Where a fifteen-minute downtown Dallas commute meets some of Dallas County’s most attainable price tags, a city actively reinventing itself with a new City Center plan, schools split between Mesquite and Dallas ISD, and three major highways putting the entire metroplex within reach
Balch Springs is a Dallas County city of about 27,700 where I-20, I-635 and US 175 meet, and the median sale price sits near $271,000. You’ll find mid-century resale streets in the center and west, and new builder communities on the east side. Here are 7 areas with dated price context.
About $341K to $531K
Active new construction from Bloomfield Homes and Impression Homes, with a pool, clubhouse, playground and trails.
Bloomfield listed homes from $340,990 to $530,990 in 2026; recent closings ran about $378,000 to $440,000. A builder says no MUD or PID. Mesquite ISD.
From about $248K
Lennar homes of about 1,450 to 2,035 square feet, with an on-site soccer field, now down to its final homes.
Base prices started at $247,999 for the Cottage Collection and $266,999 for the Watermill Collection in October 2026, with new homesites listed as coming soon. Mesquite ISD.
About $185K to $262K
The heart of the city’s 1950s to 1970s growth, around Walter E. Luedeke Park and Floyd Elementary.
Nearby 2026 sales and listings ran about $185,000 to $262,000 for homes of roughly 1,300 to 1,500 square feet. Mesquite ISD for most nearby streets; verify by address.
Around $220K
Neighborhoods north of Lake June Road near Oakridge Park, Hodges Elementary and Mackey Elementary.
A three-bedroom home of about 1,550 square feet sold for about $220,000 in June 2026. Mesquite ISD.
Listed near $275K
Homes around Woodland Park, where the city is adding parking and a soccer practice field.
A five-bedroom home of about 1,575 square feet was listed at $275,000 in late summer 2026. Likely Mesquite ISD; verify by address.
About $170K to $235K
A grid of older streets with three-bedroom homes of about 1,100 to 1,250 square feet.
Sales from June to September 2026 ran about $169,900 to $235,000. Some areas may be in Dallas ISD rather than Mesquite ISD, so verify by address.
From about $139K
Older homes along Pioneer Road near Gray Elementary and the Mesquite border.
A three-bedroom home of about 1,150 square feet sold for $139,000 in August 2026, likely reflecting condition; treat it as a floor, not a typical price. Mesquite ISD.
Swipe or drag sideways to see them all.
Redfin’s August 2026 median was about $271,000, up 0.9 percent, with homes selling in a median 49 days, down from 73.
Homes sold near 98.8 percent of list.
The city’s 2025 rate was $0.794629 per $100, with a 1 percent homestead exemption and $30,000 for owners 65 and older.
The 2026 city rate was still pending in early October.
The northeastern half is generally Mesquite ISD and the southwestern half Dallas ISD, roughly split by I-635.
Confirm the district for every address.
New homes in Arcadia Trails and McKenzie Trails are pulling the 75181 median above the older 75180 neighborhoods.
A hotel and a planned city center are in the works.
Balch Springs, named for a spring-fed homestead settled in the late 1870s, incorporated on June 13, 1953, and counted 27,685 residents in the 2020 census (Census estimate 27,307 for July 2024). It sits in Dallas County at I-20, I-635 and US 175, about 15 miles from downtown Dallas. Area names follow builder names and street locations, since older subdivision names couldn’t be confirmed, and boundaries are approximate. Price figures are dated snapshots: Redfin’s three-month median ending August 2026, individual 2026 sales and listings, and 2026 builder starting prices; they are context, not values. Arcadia Trails’ no-MUD, no-PID status is a builder claim, and builder sources disagree on its campus assignments. McKenzie Trails availability is changing as it sells out. Some new-home plans use Mesquite mailing addresses, so confirm city limits by lot. School districts are listed at the district level only and must be confirmed by address. Tax rates: the city’s 2025 rate of $0.794629 has held since 2021; its 2026 rate was listed as pending by the Dallas County Tax Office, and its 2026 no-new-revenue rate fell to $0.629037, meaning values rose. Dallas County voters decide a tax rate election on November 3, 2026. Project details are from city board meeting reports and should be confirmed with the economic development office. Bobby Franklin, REALTOR®, TREC #0805459, Legacy Realty Group – Leslie Majors Team.
Balch Springs keeps its everyday life close: Lake June Road for groceries, chains and family taquerias, Elam Road for Kroger, coffee and the library, and a string of city parks with a splash pad and new walking paths. Here’s a 2026-checked list of 25.
Lake June Rd. near I-635
Balch Springs’ main shopping strip, anchored by the Walmart-led Balch Springs Commons, with Raising Cane’s, Nothing Bundt Cakes and a long row of local taquerias.
Elam Road adds Kroger, Starbucks and the library.
12300 Lake June Rd.
Grocery, pharmacy and auto care, 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.; anchors Balch Springs Commons.
11925 Elam Rd.
A supermarket with a pharmacy, bakery and deli, 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.
12306 Elam Rd.
A drive-thru-only store; the city held its ribbon cutting in July 2025.
12209 Lake June Rd., Ste. 400
Opened in June 2026, the brand’s 600th U.S. location, per the economic development corporation.
12933 Elam Rd.
A Mexican bakery known for pan dulce.
12320 Lake June Rd.
Opened in 2021 on a pad site at Balch Springs Commons.
3612 Pioneer Rd.
A family Mexican restaurant established in 2021.
13000 Spring Oak Dr.
A taqueria with outdoor seating, open late.
12250 Lake June Rd., Ste. 110
Boiled seafood and Cajun dishes.
12136 Lake June Rd.
Charcoal-grilled chicken and aguas frescas.
12027 Lake June Rd.
A Texas Tex-Mex fast-food chain dating to 1972, just north of I-635.
