Historic Victorian neighborhoods
HistoricVictorian and gingerbread-style homes near downtown and the courthouse, several now bed-and-breakfasts, showcased on the annual Gingerbread Trail home tour.
Homes near Historic Victorian neighborhoodsServing North DFW & North Texas

2026 Waxahachie community guide · Ellis County
Victorian homes, a landmark courthouse square and the Scarborough Renaissance Festival, with new neighborhoods growing along I-35E and US-287.
By Shayla Eadler, Broker & Owner (TREC #747934) · Updated
For sale now
From restored Victorians near the courthouse to new homes in North Grove and acreage across Ellis County, here are the latest Waxahachie listings and the searches our buyers run most.
MLS# 21425014
Legacy Realty Group
MLS# 21425522
Oliver Realty
MLS# 21415639
Redfin Corporation
MLS# 21425105
eXp Realty - Krissy Mireles Team
MLS# 21427255
Kelly, Realtors
MLS# 21427014
Premium Realty
01Overview
For many buyers, yes. Waxahachie pairs a historic county seat, with its 1895 courthouse and Victorian neighborhoods, with new subdivisions, a typical home value near $368,000 and about a 40-minute drive to downtown Dallas on I-35E. The trade-offs are a longer commute, a school district rated C (76) in 2025 that is building a new high school, and fewer big-city amenities close to home.
Waxahachie was founded in August 1850 as the seat of the new Ellis County, on land donated by settler Emory W. Rogers, and incorporated in 1871. The name likely comes from a Native American word, possibly meaning “cow” or “buffalo.”
Cotton made the town. In the early 1900s Ellis County was the nation’s largest cotton-producing county, and that wealth built the 1895 Ellis County Courthouse and the Victorian and “gingerbread” homes that give Waxahachie its nickname, the Gingerbread City. Films including Tender Mercies and Places in the Heart were shot here.
Today Waxahachie is growing quickly, from about 41,100 residents in 2020 to 50,090 in July 2025 by Census estimates; the city put its own estimate near 53,000 by mid-2026. New neighborhoods such as North Grove and Sunrise at Garden Valley sit alongside historic districts, farmland and acreage.
Tax setups vary between new Waxahachie communities. North Grove has a public improvement district (some homesites are excluded), while Sunrise at Garden Valley advertises no MUD or PID. Ask for the tax certificate and any PID assessment schedule before you compare prices.
02Honest take
What we tell our own clients before they make a move.
Pros
Cons
03Where to live
Waxahachie offers historic homes near the square, new master-planned neighborhoods and country acreage. These are the areas our buyers ask about most.
Victorian and gingerbread-style homes near downtown and the courthouse, several now bed-and-breakfasts, showcased on the annual Gingerbread Trail home tour.
A community off US-287 and US-77 with a community center, pool, splash park, pavilion, basketball court and trails. It has a public improvement district, though some homesites are excluded.
Homes of about 2,450 to 4,240 square feet with a tree-lined boulevard trail, a lake-view trail, pavilions and a sports field, near the Waxahachie Sports Complex. The builder advertises no MUD or PID and a $2.05 tax rate.
A neighborhood near the site of Waxahachie ISD’s new high school, where the city is extending sewer service along the old MKT rail line.
An established neighborhood where the city is upgrading alleys.
Homes on acreage, farms and ranch land around Waxahachie in unincorporated Ellis County, often with well, septic or rural water service.
Bloomfield is also selling The Retreat and The Oasis sections of North Grove. Ask us which Waxahachie subdivisions carry a PID and which homes are inside city limits.
| Community | Builders | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| North Grove (incl. The Retreat) | Bloomfield Homes | About 2,030–3,700 sq ft; from about $375K; PID on some homesites |
| Sunrise at Garden Valley | Bloomfield Homes | About 2,450–4,240 sq ft; about $440K–$722K; no MUD or PID |
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
Zillow’s typical Waxahachie home value was about $368,400 in September 2026, down about 1% from a year earlier. In ZIP 75165, Realtor.com counted 248 active listings (down about 6% year over year) at a median list price of $435,000, with a median of 64 days on market. In neighboring ZIP 75167, the median list price was about $634,000 across 95 listings.
List prices run above typical values because new construction and acreage make up a large share of listings. With homes taking two months or more to sell, buyers can negotiate, and sellers do best when they price against new builds nearby.
Live from the NTREIS MLS for homes in Waxahachie (houses, townhomes and condos). Sold figures cover the last 60 days.
Monthly Waxahachie market report with trends Compare Waxahachie with nearby towns
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05Budget
Inside city limits, Waxahachie’s 2025 combined rate is about $2.05 per $100: the city ($0.61, unchanged from the year before), Waxahachie ISD ($1.1681) and Ellis County ($0.273992). There is no community-college line on a typical bill.
