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Denton County · North Texas county guide

Living in Denton County

From college-town Denton and Ray Roberts horse country to the Lewisville Lake cities and the Denton County sides of Frisco, Prosper and Celina: schools, taxes, lakes and market notes.

County overview

Living in Denton County

Denton County was established in 1846 and named for pioneer John B. Denton. The county seat is the city of Denton. With 906,422 residents at the 2020 census, it was the seventh-most-populous county in Texas, and it remains one of the fastest-growing parts of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex (Wikipedia).

The county runs from college-town Denton and horse country around Aubrey, Pilot Point and Sanger, through the Lewisville Lake cities, to the master-planned communities of Flower Mound, Argyle, Northlake and the Denton County sides of Frisco, Prosper and Celina. Jamie helps buyers and sellers across the county and the rest of North Texas.

County seatDenton
Population906,4222020 U.S. Census
County tax rate$0.1859per $100, 2025 (Texas Comptroller)
Median list price$472,495Realtor.com, September 2026
Median sold price$420,000GFWAR, September 2026 (-3.9% YoY)

Communities

Denton & North Denton County

Communities

Lewisville Lake & the Lake Cities

Communities

Flower Mound, Argyle & Southwest Denton County

Communities

Frisco, Prosper & Celina (Denton County side)

Market notes · as of September 2026

Denton County home prices

  • Realtor.com, Denton County: median list price $472,495 (−0.4% year over year), 4,421 active listings, 63 median days on market, 28.6% of listings with a price cut. Source: Realtor.com Research county inventory.
  • Greater Fort Worth REALTORS®: Denton County median sold price $435,000 in Q3 2026 (−1.9% YoY) and $420,000 in September (−3.9% YoY), with 4.5 months of inventory. Lewisville: $385,000 in Q3 and $380,000 in September. Source: GFWAR Q3 2026 Housing Report.

List prices and sold prices measure different things and aren't directly comparable. For a specific home, ask Jamie for a comparative market analysis.

Schools

Denton County school districts

DistrictTEA 2026TEA 2025
Argyle ISDA (92)A (92)
Aubrey ISDC (77)B (80)
Celina ISDB (85)B (87)
Denton ISDC (76)B (80)
Frisco ISDA (91)A (90)
Krum ISDC (79)C (76)
Lake Dallas ISDB (82)C (79)
Lewisville ISDB (83)B (81)
Little Elm ISDC (78)C (79)
Northwest ISDB (82)B (81)
Pilot Point ISDC (77)C (77)
Ponder ISDB (84)C (78)
Prosper ISDA (91)A (91)
Sanger ISDB (80)B (82)

Texas Education Agency A–F accountability ratings with overall scores, from the 2026 statewide multi-year ratings. District boundaries don't follow city or county lines; confirm the district for each address.

Outdoors

Lakes & recreation

  • LakeLewisville Lake

    Large Corps of Engineers reservoir bordered by Lewisville, Highland Village, the Lake Cities, Little Elm and The Colony, with parks, marinas and LLELA below the dam.

  • LakeRay Roberts Lake

    Corps of Engineers reservoir north of Denton. Ray Roberts Lake State Park has camping, trails, swimming and boat ramps at its Isle du Bois and Johnson Branch units.

  • LakeGrapevine Lake

    Corps of Engineers lake on the county's southern edge, bordering Flower Mound, Trophy Club, Grapevine and Southlake.

Getting around

Highways & transit

I-35 splits into I-35E (toward Dallas) and I-35W (toward Fort Worth) in Denton. SH 121 and SH 114 cross the south end of the county toward DFW Airport, US 380 runs east-west through Denton, Little Elm and Prosper, and US 377 runs north-south through Pilot Point, Aubrey, Denton and Argyle. The DCTA A-train links Denton and Lewisville to DART in Carrollton.

Homes for sale

Homes for Sale in Denton County

MLS search coming soon

Search Homes in Denton County

Live MLS listings for Denton County are coming to this page soon. In the meantime, Jamie will happily send you current listings that match what you are looking for, including new and coming-soon homes.

Ask Jamie for ListingsCall or Text (817) 454-1726

Local FAQ

Denton County questions

What is the Denton County property tax rate?

Denton County's 2025 adopted rate is about $0.1859 per $100 of taxable value (Texas Comptroller). Your total bill also includes city, school district and any special-district rates, so totals in Denton County communities commonly run from about $1.4 to over $2.0 per $100. Check each city guide for its combined rate.

Where do I file a homestead exemption in Denton County?

With the Denton Central Appraisal District, once the home is your principal residence; there is no fee. School districts must exempt $140,000 of a homestead's value, plus an additional $60,000 for owners 65 or older or disabled (Texas Comptroller). The general deadline is before May 1.

What are MUD and PID taxes?

Many newer Denton County communities are in a municipal utility district (MUD), public improvement district (PID) or similar district that adds a tax or assessment on top of county, city and school taxes. Sellers must give buyers notice of many of these districts. Ask for the latest tax bill and check the property on the Denton CAD site before you make an offer.

Which Denton County lakes can I live near?

Lewisville Lake, Ray Roberts Lake and Grapevine Lake are all U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reservoirs. The Corps manages their shorelines, so private waterfront and docks are very limited, and most "lake" homes are near the water rather than on it. Lewisville, Highland Village, the Lake Cities, Little Elm and The Colony border Lewisville Lake. Aubrey, Pilot Point and Sanger are near Ray Roberts Lake. Flower Mound and Trophy Club border Grapevine Lake.

Is there commuter rail in Denton County?

Yes. The DCTA A-train runs from Downtown Denton through Lewisville and Highland Village to Trinity Mills Station in Carrollton, where it connects with DART.

How is the Denton County housing market right now?

As of September 2026, Realtor.com showed a median list price of $472,495 with 4,421 active listings and 63 median days on market, and 28.6% of listings had a price cut (Realtor.com Research). Greater Fort Worth REALTORS® reported a Denton County median sold price of $420,000 in September (down 3.9% year over year) and 4.5 months of inventory in Q3 (GFWAR Q3 2026 report).

Which school districts serve Denton County?

More than a dozen, including Denton, Lewisville, Northwest, Frisco, Prosper, Argyle, Little Elm, Lake Dallas, Celina, Aubrey, Sanger, Krum, Pilot Point and Ponder ISDs. District lines don't follow city limits, so confirm the district for each address.

This content is general information, not legal, tax or lending advice. Rules and deadlines change. Confirm details with the appropriate agency, attorney, CPA or lender.

Sources

Where these facts come from

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