12500 Lake June Rd.
Fajitas and Mexican plates.
11930 Lake June Rd.
Parrillada, gorditas and tacos de trompo.
3211 Hickory Tree Rd.
A 14.3-acre park with a summer splash pad, walking trails, a storybook walk, a pond and pavilions.
2300 Sheilah Dr.
A 14.2-acre community park with practice fields and a new concrete walking path.
14404 Horseshoe Trail
A neighborhood park getting a new parking lot and soccer practice field.
3816 Forest Lawn Dr.
A small park with a basketball court, playground and picnic area.
4372 Shepherd Ln.
The city’s recreation center at Virgil T. Irwin Park, open weekdays and Saturdays; a STAR Transit stop.
12450 Elam Rd.
Opened in 2006 with 30,000-plus items, a computer lab and Family Place programs.
12400 Elam Rd.
Home of the city’s annual Christmas Tree Lighting.
2919 Balch Springs Rd.
A center for residents 55 and older, with free weekday transportation for residents.
Balch Springs
A four-story hotel reported under construction, projected to open in early 2027.
Balch Springs
The city is negotiating for about four acres for a civic complex on a five-year plan; no opening date.
Near 13503 Alexander Rd.
Being marketed for restaurants, retail and family entertainment; no tenants announced.
Most of Balch Springs’ dining and shopping sits along Lake June Road and Elam Road, from Walmart and Kroger to a long run of family taquerias.
There’s no farmers market in the city; the nearest is in downtown Mesquite.
Compiled October 2026. Listings are from the City of Balch Springs, the Balch Springs Economic Development Corporation, company store locators and business and review listings, and were not confirmed with owners; call ahead to confirm hours and that a business is still open. Pollo Regio, Taco Casa, Rodriguez Mexican Grill and Taqueria El Amigo are listed from review and aggregator sites with 2025–2026 activity; Mi Ranchitoo’s address is from an aggregator. The hotel, city center and mixed-use site are plans reported to city boards, and dates are likely to change. Peggy’s Country Cafe and several other taquerias weren’t confirmed open in 2026, so they aren’t listed. No ALDI, Fiesta or other grocer was confirmed in the city. Businesses listed are for general local reference and are not endorsements; I receive no compensation from any business named. Bobby Franklin, REALTOR®, TREC #0805459, Legacy Realty Group – Leslie Majors Team.
From a Spring That Never Ran Dry to a City Built to Stay Independent
The future Balch Springs sat on the flat, dark-soiled Blackland Prairie of southeastern Dallas County, between creeks feeding the Trinity River.
The Handbook of Texas describes Dallas County as “902 square miles of the primarily flat, heavy Blackland Prairie.” The southeastern corner mixed open grassland with wooded creek bottoms; Kleberg, just to the south, was heavily wooded with pin oak and post oak. Native peoples used the upper Trinity River basin for generations before Anglo-American settlement, though no tribe-specific site has been documented within today’s city limits.
Spain, Mexico and then the Republic of Texas claimed the region before Texas joined the United States in 1845, and Dallas County was organized the following year. Settlement in this corner of the county came through colony grants and individual land claims. The city’s own history says simply that the area was first settled in the 1840s, which marks the start of documented settlement here.
Peters Colony settlers and Republic-era grantees, including the Bennett, Kleberg and Rylie families, were the first documented landholders in and around the future city.
A 2020 state historical marker inside Laurel Oaks Memorial Park, on Lake June Road, records that Hiram Bennett moved to Texas in 1845 with his family after receiving a Peters Colony land grant. His son Hardy and Hardy’s wife Sidney settled nearby, and they began a family cemetery in 1847 when their infant daughter, Terniece, was buried on a tree-covered knoll overlooking the prairie.
The Bennett burial ground grew to include citizens of the Republic of Texas and Civil War veterans; in the early 1950s Laurel Oaks bought it and renamed it Bennett Family Gardens. Nearby, Robert Kleberg received a 4,428-acre grant in 1845 but never lived on it. The Rylie family arrived from Illinois around 1846, and the Handbook places J. R. Rylie in the area as early as 1855.
In the 1870s, John Balch’s family found three springs, one that never ran dry, and neighbors began calling the place Balch Springs.
The Handbook of Texas says the Balch family found “three springs, one of which was never dry.” The year-round spring was kept clean and bricked up, and it became a gathering place where families filled their buckets and caught up on news. A local history used in city documents places the homestead near what is now the corner of Balch Springs Road and Eastgate Drive. The name stuck even after Balch moved away a few years later.
Sources disagree on when Balch arrived: around 1870, according to the Handbook; 1877, according to a 1997 Texas House resolution; and about 1879, according to the city’s history. Later House resolutions also describe Balch as a veteran of the Battle of San Jacinto, a claim not yet confirmed by a second source. No marker or physical trace of the spring was found inside the city.
The Texas Trunk Railroad arrived in 1881 and turned Rylie and Kleberg, south of the springs, into busy shipping points.
The Texas Trunk line reached Rylie in 1881, and a post office opened there in 1883. By 1885 Rylie shipped cordwood and cotton and had two churches, a school and a general store. A 1994 state marker says the community at its height had a cotton gin, a grist mill and general stores. It declined in the 1930s and 1940s after rail service ended, and its marker now stands on Haymarket Road in Dallas.
Kleberg gained a post office in 1882. By 1890 it had about 100 residents, two steam-powered saw and grist mills, a cotton gin and a small newspaper. Around 1900 it housed workers building Trinity River Lock No. 2, which a 1908 flood washed away. A red brick schoolhouse and a depot followed in 1915, and a 1920 fire destroyed the downtown.
Before 1950, Balch Springs was a farm area of scattered homesteads, anchored by a county school named for the springs, a small church and a cemetery.
