Estate lots, Southfork address.
Living in Parker, Texas
Parker is home to Southfork Ranch, and 98.9% of its homes are owner occupied, with a typical value near $1.09 million.
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Why Parker
Collin County
Parker is a city of about 6,462 people (July 2025 Census estimate) in Collin County, bordered by Allen, Plano, Murphy, Wylie and Lucas, and best known as the home of Southfork Ranch, the setting for the TV series Dallas. Almost every home is owner occupied (98.9%), and the Census puts the median owner-occupied value at $859,600 and the median household income at $229,080 (ACS 2020-2024). Zillow's typical home value was about $1,089,000 in September 2026, down 1.4% from a year earlier.
The lesson in Parker is to read the tax bill before you read the brochure. Parker's city rate has held at 0.310439 per $100, but the city's own notice shows the average homestead's taxable value rose 7.45% to $1,043,302 for 2025, so the city portion of the bill rose even with a flat rate. Parker also offers no general city homestead exemption, so when you compare an estate here with one in a neighboring city, compare the full bill, not just the rate.
The numbers
Schools, taxes, commute
Most of Parker is in Plano ISD, which feeds Plano East Senior High School, and a small part is in Allen ISD, which feeds Allen High School. Plano ISD adopted a 1.03955 rate for 2025-26. Because the line between the two districts runs through the city, confirm the district for the specific parcel before you make an offer.
For tax year 2025 a Parker home paid about 1.58% combined in Plano ISD (city 0.310439, Plano ISD 1.03955, Collin County plus Collin College 0.230563 per $100) and about 1.67% in Allen ISD. On a $1.5 million home that is roughly $23,700 a year ($1,976 a month) in Plano ISD or $25,000 a year ($2,084 a month) in Allen ISD, before the state's $140,000 school homestead exemption and the county and college exemptions. Parker offers a $50,000 over-65 exemption but no general city homestead exemption.
| Legacy West, Planoapproximate off-peak via Parker Road and SH 121 | 25-30 min |
| Downtown Dallasapproximate off-peak via President George Bush Turnpike and US 75 | 35-40 min |
| DFW Airportapproximate off-peak via President George Bush Turnpike | 40-45 min |
| Richardson Telecom Corridorapproximate off-peak via President George Bush Turnpike | 20-25 min |
Where Parker sits
Drive times, schools and shopping around it. Ask me for a tour of the area.
Being built now
Centurion American, which bought Southfork Ranch in October 2022, plans 89 homes on two-acre lots on about 200 acres beside the mansion. The Parker Planning and Zoning Commission approved the plans in August 2024; check with the city for the current council and construction status.[5]
A 42-acre retail center anchored by a roughly 60,000 square foot Tom Thumb was under construction in March 2026 at Parker Road and FM 1378 in neighboring Lucas.[7]
A 122,175 square foot H-E-B opened July 22, 2026 at FM 544 and McCreary Road in Murphy, just south of Parker.[8]
Where to look in Parker
Settling in to Parker
The City of Parker provides water service; start a new account through the city's New Service page and pay bills online through the city's payment portal. The city publishes an annual bulk trash calendar, and staff can answer service questions at 972-442-6811.[14]
Homestead exemptions in Collin County are filed with the Collin Central Appraisal District, not the county or city, using Form 50-114 or the district's online application. File once you own and live in the home; the general deadline is April 30 of the tax year, and late applications are allowed up to two years after the deadline.[16]
Most of Parker is in Plano ISD, which handles new students through its online enrollment page; the small Allen ISD area uses Allen ISD's Find My School Zone tool. Confirm the zoned campus for the exact address before you enroll.[18]
Register your vehicle with the Collin County Tax Assessor-Collector, which has offices in Frisco (6101 Frisco Square Blvd), McKinney (2300 Bloomdale Rd.) and Plano (900 E. Park Blvd.) and takes appointments online. New residents have 30 days after moving to register a vehicle in Texas and should get a Texas driver license from the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) within 90 days; DPS asks that your vehicles be registered first. Book a DPS driver license appointment once registration is done.[20]
Before you buy or sell
Get the district for the exact parcel and request the current tax bill, because Parker has no general city homestead exemption and part of the city is in Allen ISD rather than Plano ISD. If you want new construction, ask about the planned Southfork Ranch lots, but confirm council approval, utilities and timing with the city before you count on them.
In Parker the median sale price changes by hundreds of thousands of dollars from one subdivision to the next, so price against closed sales in your own neighborhood and lot size, not a city average. Buyers at $1 million and up tour with inspectors who look hard at roofs, foundations, pool equipment and septic or drainage on large lots. I would rather spend a seller's money fixing those items before listing than give it back in a price cut later.
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 Parker
Is Parker, TX a good place to live?
What are property taxes in Parker?
Which school district is Parker in?
What is happening with Southfork Ranch?
How long does it take to sell a home in Parker?
Your realtor in Parker
Buying or selling in Parker means knowing more than the city average. Homes here can fall in Plano ISD or Allen ISD; combined 2025 tax rates run about 1.58% to 1.67% depending on the address, and communities like Kings Crossing, Whitestone Estates, Kingsbridge and Parker Lake Estates each behave like their own market.
As your Parker 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 Parker?
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 (Parker, Sept 2026), 2026-10
- U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Parker city, Texas, 2026-10
- Republic Title: 2025 DFW Area Tax Rates (Collin County), 2026-10
- City of Parker: 2025 Notice of Public Hearing on Tax Increase, 2026-10
- Murphy Monitor: Southfork Ranch to get new neighbors (Sept 2024), 2026-10
- CandysDirt: Plans revealed for iconic Southfork Ranch (Aug 2024), 2026-10
- Hoodline: Tom Thumb sparks retail land rush in quiet Lucas (March 2026), 2026-10
- Murphy Monitor: Long-awaited H-E-B to open Wednesday, July 22, 2026-10
- Wikipedia: Parker, Texas (school districts, Southfork Ranch), 2026-10
- Community Impact: Collin County property tax rates for FY 2025-26 (Plano ISD 1.03955), 2026-10
- Dustin Pitts: Best neighborhoods in Parker TX (closed-sale samples), 2026-10
- Realtor.com Residential Data: county core metrics (Collin County, Sept 2026), 2026-10
- Texas Comptroller: Property tax exemptions, 2026-10
- City of Parker: New water service, 2026-10
- City of Parker: official website (start new water service, bulk trash calendar), 2026-10
- Collin Central Appraisal District: Residential exemption forms (online homestead application), 2026-10
- Texas Comptroller: Form 50-114, Application for Residence Homestead Exemption, 2026-10
- Plano ISD: Enrollment, 2026-10
- City of Lucas: School Districts, 2026-10
- Collin County Tax Assessor-Collector, 2026-10
- Texas DMV: New to Texas, 2026-10
- Texas DPS: Moving to Texas (driver license), 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.