Plano On Top

This Dallas-area ZIP code with great schools offers the most bang for your buck

If you want an affordable home and good schools in the Dallas area, head to Plano.

Courtesy photo

Both buyers and sellers know that a highly ranked school system is like real estate gold. Sometimes, however, a neighborhood's affordability doesn't match up with the best schools.

Online real estate investment firm HomeUnion did the digging and found the most affordable ZIP codes for each major metro area that also boast acclaimed schools. The study analyzed median home prices and schools ranked in the 80th percentile or higher by the National Center for Education Statistics.

Because it makes seemingly every congratulatory list, Plano indeed shows up here as Dallas-Fort Worth's best bet. ZIP code 75023 is ranked at No. 12 out of 31, with a median home price of $201,000 and a school score of 81.1.

“The quality of public schools is one of the most important factors to consider when buying a home, especially for families,” says HomeUnion CEO Don Ganguly in a release. “In many cases, homebuyers are willing to pay more to be located in a neighborhood with highly ranked schools, even if it means downsizing into a smaller home.”

If you're house hunting in Austin, keep an eye on 78705. Its 87.8 NCES score and $187,000 median home price puts it at No. 7 overall and the most affordable in Texas.

A San Antonio home in 78259 will run you a pricey $227,000, but that No. 16 spot comes with schools rated 89.8. Katy (No. 13) takes the title in Houston, where it ties with San Antonio for the highest school score in Texas and will cost you a median $202,000 for a home in the 77450 ZIP code.

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GP News

Grand Prairie expands to the south with new master-planned community

Rendering courtesy of Provident

Goodland Grand Prairie

The City of Grand Prairie is growing fast and expanding to make way for a new master-planned development south of US Highway 287 and along Tollway 360, in Ellis and Johnson counties.

The community development, called Goodland, is the result of Grand Prairie’s recent 1,500-acre annexation extending its southern border toward Mansfield. Overall, with the added land, Goodland will be a 5,000-acre site featuring 15,000 residences including townhomes, custom homes, and gated communities for 50,000 residents.

According to a release, it will be a “city within a city” and a 45-minute drive from Dallas-Fort Worth. Beyond housing, there will be shops, restaurants, schools, public and private event venues, regional sports fields and complexes, dance halls, churches, trail systems, city parks, ponds, and preserved green spaces.

“This is a significant step in our city’s development,” says Grand Prairie Mayor Ron Jensen in a statement. “Unlike many of our neighboring cities, we have the unique advantage of new development opportunities to our south that will drive the growth and prosperity of our city. We recognized the opportunity and took decisive action.”

Leading the development is Provident, a Dallas-based real estate firm that has created other master-planned communities across Dallas-Fort Worth, such as Preston Hollow Village and Hillstead in Collin County. Provident has plans to work nature into the space design with more than 1,600 acres of creek corridors and floodplain land.

Plans are ongoing for a centralized mixed-use walkable Town Center, complete with civic buildings and other commercial development. Further south on the property near Highway 67, light industrial uses and other private employment campuses are already underway, projects that will contribute vital tax dollars for city growth and future expansions.

“This level of placemaking is quite rare, and certainly not easy to execute, especially in a brand-new community," says Provident Managing Director Rylan Yowell in a statement. "We are committed to a long-term vision with a desire to be good stewards of the land."

A new four-lane road called Goodland Parkway will link Goodland to Grand Prairie at Tollway 360 and US Highway 287. It's set to open by December 2025.

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