2026 Richardson community guide · Dallas & Collin Counties
Mid-century neighborhoods under big trees, four DART rail stations plus the new Silver Line, UT Dallas and the Telecom Corridor, about 20 minutes north of downtown Dallas.
By Karli Vasek, REALTOR® (TREC #0784847) · Updated
For sale now
From mid-century ranches in Richardson Heights to golf-course homes in Canyon Creek and Plano ISD streets near Breckinridge Park, here are the latest Richardson listings and the searches our buyers run most.
01Overview
For many buyers, yes. Richardson offers established neighborhoods with mature trees, four DART light-rail stations plus Silver Line service to DFW Airport, UT Dallas, and a deep job base at CityLine and the Richardson Innovation Quarter, all about 20 minutes from downtown Dallas. The trade-offs are older housing, a Dallas-side tax rate near 2.18% and very little new construction. Richardson ISD earned a C (79) in 2025, while Richardson High earned an A (91).
Richardson grew up around a Houston & Texas Central Railway depot built in 1873 and was named for Alfred S. Richardson, the railroad’s secretary. It incorporated in 1925 and stayed a small farm town until Texas Instruments opened offices on its southern border in 1956 and the University of Texas at Dallas was established in the 1960s.
Those anchors made Richardson the “Telecom Corridor.” Today it is a city of about 118,500 people (July 2025 Census estimate), roughly two-thirds in Dallas County and one-third in Collin County, and its employers have broadened into insurance, healthcare, technology and finance, led by State Farm, Raytheon, RealPage and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas.
Richardson is mostly a resale market: mid-century ranches in Richardson Heights, tree-lined Canyon Creek with its private golf course, and Plano ISD streets on the Collin County side near Breckinridge Park. The CORE District, which takes in downtown, the Heights, Interurban, Lockwood and Chinatown, is seeing new investment, including a public safety campus and Main Street and Greenville Avenue improvements.
Richardson’s tax bill depends on which county your home is in. For 2025 the Dallas County side totals about $2.18 per $100 with Richardson ISD, while the Collin County side totals about $1.81 with Plano ISD. On a $450,000 home, that is a difference of roughly $1,650 a year before exemptions.
02Honest take
What we tell our own clients before they make a move.
Pros
Cons
03Where to live
Richardson is a city of established neighborhoods, from mid-century ranch streets to golf-course homes and Plano ISD addresses on the Collin County side. These are the areas our buyers ask about most.
One of Richardson’s largest neighborhoods, with about 2,850 homes on tree-lined streets around a creek and a private golf course, and an active homeowners association that hosts a July 4th celebration.
Homes near Canyon CreekPart of the CORE District near downtown, with mid-century ranch homes, Heights Park and the Heights Family Aquatics Center with its lazy river.
Homes near Richardson HeightsHomes around the city-owned Sherrill Park Golf Course in east Richardson, including the Fairways of Sherrill Park, which has a mandatory HOA.
Homes near Sherrill ParkA mandatory-HOA neighborhood on the Collin County side near Breckinridge Park, with a community pool.
Homes near Breckinridge Park EstatesDowntown Richardson, the Heights, Interurban, Lockwood and Chinatown: older homes close to independent restaurants and shops, new public art and Main Street improvements.
Homes near CORE DistrictA mixed-use district around State Farm’s campus and the CityLine/Bush station, with apartments, restaurants and direct Red, Orange and Silver line service.
Homes near CityLineThe city lists 85 neighborhood and homeowner associations, from Duck Creek and Cottonwood Heights to the Lakes of Buckingham, and 27 of them are mandatory HOAs. Ask us which streets carry dues before you write an offer.
04Market
Zillow’s typical Richardson home value was about $437,400 in September 2026, up less than 1% from a year earlier, one of the steadier readings in North Texas. Realtor.com counted about 290 active listings across Richardson’s three main ZIP codes that month: a median list price of about $436,000 in 75080 and $409,000 in 75081, both on the Dallas County side, and about $611,000 in 75082 on the Collin County side, with medians of 48 to 58 days on market.
Because Richardson is mostly resale, condition and updates drive price as much as location, and roughly a quarter to a third of listings showed a price cut. Prices also split by county: the Collin County ZIP lists well above the Dallas County ZIPs, so we compare sales on the same side of the line.
Live from the NTREIS MLS for homes in Richardson (houses, townhomes and condos). Sold figures cover the last 60 days.
Monthly Richardson market report with trends Compare Richardson with nearby towns
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05Budget
On the Dallas County side, Richardson’s 2025 combined rate is about $2.18 per $100: the city ($0.54218), Richardson ISD ($1.1052), Dallas County ($0.2155), Parkland Hospital ($0.212) and Dallas College ($0.106575). On the Collin County side it is about $1.81: the city, Plano ISD ($1.03955), Collin County ($0.149343) and Collin College ($0.08122).
The city kept its $0.54218 rate for 2026–27. Richardson offers a $160,000 exemption for homeowners who are 65 or older or disabled, on top of the state school exemptions, but no general city homestead exemption.
| Taxing unit | Rate per $100 of value |
|---|---|
| City of Richardson (2025) | $0.542180 |
| Richardson ISD (2025) | $1.105200 |
| Dallas County (2025) | $0.215500 |
| Parkland Hospital District (2025) | $0.212000 |
| Dallas College (2025) | $0.106575 |
| Typical total (in city, no MUD) | ≈ $2.18 |
| Collin side: Plano ISD, Collin County & Collin College | $1.270113 |
| Typical total, Collin side | ≈ $1.81 |
At about 2.18% before exemptions, a $437,000 home on the Dallas County side would owe roughly $9,500 a year; on the Collin County side, about $7,900. The $140,000 school homestead exemption lowers both.