According to the city’s history, around 1885 a county school was named after the springs, with a small church and a cemetery nearby. The Handbook of Texas gives a later timeline, describing only a cemetery and scattered farms in 1900, with a school built several years after that. Either way, both sources agree that the community took shape around the school, as families farmed the surrounding prairie and creek bottoms.
Other small crossroads communities dotted the farmland, including Zipp City, Five Points, Jonesville and Triangle, all named in the 1953 incorporation. Reliable descriptions of each, including how Zipp City got its name, weren’t found in the sources reviewed. Cotton and other crops tied local farms to the rail towns to the south until roads and trucks took over that role in the twentieth century.
Electricity came in 1939 and gas and telephones after World War II; residents then incorporated in 1953 to avoid being absorbed by Dallas.
The Handbook of Texas records that Balch Springs received electricity from Texas Power and Light in 1939, with gas service from Lone Star Gas and telephone service beginning shortly after World War II. Dallas was expanding rapidly after the war, and by 1950 Dallas County was nearly 90 percent urban. That growth put the unincorporated farm communities on the city’s edge at real risk of annexation.
On June 13, 1953, Balch Springs incorporated with a mayor-council government in order to avoid annexation by Dallas, according to the Handbook and city documents; one 2024 news report gives September 6. The new city took in Balch Springs, Zipp City, Five Points, Jonesville and Triangle, plus parts of Rylie and Kleberg. Texas House resolutions put the population at about 3,000 at incorporation.
The new city grew from about 3,500 residents in 1956 to 6,821 in 1960, added a fire department and post office and survived a vote to disincorporate.
By 1956 Balch Springs had about 3,500 residents, and by 1958 it had “a modern fire department with three fire trucks,” according to the Handbook of Texas. The 1960 Census counted 6,821 people. Next door, Kleberg incorporated in 1956 as its own town. In just a few years, the farm crossroads had become a functioning small city with its own services and a growing number of commuters.
A Balch Springs post office opened in September 1964. The city levied its first property taxes in 1965, and in 1966 a vote to disincorporate failed. The Handbook notes that children attended school in either the Dallas or Mesquite school districts, a split that continues today, with both Mesquite ISD and Dallas ISD serving different parts of the city and families checking boundaries by address.
Interstate 635 made the commute to Dallas faster and pushed up land values, and the population nearly doubled to 13,050 by 1976.
The Handbook of Texas says land values began to rise in the early 1970s and that the town became more important as a residential community when Interstate 635 went through, making commuting to Dallas faster. By the late 1970s, most working residents commuted to jobs in Dallas or Garland. The population climbed from 10,464 in 1970 to 13,050 in 1976 and 13,746 by the 1980 Census.
Local industry grew alongside the new subdivisions; in 1970 the city had three manufacturers, two printers and a foundry. The map around the city changed, too. Kleberg, with about 4,500 residents, consolidated with Dallas in 1978, and Rylie also became part of Dallas, leaving Balch Springs as the surviving independent city among the old communities of southeastern Dallas County.
A 1988 vote to merge with Mesquite was ruled invalid; Balch Springs adopted a home rule charter in 1990 and grew to 17 manufacturers.
According to the Handbook of Texas, in 1988 Balch Springs voted to combine with Mesquite, but the vote was ruled invalid and the city remained independent. Soon after, residents adopted a home rule charter, giving the city its own locally written charter; a city ordinance dates its adoption to January 20, 1990, while a 2024 news report places the election in 1989. Voters have amended the charter several times since 2008, most recently in 2022 and 2024.
By 1991 Balch Springs had 17 manufacturers, including makers of shipping pallets and machine parts, along with two banks, a weekly newspaper, a library and several churches. The 1990 Census counted 17,406 residents, and the 2000 Census counted 19,375. Today the city covers about 9 square miles, bordered by Mesquite to the north and Dallas to the west, with I-635 running through its center.
The Library–Learning Center opened in 2006, the Hickory Tree Road extension broke ground in 2016 and the 2020 Census counted 27,685 residents.
The Balch Springs Library–Learning Center at 12450 Elam Road opened in April 2006, funded with economic development sales tax dollars, and has drawn more than 80,000 visitors a year. The small Library Park marks the old library site, and Veterans Memorial Park sits between the new library and the Civic Center, where the city now holds its annual Christmas tree lighting.
In October 2016, the city and Dallas County broke ground on a half-mile Hickory Tree Road extension west of LBJ Freeway, a $2.8 million project shared equally by the county, the city and its economic development corporation; it was finished in 2017. In 2020 the state dedicated the Bennett Family Gardens historical marker, and the 2020 Census counted 27,685 residents.
Recent growth includes two new-home communities, a Starbucks and Nothing Bundt Cakes, a hotel under construction and grant-funded trail and road projects.
Starbucks held its grand opening on July 21, 2025, at a drive-thru store on Elam Road, and Nothing Bundt Cakes opened on Lake June Road in June 2026, which the economic development corporation calls the chain’s 600th U.S. location. A hotel on Dunson Drive broke ground in June 2025, with completion projected for late 2026 or early 2027, and a second, cafe-style Starbucks is targeted for 2027.
New homes are rising in Arcadia Trails, built by Bloomfield and Impression Homes, and McKenzie Trails, built by Lennar. In November 2025, the state awarded about $6.4 million in federal funds for the first phase of the Southeast Trail, about 3.7 miles of shared-use path, and a $13.5 million grant will rebuild about a mile of Hickory Tree Road, with construction planned for 2028.