For 2026, Waxahachie ISD lowered its rate to $1.1545. Homes outside city limits skip the city rate but may pay an emergency services district instead.
| Taxing unit | Rate per $100 of value |
|---|---|
| City of Waxahachie (2025) | $0.610000 |
| Waxahachie ISD (2025–26) | $1.168100 |
| Ellis County (2025) | $0.273992 |
| Typical total (in city, no MUD) | ≈ $2.05 |
| PID, if applicable | Varies by subdivision |
At about 2.05% before exemptions, a $370,000 home in city limits would owe roughly $7,600 a year. The $140,000 school homestead exemption lowers that noticeably.
PID assessments are often set per lot rather than as a rate, so they don’t always show up in a quick tax estimate. We request the assessment schedule for any home in a PID.
| Service | Provider |
|---|---|
| Electricity | Oncor delivery area in most of the city (choose a retail provider); co-ops serve some rural areas |
| Water & sewer | City of Waxahachie; rural water suppliers outside the city |
| Trash & recycling | Waste Connections, under contract with the city |
| Natural gas | Atmos Energy |
Tax rates are the adopted 2025 rates and change every year. Verify any address with the Ellis Appraisal District before you buy. Estimate your payment →
06Education
Waxahachie ISD serves almost all of the city, with about 11,100 students on 18 campuses in 2025–26. TEA rated the district C (76) in 2025. Waxahachie High School earned a C (77), while Waxahachie Global High School, an early-college T-STEM campus opened in 2007, earned an A (97).
The district is building a new high school, and the city is rebuilding Old Italy Road as a four-lane road to serve it.
| School district | What to know |
|---|---|
| Waxahachie ISD | Almost all of the city; C (76) in 2025; Global High A (97), Waxahachie High C (77). |
| Neighboring districts | Some county addresses around town. Confirm by address. |
School boundaries change as districts grow. We confirm the assigned campuses for every home before you make an offer.
07Location
I-35E bypasses the west side of Waxahachie on its way to Dallas, US-287 runs along the north side toward Midlothian and Fort Worth, and US-77 is the main street through downtown. Mid-Way Regional Airport, shared with Midlothian, serves general aviation; there is no commuter rail.
| Destination | Distance | Typical drive |
|---|---|---|
| Midlothian | ~11 mi | About 20 min |
| Downtown Dallas | ~30 mi | About 40 min |
| Dallas Love Field | ~35 mi | 45–50 min |
| AT&T Stadium, Arlington | ~36 mi | About 50 min |
| Downtown Fort Worth | ~42 mi | About 55 min |
| DFW Airport | ~49 mi | About 1 hr |
Drive times are typical off-peak estimates. Allow more time at rush hour.
08Lifestyle
The 1895 Richardsonian Romanesque courthouse anchors a square with shops, restaurants, the Texas Theater and the historic Rogers Hotel.
A festival and tour of Waxahachie’s Victorian and gingerbread-style homes.
A renaissance fair each April and May since 1981, just southwest of town.
A downtown festival on the last Saturday in October.
Camping and fishing close to town.
A historic park that is home to the 1902 Chautauqua Auditorium.
09Everyday life
As the county seat, Waxahachie mixes government, healthcare and education jobs with a manufacturing and distribution base along I-35E and US-287.
10Quick answers
Waxahachie (about 50,100 residents in 2025) offers historic character, new subdivisions and a typical home value near $368,000, about 40 minutes from downtown Dallas. The trade-offs are a longer commute and a school district rated C (76) in 2025 that is building a new high school.
Ellis County. Waxahachie has been the county seat since it was founded in 1850.
For its many Victorian and gingerbread-style homes, several now bed-and-breakfasts, which are celebrated on the annual Gingerbread Trail.
About $2.05 per $100 in city limits for 2025: city $0.61, Waxahachie ISD $1.1681 and Ellis County $0.273992.
Waxahachie ISD, rated C (76) in 2025. Waxahachie Global High earned an A (97) and Waxahachie High a C (77), and the district is building a new high school.
Zillow’s typical value was about $368,000 in September 2026, down about 1% from a year earlier. New homes in North Grove start around $375,000.
About 30 miles to downtown Dallas, roughly 40 minutes on I-35E off-peak, and about 49 miles to DFW Airport.
Each April and May, on grounds just southwest of Waxahachie. It has run since 1981.
Baylor Scott & White Health, with about 1,750 employees, followed by Waxahachie ISD with about 1,700, according to the city.
Crime statistics are published by the Waxahachie 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), Texas Education Agency, City of Waxahachie FY2026 adopted budget, Waxahachie ISD tax rates, Ellis County FY2026 adopted budget, TEA 2025 ratings: Waxahachie ISD campuses, City of Waxahachie top employers, About Waxahachie, City of Waxahachie current projects, Bloomfield Homes: North Grove, Zillow home value index, Realtor.com ZIP inventory data.

Your Waxahachie expert
Shayla is the broker and owner of Ten Twenty Realty, with a focus on residential, land and farm-and-ranch sales. Her team helps Waxahachie buyers weigh historic homes, new construction and acreage, including PIDs, utilities and ag valuations.
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