located in Tarrant County with a population around 25,000, Colleyville has excellent proximity to DFW Airport (just a few miles) and a short commute to see both the Texas Rangers and Dallas Cowboys play in Arlington.

With higher home prices in Colleyville, there are some great shopping opportunities at The Village at Colleyville with salons, restaurants, barbers and wine tasting.  The Village at Colleyville has both shopping and living within the village.

Colleyville and Grapevine share a school district which has only two high schools.  The Colleyville high school is Heritage.  Great Schools scores Colleyville schools an 8/10 with the homes in Colleyville almost 100% owner-occupied.

A great location, almost totally owner-occupied, luxury homes and prices, and a great school district, Colleyville makes our list for the best suburbs in Dallas.

Click here to search all homes for sale in Colleyville Texas

Coppell Texas: An Older Suburb but Still One of the Best

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One of the older suburbs of Dallas, Coppell has long been known as one of the "better suburbs" in the Metroplex.  As one of the better suburbs near Dallas, prices on Coppell homes for sale average around $615,000.

Coppell is near DFW Airport and is a popular suburb for business travelers who need easy access to the airport, 635 and Interstate 35.

Coppell has its own school district and the schools are ranked as excellent with a rating of 9/10 by Great Schools.  The district has ten elementary schools, three middle schools and one high school - Coppell High School.

The city exploded in growth during the late 1980s and early 1990s.  This means there are very few new construction homes in the area, but Coppell homes still hold their value and increase as much (or more) than other suburbs.

Older school suburb with excellent schools and continuous property value increases make Coppell a "must have" on this of list Dallas suburbs.

Click here to search all homes for sale in Coppell Texas

Flower Mound Texas: Great Location Near The Lake Means One of the Top Suburbs

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One of the hotter suburbs, Flower Mound has a population of around 69,000 and homes for sale average a list price of near $740,000.  Flower Mound's values have risen to one of the more expensive suburbs of Dallas.  The city is located in Denton County where property taxes are some of the lowest in the Metroplex.  

The homes in Flower Mound are zoned to the Lewisville Independent School District but the city has its "own schools" with Flower Mound High School and Marcus High School along with several middle schools and a handful of elementary schools within the city limits.  Great Schools gives Flower Mound schools a rating of 8/10.

With almost 90% owner occupancy rates, very low crime, good home value increases and average list prices so high, Flower Mound absolutely makes our list for the best suburbs near Dallas Texas.

Click here to search all homes for sale in Flower Mound Texas

Frisco Texas: This Suburb is near the Top of the Best List

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Arguably the hottest suburb of Dallas in the hottest market in the nation, Frisco, Texas is booming!  Frisco is home to the Dallas Cowboys, Frisco RoughRiders, shopping like Stonebriar Centre and more.

Once a stop on the railroad coming and going to Dallas, the growth in Frisco exploded around 2000.  With a population of near 137,000, the homes for sale in the area average a list price of near $630,000.  However, even with those high prices, buyers can still find homes in the area pricing as low as the mid $200,000's.  Values on homes in Frisco have risen almost 25% over the past three years and the homes are approximately 80% owner-occupied.

The City of Frisco has its own school district which Great Schools ranks as a 9/10.  

Frisco is located mostly in Collin County with a small portion in Denton County.  The location provides residents excellent access to the North Dallas Tollway, 121 and the George Bush Tollway.  The city is about a half an hour drive to either airport.

With a huge increase in property values, excellent schools and 80% owner occupied properties, you cannot leave Frisco off of the list of the best suburbs in Dallas to buy a home.

For extra information on Frisco see - Best Neighborhoods in Frisco Texas

Click here to search all homes for sale in Frisco Texas

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Grapevine Texas: Excellent Location & Education in this Suburb Means the Best

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One of the older suburbs in that Southlake, Colleyville, Westlake, Trophy Club, Grapevine area.  Some homes in Grapevine were constructed as far back as the 1960s and were originally focused around Grapevine Lake.  With a population around 50,000, the homes in Grapevine average a list price of approximately $500,000.  Buyers may find homes in Grapevine starting around $250,000 up to over $2,000,000.

Grapevine shares a school district with neighboring Colleyville and the schools are rated an 8/10 by Great Schools.  Grapevine has its own high school - Grapevine High School.

Grapevine is located in Tarrant County and just a few miles from DFW Airport with excellent access to both Dallas and Fort Worth.

With a local lake, lower property prices than surrounding cities of Colleyville and Southlake, an excellent school district, Grapevine definitely makes our list as one of the best suburbs to buy a house in Dallas.

Click here to search all homes for sale in Grapevine Texas

Photo By Wildstoo (Taken with a Casio Exlim EX-H5 in Grapevine, TX.) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Heath Texas: Upscale Living Near the Lake.  Yep, It's One of the Best!

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Heath Texas is a smaller suburb of Dallas near Rockwall and Lake Ray Hubbard on the east side of the Metroplex.  With a population of around 7,800 residents, the homes are a little more luxury and a little higher in price than a buyer will find in neighboring Rockwall.  Heath homes price on average for around $762,480 with a high near $5,000,000 and a low about $300,000.