Compiled from the Texas State Historical Association Handbook of Texas (Balch Springs, Kleberg, Rylie and Dallas County entries), Texas Historical Commission marker text via the Historical Marker Database, City of Balch Springs documents and ordinances, Texas House resolutions, the Balch Springs Economic Development Corporation, the Texas Transportation Commission, the U.S. Census Bureau and 2024–2026 local reporting. Sources differ on John Balch’s arrival (about 1870, 1877 or 1879), the incorporation date (June 13 or September 6, 1953) and the home rule charter (a 1989 election or January 20, 1990, adoption); the dates shown follow the city and the Handbook. Balch’s reported service at San Jacinto, the origin of the Zipp City name and descriptions of Five Points, Jonesville and Triangle weren’t confirmed. Hotel, trail and road dates are projections. Bobby Franklin, REALTOR®, TREC #0805459, Legacy Realty Group – Leslie Majors Team.
Late-June Fireworks, an October Trunk or Treat and a December Parade
Live entertainment, food vendors, a kid zone and fireworks around 9 p.m. Free. Held 2018, 2019 and 2022 through 2024; in 2026 it ran June 27 as Balch Springs Fireworks and Futbol, with a soccer tournament. Next: late June 2027.
Run by the City of Balch Springs.
Bring cash or cards for vendors.
Children in costume collect candy from decorated vehicles, with games, prizes and music, 6 to 9 p.m. Free. Held 2016, October 28, 2022, and October 25, 2024; 2026 date not yet announced.
Run by the city’s recreation staff.
Vendors sign up in advance and bring candy to hand out.
A themed parade ending at the Civic Center, then the tree lighting at Veterans Memorial Park with holiday music, hot chocolate and Santa. Free. Documented 2013, 2016 through 2018, 2020 and 2023; 2026 date not yet announced.
Run by the City of Balch Springs.
The Civic Center complex is at 12400 Elam Rd.
Mesquite’s longest-running event, dating to 1985, with lights, cocoa, photos with Santa and a fireworks finale, 2 to 8 p.m. Free admission; ride wristbands sold.
Balch Springs’ signature events are city-run and free: late-June fireworks, an October Trunk or Treat and the December parade and tree lighting.
Mesquite’s Christmas in the Park is a short drive north.
Dates move for weather, so check the city’s events page before you go.
Timing shown is the usual pattern for each event; exact dates, times and locations change from year to year and should be confirmed with organizers. Event details are from City of Balch Springs calendars and newsletters, the Balch Springs Chamber, Sharing Life Community Outreach and the City of Mesquite; each event listed was found in at least two years. Some city pages were reviewed through indexed copies. An Easter egg hunt, National Night Out, a Veterans Day breakfast, a multicultural celebration and a 5K were each found in only one year, and Juneteenth and Cinco de Mayo events weren’t found, so none is shown. The Mesquite Championship Rodeo and events in Seagoville and Sunnyvale weren’t verified for this list. Bobby Franklin, REALTOR®, TREC #0805459, Legacy Realty Group – Leslie Majors Team.
What to know about Balch Springs schools:
The ratings: Check TXschools.gov for each district’s current status.
Nearby: Dallas College’s Eastfield and Pleasant Grove campuses offer college courses and dual credit. Texas treats homeschools as private schools.
Want the full breakdown? Read our complete Balch Springs schools guide →
Balch Springs is divided between Mesquite ISD in the northeast and Dallas ISD in the southwest, roughly along I-635. Mesquite ISD earned a B in 2026, Dallas ISD a B (85), and their tax rates differ. Confirm the district by address.
Citywide
Balch Springs is split between Mesquite ISD, generally the northeastern half, and Dallas ISD, generally the southwestern half; I-635 is the rough dividing line.
The boundary doesn’t follow the freeway exactly. Check the district on the appraisal record and with each district’s attendance-zone tool.
District-wide
Mesquite ISD earned a B in TEA’s 2026 ratings, preliminary and subject to appeal, its second straight B.
Voters approved a $600 million bond in 2025. On November 3, 2026, its Proposition A would add 9 cents to the operating rate.
Hickory Tree · Pioneer · Spring Oaks
Floyd (3025 Hickory Tree Rd.), Gray (3500 Pioneer Rd.), Hodges (14401 Spring Oaks Dr.) and Mackey (14900 N. Spring Ridge Cir.) elementary schools, plus A.C. New Middle School (3700 S. Beltline Rd.).
Most Mesquite ISD addresses in the city feed West Mesquite High School; Mackey’s zone feeds Terry Middle and John Horn High, and a small area feeds Mesquite High. Feeders can change.
District-wide
Dallas ISD earned a B (85) for 2025–26, up from a B (83) the year before, per TEA.
Voters approved a $6.2 billion bond in May 2026, with about 75 percent in favor. No Dallas ISD bond or tax election was found on the November 2026 ballot.
Varies by zone
Elementary zones include Cuellar, Lagow, Runyon and Kleberg. Inside the city, Young Women’s STEAM Academy at Balch Springs (710 Cheyenne Rd.) is a girls’ campus.
High school zones include Spruce, Samuell and Seagoville. Middle school assignment varies by zone and program; confirm with Dallas ISD’s school finder.
2026
Mesquite ISD’s 2026 rate is $1.0862, or $1.1762 if Proposition A passes. Dallas ISD adopted $0.985735 and adds a 10 percent local homestead exemption.
On a $270,000 homestead, the school share is about $1,412 in Mesquite ISD, or $1,529 if Prop A passes, and about $1,015 in Dallas ISD.
District-wide
Dallas ISD residents can apply to magnet, P-TECH and early college, career institute and single-gender leadership programs through the district’s centralized enrollment.
Application windows and eligibility vary; check Dallas ISD’s enrollment pages each year.
In the city
KIPP Pleasant Grove Leadership Academy is at 1500 S. Peachtree Rd., and Balch Springs Christian Academy is at 11524 Seagoville Rd.
Texas treats homeschools as private schools. Confirm each school’s grades and admissions directly.
