As a real estate agent serving Dallas, Texas for the last 10 years, I've had the chance to explore and get to know many of the surrounding areas. Whether you're thinking about moving to Texas or just curious where your city stacks up, here are what I believe are Dallas's top five suburbs.
Watch the full video breakdown:
Quick Answer: What Are the Best Suburbs in Dallas?
The best suburbs in Dallas for 2024 are Frisco (#1), Plano (#2), Southlake (#3), Coppell (#4), and Allen (#5). These cities offer excellent schools, strong housing markets, and distinct lifestyle advantages, with median home prices ranging from $530,000 to $1,300,000. Each suburb serves different priorities—from Frisco's explosive growth to Southlake's luxury to Coppell's central location.
5. Allen, Texas
Median Home Price: $540,000 | 963 Homes Sold (2023)
What Put Allen on the Map
Allen is really well known for having a highly rated school district. But the other thing that put Allen on the map is its $60 million high school football stadium for the Allen Eagles—and that was before everybody else started building $50, $60, $80 million high school football stadiums.
The Layout and Housing Market
Allen is split in half by Highway 75. On the east side of 75, you'll find a little bit older housing, whereas on the west side, it's mostly newer.
Allen is not a big housing market, and the city itself isn't super big either. With just shy of 1,000 homes sold last year, it's a smaller, more intimate community compared to its neighbors.
What to Do in Allen
When you think about things to do in Allen, the commercial aspects are relatively new too. There are several major hubs:
- Watters Creek - shopping and dining
- Allen Premium Outlets - major retail destination
- The Farm - newer development
The Commuter Reality
When I think about Allen, it's very much a commuter city. There are some big employers there, but not a lot of major corporate headquarters. Most residents are commuting to places like Plano, Frisco, or even down to Dallas for work.
Pros and Cons
Allen is very family-centric. If that's important to you, it's a pro. If it's not important to you, you might find it a bit quiet.
4. Coppell, Texas
Median Home Price: $625,000 | 340 Homes Sold (2023) | Population: 42,513
Location, Location, Location
The story of Coppell is location. It is really centrally located inside the DFW metroplex:
- Easy to get to Fort Worth
- Easy to get to Plano
- Easy to get to Dallas
- Even up to Denton
What I also like about Coppell is it feels very residential. It's not split up by highways because they mostly go around the city rather than through it.
Schools Drive the Market
Big story with Coppell: schools. Another highly rated school district—I think it's even rated top three in the state of Texas. Schools are the reason people move to Coppell and why they stay there.
Housing Realities
If you wanted to live in Coppell, the median sold price last year was $625,000, and just 340 homes were sold. That's a very low number, and it tells you that Coppell is largely built out. There isn't much room for new growth, so you're mostly looking at established neighborhoods.
Airport Access is Unbeatable
If you're a person who travels for work or likes to travel often, Coppell has great access to the airport. You can be at DFW Airport in 10-15 minutes, which is a massive plus for frequent flyers.
It's a True Suburb
With this being a list of top five suburbs, I will say Coppell very much feels like a suburb. It's small, it's quiet, and it's very intentional about its community feel.
3. Southlake, Texas
Median Home Price: $1,300,000 | 398 Homes Sold (2023)
Premium From the Ground Up
Southlake is a very affluent city with a very premium feel about it. If you want to buy a house here, the median price last year was $1.3 million—so you've got to have a healthy budget to live there.
It's going to feel elevated, feel premium all throughout the city. Simple things like the traffic circles, the monument stones, the signage—it all has a very elegant feel about it.
Southlake Town Square: The Centerpiece
Then you have Southlake Town Square, which is where City Hall is, but also mixed-use dining, retail, even some hotels there. That in itself is a destination. If you live in the DFW metro area, you may just want to go over and spend an afternoon at Southlake Town Square.
But to live in Southlake, you have access to all that premium dining and shopping right next door, which is pretty awesome.
The Apple Store Factor
Of all the cities on the list today, Southlake is the only one that has an Apple Store. I feel like that in itself is a status symbol to have in such a small little town.
Schools and Airport Access
Like all the cities on the list, Southlake has great schools—it's part of the story of living in Southlake. The other great thing: super close to DFW Airport. Easy access to get to the whole world from Southlake.
The Downsides (There Aren't Many)
Downsides of Southlake? There really aren't a lot, but it is expensive—so you've got to have a healthy budget if you actually want to live in Southlake.