Most homes in Heath will be set on larger lots and will be newer in construction.  Heath has become a popular suburb within the past 10 or so years.  With a smaller population than a lot of the other suburbs on this list, Heath shares a school district with Rockwall but does have their own high school - Heath High School.  Great Schools gives Heath schools a solid 7/10 rating.

Heath is located in Rockwall County and just a few miles from Lake Ray Hubbard where residents can enjoy boating, water skiing, jet skis and more.

If luxury living near the lake is your idea of DFW, Heath, Texas, is a great place to start your search and makes it one suburb which belongs on our list.

Click here to search all homes for sale in Heath Texas

Highland Park Texas: Very Possibly THE Best

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Excellent schools, in the middle of Dallas County, the most expensive homes per square foot...all of this describes Highland Park.  Highland Park has a population around 8,900 and the homes in the area average a list price of $3,175,000 with a high of over $10,000,000.  Buyers may find small condos as low as the mid $250,000's.  

Highland Park shares a school district with University Park, although the school district is named Highland Park ISD.  Great Schools gives Highland Park ISD a perfect 10/10 rating.  The district has four elementary schools, one middle school and one high school - Highland Park High School.

Some of the homes in Highland Park were built as far back as the 1940's or older.  Some of those homes are still standing today.  However, many have been torn down in order to build larger, more expensive homes on the land where they once stood.

Although landlocked by the City of Dallas, Highland Park prides itself on a small town atmosphere.  Highland Park Village and the Dallas Country Club are two places local residents enjoy.  Many local celebrities live within the Highland Park area including Jerry Jones, Troy Aikman, and others.

Prices on homes and real estate in Highland Park is the highest per square foot in the Metroplex and land alone can run over $1,000,000.  With a "perfectly rated" school district, small-town atmosphere, average listing prices over $3,000,000 and one of the most prestigious country clubs in America within the town, how can you leave Highland Park off the list of the best suburbs in Dallas to buy a house...if you can afford it, that is!

Click here to search all the homes for sale in Highland Park Texas

Photo By Raphael Tuck & Sons [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Keller Texas: Another of the Best in Tarrant County

keller texas best suburbs to buy a home in dallas texas

Keller, Texas is located in Tarrant County.  The population of Keller has exploded over the past 25 years growing from around 14,000 residents in 1990 to approximately 44,000 residents in 2015.

Keller is only minutes away from DFW Airport with easy access to highways 635, 183 and 114.

Keller is still reasonably priced compared to neighboring cities of Southlake and Colleyville with an average asking price of $584,707 for homes currently listed for sale.  Luxury buyers can find homes as high as $2,500,000 or as low as $230,000.

Keller has its own school district - Keller ISD which supports four high schools, six middle schools and 23 elementary schools with a total enrollment around 34,000 students.  Great Schools gives Keller ISD a nice 7/10 rating.

With a solid school system, reasonable prices for the location and an exploding population (that many people cannot be wrong), Keller definitely makes our list as one of the best places to buy a home in the Dallas suburbs.

Click here to search all homes for sale in Keller Texas

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Lantana Texas: Access to a Championship Golf Course - Enough Said!

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Lantana Texas is a community centered around golf, golf, and more golf.  With a population of around 6,874 residents, the master-planned community is situated around an 18 hole championship golf course - Lantana Golf Club.

The Lantana homes are zoned to the Denton School District with children attending Adkins Elementary School, Harpool Middle School, and Guyer High School.  

Lantana is in Denton County and about equal distance to both Love Field Airport and DFW Airport.  The drive to each airport is approximately 45 minutes.

The downside to Lantana is that it is somewhat remote and local shopping, restaurants and entertainment is a bit of a drive.

However, the upside is a small, tight-knit community centered around the golf course.  Homes on the golf course will always price more per square foot than other properties.  The average list price on a home in Lantana is around $491,289 with a high near $1,000,000 and a low of approximately $300,000.

With prices as high as they are in Lantana and a community which is basically heaven for golfers, Lantana makes our list as one of the best suburbs to buy a house in Dallas.

Click here to search all homes for sale in Lantana Texas

McKinney Texas: The County Seat of Collin County Makes This Suburb one of the Tops in Dallas Area

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Located in northern Collin County, McKinney is the county seat with a population around 150,000.  Second in population to Plano in Collin County, McKinney has long been one of the quiet, more popular suburbs in Dallas.

McKinney has its own school district which Great Schools rates a very solid 8/10.  The McKinney ISD supports 20 elementary schools, five middle schools and three high schools with an approximate enrollment of 25,000 students.

Homes in McKinney price for sale around $469,951 with a high near $3,000,000 and a low near the $200,000 range.

With a solid reputation, good schools, decently priced homes and cost of living, McKinney Texas cannot be left off the best places to buy a house in Dallas.

Click here to search all homes for sale in McKinney Texas

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Plano Texas: The suburb of Plano has long had a reputation as one of the best in Dallas

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Long thought of as the standard of Dallas-area suburbs, Plano, Texas has been going strong with that reputation for over thirty years now. Just as one suburb tries to take that "crown," Plano does something to freshen the city and retain its spot as arguably the best suburb to buy a house in Dallas.

