2026 Celina community guide · Collin & Denton Counties
America’s fastest-growing city: a small-town square with Friday Night Markets, surrounded by some of DFW’s most amenity-rich master-planned communities.
By Shayla Eadler, Broker & Owner (TREC #747934) · Updated
For sale now
Most Celina homes for sale are in new master-planned communities, from townhomes to one-acre custom homesites. Start with the newest listings or pick a popular search.
01Overview
Celina is a great fit if you want a brand-new home in a resort-style community with a real small-town square nearby. It grew 24.6% in a single year, the fastest of any U.S. city with 20,000 or more residents in the July 2025 Census estimates. Budget for the trade-offs: a combined tax rate around 2% plus PID or MUD assessments in most new neighborhoods, construction traffic on Preston Road, and a longer drive to Dallas until the Tollway extension opens around 2028.
Celina dates to the 1870s and is named after Celina, Tennessee. In 1902 the town physically moved its buildings about a mile north to meet the new railroad (locals called it “Rollertown”), and the square that grew up there is still the heart of Celina, home to Cajun Fest, the monthly Friday Night Markets and Christmas on the Square.
Around that square, Celina has become one of the busiest new-home markets in the country. The population went from 16,739 in the 2020 Census to an estimated 64,427 by July 2025, and master plans such as Mustang Lakes, Light Farms, Cambridge Crossing and The Parks at Wilson Creek now stretch from the Prosper line north toward the Collin County Outer Loop.
Services are catching up. Methodist Celina Medical Center opened in March 2025 as the city’s first hospital, Costco and Home Depot have arrived, and the North Texas Tollway Authority is extending the Dallas North Tollway north to FM 428 in Celina, with completion expected in 2028.
In Celina, the subdivision decides your school district and much of your tax bill. Light Farms and most of Mustang Lakes are Prosper ISD, while Cambridge Crossing and Wilson Creek are Celina ISD. Ask for the PID or MUD figure before you compare two homes on price.
02Honest take
What we tell our own clients before they make a move.
Pros
Cons
03Where to live
Celina’s master plans differ more than the brochures suggest: school district, lot sizes, PID or MUD, and amenities all vary. These are the communities our buyers compare most.
A 12,000-sq-ft clubhouse, a 20-acre central park with a 5-acre stocked lake, a lazy river and lap pool, and more than 18 miles of planned trails. Lots range from 50 feet to one-acre-plus custom homesites.
Homes near Mustang LakesAbout 1,070 acres on the Celina–Prosper border with a long list of builders over the years and a mature amenity package. A MUD community.
Homes near Light Farms639 acres and about 1,500 homes at the Tollway and the Outer Loop, with the Cambridge Hall amenity center, pickleball and eight miles of trails. Now in its final phase.
Homes near Cambridge CrossingAbout 2,400 homes planned around the city’s future 100-acre Wilson Creek Park, with two amenity centers and a Celina ISD elementary site.
Homes near The Parks at Wilson CreekA 251-acre community in north Celina with a pool, dog park, trails and more than 20 acres of open space. Townhomes are planned.
Homes near Ten Mile CreekAbout 3,200 acres planned for roughly 7,000 homes, seven amenity centers, a 27-acre sports park and two future Celina ISD elementary schools, including a Del Webb 55-plus section.
Homes near Legacy HillsA 1,380-acre Hillwood community between Preston and Custer Roads, planned for about 4,000 homes along a four-mile greenbelt of parks and lakes.
Homes near RambleAbout 1,250 homes on 400 acres with an amenity center, pool, outdoor kitchen and pavilion. Many addresses read Prosper 75078.
Homes near Lilyana| Community | Builders | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Mustang Lakes | Britton, Coventry, David Weekley, Highland, Huntington, Perry, Tradition | 50–86-ft and 1-acre+ lots; $600s to $3M+ |
| Cambridge Crossing | Perry, Coventry, UnionMain | Final phase; Celina ISD |
| The Parks at Wilson Creek | Highland, Perry, David Weekley, Tradition | 40- to 74-ft lots; future 100-acre park |
| Legacy Hills | Del Webb (55+), M/I, UnionMain, Ashton Woods, Beazer, D.R. Horton | 40- to 65-ft lots |
| Ten Mile Creek | American Legend, William Ryan, Grenadier | From the low-to-mid $400s; townhomes planned |
Builders and incentives change often. Bring us to your first model-home visit and we’ll represent you, not the builder. How we help new-build buyers →
04Market
In ZIP 75009, the median closed price over the six months to mid-October 2026 was about $500,000 across roughly 840 sales, with the middle half between $403,000 and $652,000 (Resideline). Active listings were asking a median of about $550,000, and with about 600 homes for sale the market was roughly balanced.
Because so much of Celina is new, resale sellers compete with builders offering rate buy-downs and upgrades. Buyers should compare the total monthly cost, including PID assessments and HOA dues, not just the base price.
Live from the NTREIS MLS for homes in Celina (houses, townhomes and condos). Sold figures cover the last 60 days.
Monthly Celina market report with trends Compare Celina with nearby towns
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05Budget
Celina adopted a city rate of $0.571677 per $100 for FY2026–27, down slightly from the year before, though the city manager has acknowledged Celina’s rates remain relatively high. Add Collin County, Collin College and Celina ISD and most homes on the Collin County side total about $2.01 per $100 before exemptions.