Mesquite · Dallas
Balch Springs is in Dallas College’s service area, with the Eastfield campus in Mesquite and the Pleasant Grove campus nearby.
Dallas College levies a tax on Balch Springs parcels: $0.106575 per $100. Ask each district about dual credit.
The district line roughly follows I-635, but not exactly.
Check the school district on the appraisal record and each district’s attendance tool.
On a $270,000 homestead, the school share runs about $1,412 in Mesquite ISD and about $1,015 in Dallas ISD.
Owners 65 and older pay less, then a ceiling applies.
Mesquite ISD earned a B in 2026 (preliminary), and Dallas ISD a B (85) for 2025–26.
Check TXschools.gov for each district’s current status.
Mesquite ISD’s Proposition A would add about $117 a year on a $270,000 homestead in its half of the city.
Early voting runs October 19–30.
Accountability ratings are shown at the district level only; campus ratings are intentionally not shown, and campuses are listed by name and location only. Ratings change every year; use TXschools.gov for current ratings. Mesquite ISD’s 2026 B is from its August 2026 release and is preliminary; Dallas ISD’s B (85) is from TEA. Enrollment is from NCES and news reports. The district boundary is described generally; a parcel-level map wasn’t available. Mesquite ISD feeder patterns follow district plans and can change. Dallas ISD campus zones are from district and listing sources and should be confirmed; sources differ on the STEAM Academy’s grade span. Mesquite ISD’s 2026 rate depends on the November 3, 2026 Proposition A election. Dallas ISD’s 10 percent local exemption is from the appraisal district’s 2025 schedule and should be confirmed for 2026. School tax examples are illustrations, not quotes. School district and campus assignment is determined by address and must be confirmed with the district. School information is provided for general reference only and is not a recommendation regarding any school, district, neighborhood or property. Bobby Franklin, REALTOR®, TREC #0805459, Legacy Realty Group – Leslie Majors Team.
Median Sales Price
What Balch Springs homes actually sold for each month. With established ranch-style resales trading alongside new builder closings in Arcadia Trails and McKenzie Trails, the mix of what sold moves this line as much as the market does.
Balch Springs’s median moves with which homes sold: established resales or new east-side builds. Redfin’s August 2026 median was about $271,000, up 0.9 percent from a year earlier, while Zillow’s typical value was down about 4 percent. Read the trend, not one month.
A decades-old ranch home, a new Arcadia Trails build and a McKenzie Trails starter home can all land on this one line. The chart is not your comp. Your comps match your size, age, lot, condition and school district.
Texas is a non-disclosure state, so portal prices are models. This is MLS. Ask for the actual comparable sales, plus the permit history and whether the address is in Mesquite ISD or Dallas ISD.
Days on market describes how buyers behaved. Redfin reported a median of about 49 days to sell in August 2026, down from 73, with homes selling at about 98.8 percent of list. Faster, but still room to negotiate.
The first two weeks bring the most traffic a listing will ever get. If they pass without an offer, that is pricing information. Acting in week three beats acting in week ten.
When homes sit longer, there’s usually room to negotiate on price, repairs or closing costs. A listing that has waited a while is usually where the negotiating room is, and builders often compete with rate buydowns and closing-cost help; ask what’s on the table.
Under 10 showings means buyers are deciding quickly. Rising counts mean people are walking through and walking away, which is a different problem from nobody looking at all.
This separates a pricing problem from a presentation problem. Plenty of showings and no offer usually means something specific is putting people off, and that is fixable without dropping the price.
High showings-to-pending means you can be selective without losing homes. Read it against days on market: low on both is a hot market, high on both means the leverage is yours.
Check how many homes closed before you read anything into the price or days-on-market charts. A month heavy with new east-side closings can lift the median more than the market did, and a month heavy with older resales can pull it down.
Your competition includes builders in Arcadia Trails and McKenzie Trails, plus resales in Mesquite, Seagoville and southeast Dallas. Price against true comparables and have your permit and repair records ready for buyers.
Inventory runs from established ranch homes to new construction. Confirm the school district, inspection findings and the city’s 2026 tax rate early, because they affect your monthly cost more than the price chart does.
Charts supplied by NTREIS via 10K Research and Marketing and update automatically. Data reflects residential activity reported to the MLS and may be revised as late-reported sales come in. Some Balch Springs-area homes, including parts of Arcadia Trails, use Mesquite mailing addresses, so MLS city fields may not match the city boundary. The median, days on market and sale-to-list ratio are Redfin’s for August 2026; the typical-value change is Zillow’s. These charts do not separate new construction or resale, or the Mesquite ISD and Dallas ISD parts of the city. Market statistics describe the area as a whole and are not a substitute for a comparative market analysis on a specific property. Texas is a non-disclosure state, so publicly available sale prices elsewhere are estimates rather than recorded figures. Bobby Franklin, REALTOR®, TREC #0805459, Legacy Realty Group – Leslie Majors Team.
Pick a purchase year and the price fills in. If you own here, type over it with what you actually paid. This calculator runs on the Dallas County index, the federal repeat-sales measure for the county that holds Balch Springs. A home bought in 2015 is worth about twice its price on the index, with the biggest jump between 2020 and 2022 and no gain from 2024 to 2025.
Bought here? Tap the number and enter what you paid.
Federal house price index growth, indexed to the purchase year, where the purchase year equals 100.
From 2015 to 2025 the Dallas County index nearly doubled, with a 34 percent jump between 2020 and 2022.
It was flat from 2024 to 2025, and Balch Springs’ median was roughly flat in 2026.
Redfin’s August 2026 Balch Springs median was about $270,800, up 0.9 percent from a year earlier.
Type over the prefilled price with what you actually paid.
