Celina is growing faster than almost anywhere in the country, and in 2026 its home values are lower than they were a year ago. That combination is unusual. It means the buyer who does the homework can negotiate in a city that is still adding residents at a remarkable pace.
Explore the full Celina city guide for neighborhoods, schools and current developments.
The Celina Numbers Right Now
- Population: the Census Bureau estimates Celina at 64,427 residents as of July 2025, up from 51,717 a year earlier. That 24.6% one-year gain is the largest of any U.S. city with 20,000 or more residents in the Vintage 2025 estimates, by our read of the Census data.
- Home values: Zillow's typical home value for Celina was about $512,100 in September 2026, down 8.9% from a year earlier and about 18% below the July 2022 peak of roughly $622,000.
- Supply: active listings across the Dallas-Fort Worth metro were about 36,800 in September 2026, roughly 14% above September 2024.
Read those together: more people arriving every year, and values below their peak. That does not guarantee where prices go next, but it does mean today's buyer has room to ask for concessions that buyers in 2022 could not.
The Tollway, With Real Dates
NTTA's Dallas North Tollway Phase 4 extends the road 13.7 miles north of US 380. Phase 4A, from US 380 to FM 428, is scheduled to open in late 2027, with bridge and deck work already done at stops like Light Farms Way, Punk Carter Parkway and the Collin County Outer Loop. Phase 4B, north of FM 428 to the Grayson County line, has no opening date yet. If a listing says the tollway is 'coming,' this is what that means.
The Communities That Define Celina
- Light Farms: one of Celina's established master plans, with a future tollway exit at Light Farms Way.
- Mustang Lakes: on the Prosper and Celina border and served by Prosper ISD, with new homes listed from the $500s to $3.5 million and up and builders including American Legend, Britton, Coventry, David Weekley, Highland, Perry and Tradition.
- The Parks at Wilson Creek, Cambridge Crossing, Ten Mile Creek and Sutton Fields: newer phases with active builder inventory.
School district matters here. A Celina address does not always mean Celina ISD. Mustang Lakes, for example, is Prosper ISD. Confirm the district and campus for the exact lot before you write an offer.
What to Know Going In
Parts of Celina still feel rural, retail is catching up and construction is everywhere. If that reads as inconvenience, this may not be your town yet. If you can live with it, you are buying in a city whose growth is documented by the Census, not just by marketing.
What Your Money Buys in Celina
- Around the typical value (about $512,100, Sept 2026): new and nearly new homes in master-planned communities.
- From the $500s up: Mustang Lakes' listed price range starts in the $500s and runs past $3.5 million.
- The lesson: in a market with builder inventory and falling values, ask for concessions on price, rate and closing costs at the same time, then compare the total package against recent resales in the same community.
The Rate Lever Most Buyers Skip
Freddie Mac's average 30-year fixed rate was 7.40% for the week of October 15, 2026, up from 6.27% a year earlier. At that rate, principal and interest on a $500K loan runs about $3,462 a month. A builder-funded 2-1 buydown sets the rate 2 points lower in year one and 1 point lower in year two, which works out to roughly $654 a month saved in year one and $334 a month in year two, about $11,900 in total. That is a cost a builder can pay for you, and it rarely shows up unless your agent asks for it in writing.
- Ask the builder's lender and an outside lender for a written quote on a temporary buydown and on a permanent buydown, then compare total cost over the years you expect to keep the loan.
- Qualify on the full note rate, not the year-one rate, so the payment in year three is one you already planned for.
- Put the incentive in the purchase contract, not in a sales office promise. I write it into every new construction offer in Celina.
Get the Celina Incentive Sheet
Rate buydowns, closing credits and design center dollars change often, and the builder's sales office represents the builder, not you. I track incentives and phase releases in Celina so my buyers know what to ask for before they walk in. Ask me for this month's Celina incentive sheet, or start with the Celina city guide, search homes or find out what your home is worth.
Prefer email? Reach me directly at albert@texava.com.
Albert Angarita, REALTOR, Texava Real Estate | Frisco and North Texas