On top of that, most new subdivisions carry a PID assessment (billed separately) or sit inside a MUD, like Light Farms. The city publishes annual PID service plans for Mustang Lakes, The Parks at Wilson Creek, Ten Mile Creek and others.
| Taxing unit | Rate per $100 of value |
|---|---|
| City of Celina (FY2026–27) | $0.571677 |
| Collin County (2026) | $0.151414 |
| Collin College | $0.081220 |
| Celina ISD (2026) | $1.208800 |
| Typical total (Collin side) | ≈ $2.01 + any PID or MUD |
At about 2% before exemptions, a $500,000 home would owe roughly $10,000 a year before any PID assessment. A homestead exemption lowers the school portion.
PID assessments can add hundreds to thousands of dollars a year and are billed separately from property tax. We pull the current PID service plan for every Celina home we show.
| Service | Provider |
|---|---|
| Electricity | Split: Oncor areas have retail choice; Grayson-Collin Electric Co-op areas buy from the co-op |
| Water | City of Celina (Upper Trinity Regional Water District supply); Marilee or Mustang SUD in some areas |
| Internet | Fiber widely available: Texas’ first gigabit city (2022) |
Tax rates are the adopted 2026 rates and change every year. Verify any address with the Collin Central Appraisal District (or Denton CAD for the Denton County side) before you buy. Estimate your payment →
06Education
Most of Celina is in Celina ISD, which TEA rated B (85) for 2025–26. Its single high school, Celina High, is close to capacity, and voters approved a $2.295 billion bond in May 2025 for ten new campuses, including a second 6A high school targeted for about 2029–31. Southern Celina, including Light Farms, most of Mustang Lakes and most of Lilyana, is in Prosper ISD.
| School district | What to know |
|---|---|
| Celina ISD | Most of the city. B (85) for 2025–26; $2.3B bond (2025) for 10 new campuses. |
| Prosper ISD | Southern subdivisions: Light Farms, most of Mustang Lakes and most of Lilyana. |
School boundaries change as districts grow. We confirm the assigned campuses for every home before you make an offer.
07Location
Celina is centered on Preston Road (SH-289), with the Dallas North Tollway on its west side. NTTA’s roughly $460 million extension from US-380 north to FM 428 in Celina began construction in 2024 and is expected to open in 2028. Until then, most commuters take Preston Road or the Tollway south through Prosper and Frisco.
| Destination | Distance | Typical drive |
|---|---|---|
| Frisco / PGA Frisco | ~15–20 mi | 25–30 min |
| Legacy West, Plano | ~22–25 mi | 30–35 min |
| DFW Airport | ~38 mi | 40–50 min |
| Downtown Dallas | ~41 mi | 45–60 min |
| McKinney National Airport | ~20 mi | 25–30 min |
Drive times are typical off-peak estimates. Allow more time at rush hour.
08Lifestyle
A free festival on the downtown square each May; the 14th edition in 2026 was headlined by the Eli Young Band.
Sixty-plus vendors on the square one Friday a month, March through November.
October and holiday traditions downtown, part of the city’s 25-plus annual events.
Ball fields, trails and family movie nights.
A future 100-acre city park at the center of The Parks at Wilson Creek.
PGA of America headquarters and Omni PGA Frisco, about 25 to 30 minutes south.
09Everyday life
Celina’s economy is still mostly about growth itself: homebuilding, schools, the city and new retail along Preston Road. The city says about half of its sales tax goes to development agreements, and many residents commute south to Frisco, Plano and Dallas.
10Quick answers
Celina suits buyers who want new construction, highly amenitized communities and a small-town square. Plan for higher property taxes plus PIDs or MUDs, and a longer commute until the Tollway extension opens around 2028.
Yes. The Census Bureau’s July 2025 estimates rank Celina first among U.S. cities with 20,000 or more residents, up 24.6% in one year to 64,427. It also ranked first in the 2023 estimates.
The city rate ($0.571677) is among the higher rates in North Texas. Combined with Celina ISD ($1.2088) and county rates, the total is about $2.01 per $100 before exemptions, and many new neighborhoods add PID assessments or MUD taxes to build roads and utilities.
Mostly Celina ISD (Celina High School). Southern areas, including Light Farms and most of Mustang Lakes and Lilyana, are in Prosper ISD. A second Celina ISD high school is planned for about 2029–31.
Celina lies in both Collin and Denton counties, north of Prosper and Frisco along Preston Road (SH-289).
About 41 miles from downtown Dallas and 38 miles from DFW Airport, per the Celina EDC. Plan on 45 to 60 minutes to downtown until the Dallas North Tollway extension to FM 428 opens, expected in 2028.
Yes. Methodist Celina Medical Center opened on March 17, 2025, on the Dallas Parkway, with about 51 beds and room to expand.
The master plans buyers compare most are Mustang Lakes, Light Farms, Cambridge Crossing, The Parks at Wilson Creek, Ten Mile Creek, Legacy Hills, Ramble and Lilyana.
A Public Improvement District pays for a neighborhood’s roads, utilities and amenities through an annual assessment billed separately from property taxes. Celina publishes a yearly service plan for each PID, which we review with you before you buy.
Crime statistics are published by the Celina Police Department. We encourage every buyer to review the data for the specific area they are considering and to visit at different times of day. As agents, we share data sources rather than opinions about which neighborhoods are “safe.”
About this guide. Written by Shayla Eadler, Licensed Broker & Owner of Ten Twenty Realty (TREC #0747934), and reviewed October 2026. Facts come from public sources, including: U.S. Census Bureau (Vintage 2025), City of Celina, Celina ISD, Celina EDC, Community Impact Prosper/Celina, Resideline market data.
Your Celina expert
Karli works with buyers and sellers across DFW and North Texas and knows how Celina’s master plans, PIDs and school zones compare street by street.
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