Plano got popular in the 1980s as residents began moving north in the Metroplex.  Still growing, Plano has recently added several company headquarters to their resume with Toyota being the top new company on the list.  Along with Toyota, Plano has developed the Shops at Legacy and the Shops at Willowbend within the past couple of decades as the west side of the city has seen tremendous growth and increase in property values.

Plano has its own school district which Great Schools rates as an eight of ten.  The Plano ISD has numerous elementary, middle and high schools with three senior high schools serving grades 11-12.  The total enrollment for Plano ISD is around 55,000 with 72 total campuses.

The west side of Plano is now the most popular area of the city as it sits on the Dallas North Tollway and has its own high school - Plano West High School.  The average price for a listing in Plano is about $773,745 with a high over $5,000,000 and lows around the $200,000 mark.

Plano is not a cheap place to buy a house, but the reputation, school district, and prices definitely meet the criteria for the list of the best places to buy a house in Dallas.

Click here to search all homes for sale in Plano Texas

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Prosper Texas: A newer suburb which is quickly becoming one of the tops in Dallas

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Prosper Texas is probably the suburb of Dallas with the most potential for luxury growth in the Metroplex.  Prosper is located in both Denton and Collin Counties, north of Frisco along the North Dallas Tollway.  With a population of around 13,000, the average list price on a home in Prosper is around $636,591 with a high of $12,000,000 and lows near $200,000.

Prosper is experiencing a boom in the housing industry with currently over 30 builder communities currently being constructed.  Yes, new houses are everywhere in Prosper.  

One of the best things about Prosper is that custom builders are offering larger lots with plenty of space for luxury homes.  There is still a lot of land left to purchase in Prosper to build a dream home.

Prosper has its own school district with an enrollment of around 7,000 students.  Great Schools gives Prosper ISD a rating of 9/10.  The school district supports seven elementary schools, two middle schools, and one high school.

With this much upside, a small town feel within DFW and an excellent school district, Prosper is a definite for the list of best suburbs to buy a house in Dallas Texas.

Click here to search all homes for sale in Prosper Texas

Rockwall Texas: Golf, education & living on the lake.  How could you leave it off the list of the best?

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Rockwall, Texas is on the east side of the Metroplex, near Heath, Texas (mentioned above as nominee for best suburbs to buy a house in Dallas), and on Lake Ray Hubbard.  Rockwall residents have a median income of around $65,000.

Rockwall is another one of those small-town suburbs even though the population would state otherwise.  Rockwall has around 41,000 residents and an average list price on homes of $503,374.  

Buyers can find luxury homes on the lake for as high as $6,500,000 and homes/condos in the city for as low as $200,000.

Rockwall is in Rockwall County, which is the smallest county in the State of Texas.  Rockwall also has its own school district which services around 16,000 students with 13 elementary schools, three middle schools, and two high schools.  Great Schools gives Rockwall ISD a solid rating of 8/10.

Click here to search all homes for sale in Rockwall Texas

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Southlake Texas: Competing with Highland Park as THE Best in Dallas

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Buyers often speak of Southlake in the same sentences as the Park Cities in Dallas.  Southlake has a population of around 28,000 residents and homes average asking prices around $992,723.  Buyers may find homes as expensive as $5,950,000.  With prices like these, Southlake is a true "luxury community" within DFW.  

Southlake has its own school district - Carroll Independent School District.  The district has around 7,800 students spread over nine campuses.  Carroll ISD has five elementary schools, two middle schools, one high school, and one senior high school.  Great schools score Carroll ISD at a perfect rating of 10/10.  Carroll ISD was also recently named the best school district in Texas.

One awesome feature of the community is the Town Square where residents can enjoy great dining, entertainment, and shopping.  

With "perfect schools," asking prices on homes averaging close to $1,000,000, and a local town square, Southlake has to be on the list of the best suburbs to buy a house in Dallas.

For more information on Southlake, see our articles on the Best Neighborhoods in Southlake Texas and Moving to Southlake Texas.

Click here to search all homes for sale in Southlake Texas

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Thoughts On Our List of Best Suburbs?

What are your thoughts on our list of the best suburbs in Dallas to buy a home? We tried to highlight the suburbs which are most asked about and discussed by our buyer clients. We'd love to hear your thoughts below. If you have any questions about any of the suburbs mentioned above, call us at 972-342-0000.

 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jeff KnoxJeff Knox is the Broker Owner of Knox & Associates REALTORS® in DFW and the creator of most of the content on KnoxRE. Jeff's real estate articles and opinions have been featured on websites like Realtor.com, Fox News, U.S. News & World Reports, Inman, RISMedia, and more.

Jeff was initially licensed in 2004 and has held a Texas Real Estate Broker's License since 2009. Jeff and his team of REALTORS® work all across the entire DFW Metroplex helping both buyers and sellers with condos, townhomes and single-detached properties. Jeff may be reached directly at [email protected]

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