One thing that's peculiar to me: You have 1709 (or Southlake Boulevard) that splits the city in half. That's really where you're going to find all of your commercial and dining—on that one main road. So it's kind of a "main road town," and the rest of it feels very residential. Could be good or bad depending on how you look at it.
I would say this though: If you have the budget for it, I would definitely have Southlake on your list of places to live.
2. Plano, Texas
Median Home Price: $532,250 | 2,056 Homes Sold (2023) | Population: ~300,000
A City Unto Itself
Now I know if you've been watching the channel a while, you thought for sure I was going to have Plano as #1. Plano is a great city—no question about it.
But here's the thing I want to make a point of: While it's a great suburb, it is a city unto itself. Plano is nearly 300,000 people. Stacking it up to other cities in the US, it would start to be on lists of major cities.
You May Never Need to Leave
The thing about Plano is if you live in Plano, you may never need to leave Plano. You have:
- Fortune 500 companies (Toyota, Frito-Lay)
- Top retail and dining
- Great housing and shopping
- It's all there in Plano
Master-Planned Excellence
The thing about Plano is it's really well thought out. I would call it a master-planned city. Decades ago, the city became very proactive about how they manage growth and thought out Plano.
For instance: Every house in Plano is walking distance to a park. I think that's great. I live in Plano and love walking Arbor Hills all the time. There's been a lot of intentionality behind how Plano was built.
Constant Improvement
Plano is the largest suburb on this list—it's a good-sized city. One of the things that's been great about Plano is its constant improvement. They call it "Plano 2.0."
Places where that shows up:
- Legacy West - premium shopping, retail, even $2 million condos
- East Plano redevelopment - the city has plans to redevelop parts of the city by 75
It's a dynamic, constantly improving city, and I like that about it.
Want deeper insights into Plano's market trends? Check out our Plano Market Intelligence.
The Downsides
One downside of living in Plano: It's big. Like I said, it's a city. It does have an aging population. A lot of people have moved to Plano and stayed there for 30-40 years. So you'll see a mix of older and newer generations.
By the way, if you want to live in Plano, the median sold price last year was $530,000—so a little bit more affordable than some of the others on this list, despite how much it offers.
1. Frisco, Texas
Median Home Price: $691,902 | 2,210 Homes Sold (2023)
Why Frisco Takes #1
If you're familiar with DFW, or you live here, or you're thinking about living here, you've probably heard about Frisco. It's an award-winning city.
The story of Frisco is fast growth. In the last decade, the amount of change in Frisco is just remarkable.
Master Planning at Scale
Frisco is a master-planned city, and the city itself has been very proactive about growth. They've landed some major wins:
- PGA headquarters relocating to Frisco
- Universal Theme Park coming to Frisco
- Stonebriar Centre - great retail area
- The Star in Frisco - a really dynamic, urban-feeling mixed-use development
Sports City USA
Now Frisco is a sports city:
- The Star is the true home of the Dallas Cowboys
- Home of FC Dallas (MLS soccer)
- Home of the Dallas Stars (NHL practice facility)
- PGA headquarters
If you like sports, Frisco might be the city for you.
The Housing Market
If you want to live in Frisco, it's a pretty competitive housing market. Median price last year was almost $700,000, and they sold over 2,200 homes.
Much of that was new construction. A lot of homes have been coming online. Sooner or later, we're going to see new construction peter out as Frisco gets built out, but for now, it's still a primary driver.
The Intentionality Factor
With Frisco being a master-planned community, it is very well thought out, and there's a lot of intentionality. Everything from the parks to the way the roads are laid out, it just feels very modern.
The Downside: It's Very New
If I was thinking about downsides, Frisco is very new. So everything feels new, and in some ways, it feels a little bit corporate or even sterile because it doesn't have that older, historical charm you might find in other places.
Who Frisco Is For
I will say Frisco is very family-centric. When I think of Frisco, I think of families. But I would say Frisco's exclusivity, we'll help you find the right fit for your lifestyle, budget, and long-term goals.
City Comparison: At-a-Glance
Ready to Find Your Perfect North Texas Home?
My team and I would love to be your real estate resource of choice. Whether you're drawn to Frisco's energy, Southlake's luxury, or Plano's convenience, we're here to help you navigate the DFW market with confidence.