MUDs and PIDs are rare in Richardson’s established neighborhoods, but some newer townhome and infill communities have mandatory HOAs. We check the tax certificate and HOA dues for every address.
| Service | Provider |
|---|---|
| Electricity | Oncor delivery area; choose a retail provider |
| Water & sewer | City of Richardson |
| Trash & recycling | City of Richardson, plus free brush and bulky-item pickup |
| Natural gas | Atmos Energy |
Tax rates are the adopted 2025 rates and change every year. Verify any address with the Dallas Central Appraisal District (Collin Central Appraisal District for the Collin side) before you buy. Estimate your payment →
06Education
Richardson ISD serves the Dallas County side of the city, along with parts of Dallas and Garland, with about 36,100 students on 51 campuses. TEA rated the district C (79) in 2025: Richardson High earned an A (91), Pearce High a B (86), Berkner High a B (83) and Lake Highlands High a B (82). For 2026–27 the district moved up its magnet-school enrollment window.
The Collin County side is in Plano ISD, which enrolls about 43,800 students and earned a B (82) in 2025.
| School district | What to know |
|---|---|
| Richardson ISD | Dallas County side; C (79) district in 2025; Richardson High A (91), Pearce B (86), Berkner B (83). |
| Plano ISD | Collin County side; B (82) district in 2025. Confirm campuses by address. |
School boundaries change as districts grow. We confirm the assigned campuses for every home before you make an offer.
07Location
Richardson sits on US-75 (North Central Expressway) between I-635 to the south and the President George Bush Turnpike (SH-190) to the north. DART’s Red and Orange lines stop at Spring Valley, Arapaho Center, Galatyn Park and CityLine/Bush, and the Silver Line, in service since October 25, 2025, adds UT Dallas and CityLine stops with service to DFW Airport. The city also has the 12-foot-wide Central Trail along US-75 and more than 15 miles of bike lanes.
| Destination | Distance | Typical drive |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown Plano | ~6 mi | About 10 min |
| Downtown Dallas | ~14 mi | 20–25 min |
| Dallas Love Field | ~15 mi | About 25 min |
| UT Southwestern & Medical District | ~16 mi | About 25 min |
| Legacy West, Plano | ~17 mi | About 25 min |
| DFW Airport | ~23 mi | About 35 min |
Drive times are typical off-peak estimates. Allow more time at rush hour.
08Lifestyle
A three-day festival on the third weekend in May, with music on six stages, regional food and local arts vendors, now more than 33 years running.
A fine-art festival in Cottonwood Park on the first weekends of May and October, held since 1969.
The performing-arts center at Galatyn Park and the main stage for the Richardson Symphony and Plano Symphony orchestras.
Pavilions, trails and open space on the Collin County side, and home of the city’s Family 4th celebration and fireworks.
Independent restaurants, bakeries and shops downtown, in Lockwood and along US-75 in the DFW Chinatown.
A 12-foot-wide multi-use trail running mostly parallel to US-75, with Urban Naturalist walks in city parks.
09Everyday life
Richardson is one of the region’s largest employment centers. The Telecom Corridor has broadened into insurance, healthcare, technology and finance, and the city holds AAA credit ratings from both Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s.
10Quick answers
Richardson (about 118,500 residents in 2025) offers established neighborhoods, DART rail, UT Dallas and major employers close to home, about 20 minutes from downtown Dallas. The trade-offs are older homes, a Dallas-side tax rate near 2.18% and very little new construction.
Both. About two-thirds of residents live in Dallas County and one-third in Collin County, and the county line changes both the school district and the tax rate.
Richardson ISD serves the Dallas County side (C, 79, in 2025, with Richardson High rated A, 91). The Collin County side is in Plano ISD (B, 82, in 2025). We confirm campuses for every address.
For 2025, about $2.18 per $100 on the Dallas County side and about $1.81 on the Collin County side. The city’s own rate is $0.54218, and it was held for 2026–27.
Zillow’s typical value was about $437,000 in September 2026, up less than 1% from a year earlier. Median list prices ranged from about $409,000 in 75081 to about $611,000 in 75082.
Yes. The Red and Orange lines stop at Spring Valley, Arapaho Center, Galatyn Park and CityLine/Bush, and the Silver Line, opened in October 2025, stops at UT Dallas and CityLine on its way to DFW Airport.
About 14 miles to downtown Dallas, roughly 20 to 25 minutes on US-75 off-peak, and about 23 miles to DFW Airport.
The city names State Farm, Raytheon, RealPage and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas among its major employers, along with UT Dallas and Richardson ISD.
Wildflower! Arts & Music Festival runs three days on the third weekend in May. The Cottonwood Art Festival is held the first weekends of May and October.
Crime statistics are published by the Richardson 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 Karli Vasek, REALTOR® of Ten Twenty Realty (TREC #0784847), and reviewed October 2026. Facts come from public sources, including: U.S. Census Bureau (Vintage 2025), Texas Education Agency, TEA 2025 ratings: Richardson ISD campuses, 2025 DFW tax rates (Dallas & Collin CAD units), Dallas County Tax Office rates, City of Richardson tax information, Community Impact: Richardson tax rate, City of Richardson community events, City of Richardson HOA list, City of Richardson economic development, Zillow home value index, Realtor.com ZIP inventory data.
Your Richardson expert
Karli has called DFW home for 17 years and works with buyers and sellers across Dallas and Collin counties, so she can compare Richardson ISD and Plano ISD addresses, and the tax difference across the county line, street by street.
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