Rail, roads and value.
Living in Carrollton, Texas
Carrollton offers three DART rail stations, a Silver Line link to DFW Airport and a typical home value under $400K.
Why Carrollton
Dallas, Denton and Collin counties
Carrollton is a city of about 134,562 people (July 2025 Census estimate) spread across Dallas, Denton and Collin counties, with I-35E, the President George Bush Turnpike and the Sam Rayburn Tollway running through or along it. It has three DART stations (North Carrollton/Frankford, Trinity Mills and Downtown Carrollton), and since Oct. 25, 2025 Downtown Carrollton has also been a stop on the Silver Line to DFW Airport. Koreatown Carrollton, at Old Denton Road and the Bush Turnpike, is a regional dining and shopping hub.
The lesson here is that one Carrollton address can sit in a different county, school district and tax bill than the house a mile away. In 2026 the combined rate runs from about 1.80% in the Denton County and Lewisville ISD part of the city to about 2.05% in the Dallas County and Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD part, so the same $400,000 home can cost about $80 a month more or less in taxes alone. Before you compare two listings on price, compare their full monthly payment.
The numbers
Schools, taxes, commute
Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD serves most of the city and runs three Carrollton high schools (Newman Smith, R.L. Turner and Creekview). Lewisville ISD covers the northern sections, including Hebron High School, and served 6,151 Carrollton students in its 2023 count, while small areas fall in Dallas ISD, Coppell ISD and, in the Collin County portion, Plano ISD. School district changes by address, so verify the campuses for any home before you write an offer.
For tax year 2025 a Carrollton home in Dallas County and Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD paid about 2.02% combined (city 0.5375, CFB ISD 0.9481, plus 0.534075 for Dallas County, Parkland Hospital and Dallas College per $100). For 2026 the city held 0.5375 and CFB ISD held 0.9481, and the Dallas County side is estimated near 2.05% after a higher county estimate, while the Denton County and Lewisville ISD side is about 1.80% (Denton County 0.183394, Lewisville ISD 1.0778). On a $400,000 home that is roughly $600 to $685 a month before the city's 20% homestead exemption and the school exemptions.
| Downtown Dallasapproximate off-peak via I-35E, or the DART Green Line | 25-30 min |
| DFW Airportapproximate off-peak via the Bush Turnpike and SH 121, or the DART Silver Line from Downtown Carrollton | 20-25 min |
| Legacy West, Planoapproximate off-peak via the Bush Turnpike or Sam Rayburn Tollway | 15-20 min |
| The Star, Friscoapproximate off-peak via the Sam Rayburn Tollway and Dallas North Tollway | 20-25 min |
Where Carrollton sits
Drive times, schools and shopping around it. Ask me for a tour of the area.
Being built now
Silver Line service began Oct. 25, 2025 at new platforms at Downtown Carrollton, creating a transfer between the Green Line and the 26-mile line to DFW Airport. An A-train extension from Trinity Mills to Downtown Carrollton has been proposed.[6]
Carrollton created a transit-oriented development zone on a 25-acre site next to the Trinity Mills DART and A-train station, announced in 2020.[7]
Carrollton City Council approved zoning on Jan. 6, 2026 for a proposed 120,000-square-foot H-E-B with a gas station, drive-thru pharmacy and a True Texas BBQ at the northeast corner of Josey Lane and Parker Road.[8]
Phase 2 of the trail along the Silver Line corridor, from Addison to Plano, is under construction from June 2025 to May 2027 at a cost of $50 million.[9]
Where to look in Carrollton
Before you buy or sell
If you commute to DFW Airport or Downtown Dallas, look near Downtown Carrollton or Trinity Mills, where rail can replace some drives. Run the payment both ways before choosing between a CFB ISD home in Dallas County and a Lewisville ISD home in Denton County, since the 2026 combined rate differs by about a quarter of a percentage point. Then confirm the assigned campuses with the district, because the lines do not follow city streets neatly.
Carrollton buyers are often comparing your home against similar homes in a different school district or county with a different tax bill, so highlight the district, the tax rate and the commute in your listing, not just the finishes. Homes sold at a median of 99.1% of list in August 2026 per Zillow, which rewards accurate pricing over aggressive pricing. In older housing stock, a pre-listing inspection and fixing roof, foundation and HVAC items up front usually holds your price better than a last-minute kitchen update.
See what clients say.
Read reviews from buyers, sellers and renters on Google, then ask me anything. I answer the same day, in English or Spanish.
Questions people ask about Carrollton
Is Carrollton, TX a good place to live?
What are property taxes in Carrollton?
Which school district is Carrollton in?
How long does it take to sell a home in Carrollton?
Does Carrollton have a train to DFW Airport?
Your realtor in Carrollton
Buying or selling in Carrollton means knowing more than the city average. Homes here can fall in Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD, Lewisville ISD, Dallas ISD or Coppell ISD; combined 2025 tax rates run about 1.8% to 2.05% depending on the address, and communities like Downtown Carrollton, Koreatown Carrollton, Trinity Mills Station and North Carrollton (Lewisville ISD area) each behave like their own market.
As your Carrollton realtor I verify the school zoning, the full tax rate and any HOA, MUD or PID for every home before you write an offer, and I bring more than ten years of construction and remodeling experience to every inspection and pricing decision. I work from Formation at The Star in Frisco and help clients in English and Spanish.
Thinking about Carrollton?
Tell me what you're looking for and I'll come to the conversation prepared. Same-day response.
- Zillow Home Value Index, city level data (Carrollton, Sept 2026), 2026-10
- Zillow: Carrollton, TX home values and market data, 2026-10
- U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Carrollton city, Texas, 2026-10
- Dallas Central Appraisal District: 2026 Estimated Ad Valorem Tax Rates, 2026-10
- Dallas Central Appraisal District: 2025 Ad Valorem Tax Rates, 2026-10
- Wikipedia: Downtown Carrollton station, 2026-10
- Wikipedia: Trinity Mills station (development), 2026-10
- Community Impact: H-E-B coming soon to Plano-Carrollton border, 2026-10
- Community Impact: See 7 ongoing, upcoming transportation projects in Plano, 2026-10
- Wikipedia: Carrollton, Texas (counties, school districts, DART, Koreatown), 2026-10
- Lewisville ISD: Communities served, 2026-10
- Lewisville ISD: Current tax rates, 2026-10
- Town of Flower Mound: Understanding our budget (Denton County 2026 rate), 2026-10
- Wikipedia: Silver Line (DART), 2026-10
Figures change. Verify school zoning, tax rates and HOA or MUD fees for any specific address before you buy. Albert does this on every home he shows.