Owners who bought before 2021 carry large gains; many who bought from 2022 to 2025 have little or none.
Indexes are county-wide, so value any specific property from true comparables.
A $270,000 homestead pays about $4,710 to $4,880 in Mesquite ISD, depending on two November 3 votes.
In Dallas ISD, it’s about $4,310 to $4,365; the city’s 2026 rate is still pending.
Growth rates are the FHFA All-Transactions House Price Index, annual values 2009 through 2025: Dallas County, Texas (FRED series ATNHPIUS48113A, base 2000 equals 100, last updated 31 March 2026), the State of Texas (TXSTHPI) and the United States (USSTHPI). State and national figures are annual averages of published quarters. The Dallas County series recorded 155.22 in 2015, 283.86 in 2022 and 306.66 in 2025. FHFA describes county indices as developmental and subject to revision, and the annual series does not cover 2026. No city-specific index was used, and Balch Springs medians for 2015 and 2020 weren’t found. The prefilled dollar figures are derived and illustrative, not published: they apply the Dallas County index to a $270,000 anchor near Redfin’s August 2026 Balch Springs median ($270,821). Zillow’s typical-home value of about $225,600 runs lower because it measures a different thing. The index is built from conforming loans and excludes jumbo lending and all-cash purchases. Equity figures assume a 30-year fixed mortgage at that year’s Freddie Mac annual average rate (2025 approximately 6.6 percent), held to today, with no refinancing, no extra principal and no additional borrowing. They exclude closing costs, property taxes, insurance, maintenance, improvements and selling costs. The tax example uses the City of Balch Springs’ 2025 rate of 0.794629 as a placeholder, because its 2026 rate was listed as pending on October 2, 2026; at the city’s 2026 no-new-revenue and voter-approval rates, the Mesquite ISD-side total would range from about $4,267 to $5,363. It also uses Dallas County’s 0.22465, or 0.24865 if its November 3 election passes; Parkland Hospital’s 0.212; Dallas College’s 0.106575; Mesquite ISD’s 1.0862, or 1.1762 if Proposition A passes; and Dallas ISD’s adopted 0.985735. It assumes a $270,000 appraised value for an owner under 65 with no homestead cap benefit, applying the city’s 1 percent homestead exemption, a 20 percent homestead exemption for the county, Parkland and Dallas College, the $140,000 school exemption and, in Dallas ISD, a 10 percent local exemption from the appraisal district’s 2025 schedule. For an owner 65 or older, the first-year figure is about $3,276 to $3,367 in Mesquite ISD and about $2,595 to $2,622 in Dallas ISD, using the city’s $30,000, the county’s and Parkland’s $100,000, an assumed $100,000 Dallas College exemption and the school district over-65 amounts. It is an illustration, not a quote. The homestead appraisal cap limits increases in a homestead’s taxable appraised value to 10 percent a year and ends on sale. This is an illustration for general reference, not an appraisal, a comparative market analysis, a valuation or investment advice. Past appreciation does not predict future appreciation. Bobby Franklin, REALTOR®, TREC #0805459, Legacy Realty Group – Leslie Majors Team.
Balch Springs is an independent city of 27,685 residents (2020) where I-635, I-20 and US 175 meet, and the August 2026 median sale price was about $271,000. The trade-offs are real: a higher city tax rate than its neighbors, two school districts and no DART rail.
Estimated Off-Peak Drive Time from Balch Springs City Hall
Around Town and Beyond
Estimated minutes off-peak from City Hall on Alexander Road. These are planning estimates, so check a live map before relying on any of them.
Redfin’s August 2026 median was about $271,000, with homes selling in a median 49 days.
New homes in McKenzie Trails started near $248,000.
Water, sewer and trash come on one city bill, with twice-weekly trash pickup and monthly bulk collection.
Rate increases are scheduled through 2028: water 2 percent and sewer 5 percent a year.
Luedeke Park has a splash pad, pond and trail, and Oakridge Park has the Pirates Cove splash pad.
Guy Berry Park added a new walking trail in 2025.
A $6.4 million grant funds the 3.7-mile Southeast Trail, and a hotel and the Alexander Village mixed-use site are in progress.
The I-635 logistics corridor includes an Amazon delivery station.
The city rate of $0.794629 is above Mesquite’s and Dallas’s, and the city is split between two school districts.
There’s no DART rail; a weekday STAR Transit route runs to Buckner Station.
The city’s 2026 tax rate was still pending in early October.
On November 3, voters decide Mesquite ISD’s Proposition A and a Dallas County tax rate election.
Drive times are planning estimates from Balch Springs City Hall, not live traffic; check a live map before you rely on them. Rush-hour times can run much longer. The median is Redfin’s August 2026 figure, and McKenzie Trails pricing is Lennar’s October 2026 base price. Utility and trash details are from the City of Balch Springs and Frontier Waste Solutions, the city’s hauler. Park details are from the city; acreage figures vary by source. The Southeast Trail grant is from the Texas Transportation Commission; hotel, Alexander Village and logistics details are from city and economic development reports and news coverage, and opening dates are projections. Tax rate comparisons use Balch Springs’ 2025 rate, Mesquite’s adopted 2026 rate of $0.654018 and Dallas’s $0.6988; Balch Springs’ 2026 rate was listed as pending by the Dallas County Tax Office on October 2, 2026. Transit details are from STAR Transit. Election details are from Mesquite ISD and Dallas County. Balch Springs isn’t a DART member city. No crime, school ranking or flood zone claims are made. This information is provided for general reference and is not a representation about any specific property, commute or future development outcome. Bobby Franklin, REALTOR®, TREC #0805459, Legacy Realty Group – Leslie Majors Team.
Answered with verified specifics, from two school districts, a pending city rate and two November elections to utilities, trash, transit, parks and new construction.
Neither. Balch Springs is an independent home rule city in Dallas County. Residents incorporated on June 13, 1953, in order to avoid annexation by Dallas, merging several farm communities into one city.
A 1988 vote to combine with Mesquite was ruled invalid, according to the Handbook of Texas, and the city remained independent. It has a council-manager government, with seven council members, five from single-member districts and two at-large, one of whom serves as mayor.
Because the city sits between Dallas and Mesquite, addresses can look similar across the borders. Check the city and taxing units on the Dallas Central Appraisal District record for any home you’re considering.
The city has charged $0.794629 per $100 every year from 2021–22 through 2025–26. As of October 2, 2026, the Dallas County Tax Office still listed the 2026 adopted rate as pending.
For 2026, the city’s no-new-revenue rate is $0.629037 and its voter-approval rate is $0.975814. A lower no-new-revenue rate means values rose, so keeping $0.794629 would collect more revenue from existing homes, though it would stay below the level that triggers an election.
The city also offers a 1 percent homestead exemption and $30,000 for owners 65 and older or disabled. Check the county’s Truth-in-Taxation page for the adopted rate before you budget.
For an owner under 65, roughly $4,710 to $4,880 a year in the Mesquite ISD part of the city, or $4,310 to $4,365 in the Dallas ISD part, depending on the November 3 elections and using the city’s 2025 rate as a placeholder.
On the Mesquite ISD side, that’s about $2,124 to the city, $1,412 to Mesquite ISD after the $140,000 exemption, $485 to Dallas County, $458 to Parkland and $230 to Dallas College. Dallas ISD’s lower rate and 10 percent local exemption cut the school line to about $1,015.
The city’s pending 2026 rate is the biggest unknown and could move the total by several hundred dollars. Treat this as an illustration and ask for the tax certificate.
The city offers a $30,000 exemption for owners 65 and older or disabled, on top of its 1 percent homestead exemption. Dallas County and Parkland add $100,000 for over-65 owners, and the school districts add $60,000 to the state’s $140,000 homestead exemption.
Using those amounts and an assumed $100,000 Dallas College exemption, a $270,000 homestead owned by someone 65 or older pays about $3,276 to $3,367 the first year in Mesquite ISD, or about $2,595 to $2,622 in Dallas ISD.
School taxes are frozen at a ceiling once you qualify. Whether the city has adopted its own over-65 tax ceiling wasn’t confirmed, so check your exemption record with the Dallas Central Appraisal District.
Balch Springs is split roughly in half. The northeastern half is generally in Mesquite ISD, and the southwestern half is generally in Dallas ISD, with I-635 as the rough dividing line.
The line doesn’t follow the freeway exactly, so two homes a few blocks apart can be in different districts with different tax rates. Mesquite ISD earned a B in TEA’s 2026 ratings, preliminary, and Dallas ISD earned a B (85) for 2025–26.
Check the school district on the Dallas Central Appraisal District record, then confirm the campus with each district’s attendance-zone tool before you write an offer. Mesquite ISD addresses in the city mostly feed West Mesquite High School.
Yes, in the Mesquite ISD half of the city. Proposition A is a voter-approval tax rate election on November 3, 2026, that would add 9 cents per $100 to the district’s operating rate.
On a $270,000 homestead, after the $140,000 exemption, it adds about $117 a year. The district’s revenue estimates range from about $16 million to $22.4 million a year, for programs, pay, special education and safety. Owners 65 and older with a school tax ceiling are generally shielded.
Homes in the Dallas ISD part of the city aren’t affected; Dallas ISD has no tax election on the November ballot. Early voting runs October 19 through 30. Read the official ballot language before you vote.
Dallas County adopted $0.248650 per $100 for 2026, above its voter-approval rate of $0.224650, so the rate goes to voters on November 3, 2026. If voters reject it, the rate falls back to $0.224650.
On a $270,000 Balch Springs homestead, with the county’s 20 percent homestead exemption, the difference is about $52 a year. The county says the extra revenue would fund homelessness, mental health and housing programs.
This election affects every Balch Springs homeowner, in both school districts. Dallas County tax bills are expected after the vote, and the county says any overpayments would be refunded.
Water, sewer and trash are run by the city. Contact Utility Billing at City Hall, 13503 Alexander Rd., 972-286-4477 or [email protected], weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Every water account is billed for garbage service, and bills reflect an average of your monthly usage. The residential deposit is $150 with a current Texas driver’s license, or $200 without one, per the city’s fee schedule. You can pay by phone at 855-202-3000; card payments carry a 5 percent convenience fee.
Water rates are scheduled to rise 2 percent and sewer rates 5 percent each October through 2028. Electricity, gas and internet are separate; check each provider’s address tool before move-in day.
Frontier Waste Solutions collects for the city. Trash is picked up twice a week in Frontier-supplied carts, set out by 7 a.m., and recycling once a week; don’t bag recyclables.
Bulk items and brush are collected once a month, up to a combined 8 cubic yards, starting the Monday of your assigned bulk week. Appliances with Freon must be tagged first.
Check Frontier’s service-day maps and bulk calendar for your street, and call Frontier at 469-444-1555 for missed pickups. The service is billed on your city utility bill.
On weekdays, yes. Balch Springs isn’t a DART member city, but STAR Transit Route 101, the Balch Springs Midtown Express, runs from Walmart on Lake June Road to Peachtree Senior Living, with a stop at DART’s Buckner Station on the Green Line.
A day pass is $3 and a 31-day pass is $48, with half-price passes for riders 60 and older, veterans and riders with disabilities; check STAR’s fare page for single rides. Runs leave hourly from 5 to 9 a.m. and 2 to 6 p.m. on weekdays, with no midday or weekend service.
STAR Transit also offers on-demand and dial-a-ride service at 877-631-5278. Most residents drive, using I-635, I-20 and US 175.
CareNow Urgent Care operates at 12127 Lake June Rd., Suite B, 469-872-5393; older listings name it FastMed, so confirm current hours before you go.
For hospital care, Dallas Regional Medical Center in Mesquite and Baylor Scott & White Medical Center–Sunnyvale are each roughly 15 minutes away off-peak, and Parkland’s Southeast Dallas Health Center is nearby on Elam Road.
Hospital and clinic details weren’t all re-verified for this answer. Call 911 in an emergency, and before you need care, check your insurance network for the facilities closest to your address.
Walter E. Luedeke Park, at 3211 Hickory Tree Rd., has a shaded splash pad open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. in summer, plus a pond, walking trail, storybook walk and basketball court on about 14 acres.
Oakridge Park has the Pirates Cove splash pad. Guy Berry Park, at 2300 Sheilah Dr., has soccer fields and a 2,200-foot concrete walking trail added in 2025, and Virgil T. Irwin Park sits beside the Recreation Center on Shepherd Lane.
The planned Southeast Trail will add a 3.7-mile shared-use path. Check the city’s parks page for splash pad seasons and field rentals.
Yes. The Library–Learning Center, at 12450 Elam Rd., opened in April 2006, funded with economic development sales tax dollars, and draws more than 80,000 visitors a year.
It offers more than 30,000 items and 100,000-plus downloadable titles, a computer lab and Family Place programs for young children and parents. Veterans Memorial Park and the Civic Center sit next door, where the city holds its annual Christmas tree lighting.
It’s open Monday through Thursday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday until 6 and Saturday 10 to 3; call 972-913-3000. Services are free to Texas residents, so a card is a simple first-week errand.
Arcadia Trails, on the east side, has homes from Bloomfield and Impression, listed from about $341,000 to $531,000 in 2026; one builder advertises no MUD and no PID. McKenzie Trails, built by Lennar, started near $248,000 and is down to its final homes.
Builder claims aren’t a substitute for the record. Read the seller’s required disclosures and check the Dallas County tax record for any special district before you sign.
Builder sources also disagree on Arcadia Trails’ campus assignments, and some plans use Mesquite mailing addresses, so confirm the school district and city limits for the specific lot. Both communities are in the 75181 ZIP code.
Roughly flat. Redfin’s August 2026 Balch Springs median was about $271,000, up 0.9 percent from a year earlier, with homes selling in a median 49 days, down from 73, and at about 98.8 percent of list price.
New-construction closings on the east side are pulling the median up, while Zillow’s typical-home value for older homes was down about 4 percent. The Dallas County home price index was flat from 2024 to 2025 after more than doubling since 2009.
With 7.28 percent mortgage rates, there’s room to negotiate on price, repairs or closing costs. For a specific home, recent comparable sales nearby are the true guide.
Freddie Mac’s survey put the 30-year fixed average at 7.28 percent on October 1, 2026, up from 6.34 percent a year earlier; the 15-year was 6.60 percent.
The 2026 conforming limit is $832,750, and the FHA limit for a one-unit home in Dallas County is $563,500, per lender tables; confirm it on HUD’s lookup. A typical Balch Springs home falls well under both.
At today’s rates, the monthly payment is a bigger hurdle than the price. Ask your lender about state down payment programs from TSAHC and TDHCA, and make sure the estimate reflects the city’s final 2026 tax rate.
A four-story hotel at I-635 and Lake June Road broke ground in June 2025, with completion targeted for late 2026. Alexander Village, a 14-acre site on Alexander Road, is being graded for restaurants, family entertainment and apartments.
A $6.4 million federal grant funds the first 3.7 miles of the Southeast Trail, with construction projected for 2027 or 2028. City staff have described a $13.5 million grant to rebuild Hickory Tree Road between Lake June and Elam roads, plus street reconstruction on Platte, Horseshoe Trail, Glenshauer and Summerhill.
Dates are projections reported to city boards and can change, so check the city’s capital improvement page for updates.
Yes. Under a 2016 ordinance, residential rental properties must be registered for $25 per unit, valid for two years, according to the city’s registration form; a 2023 fee schedule lists $35, so confirm the current fee.
The city requires an inspection before each new tenant moves in, and renters applying for utilities may need a lease with a current rental certificate of occupancy. Contact the Permits Department at 972-286-4477, extension 124.
Investors should budget for registration and turnover inspections and confirm current requirements before buying. Rules for short-term rentals weren’t confirmed for this answer, so ask the city before listing a home on a vacation-rental site.
Contact the Permits Department at City Hall, 972-286-4477, extensions 124 or 127. The city builds to the 2021 International Residential and Building Codes and the 2020 National Electrical Code.
Check whether your fence, patio, pool, roof or remodel needs a permit before work starts, and use licensed contractors where required. Rental properties also need a registration and a turnover inspection.
Before you buy, ask the seller for permit records on additions or major repairs, since unpermitted work can complicate an inspection or a future sale. Also note that fireworks are prohibited citywide except approved displays.
The city has a seven-member council: five members elected from single-member districts and two elected at-large, one of whom is the mayor. The council appoints a city manager to run daily operations.
Seats are staggered, with four seats elected in odd-numbered years and three in even-numbered years. City elections are typically held in May; confirm dates and filing deadlines with the City Secretary.
Separate from city elections, Balch Springs voters also vote in Dallas County, school district and state elections; on November 3, 2026, the ballot includes the county’s tax rate election and, for Mesquite ISD residents, Proposition A.
Answers were verified as of October 6, 2026, from the City of Balch Springs, the Dallas County Tax Office, the Dallas Central Appraisal District, Mesquite ISD, Dallas ISD, the Texas Education Agency, Dallas County Elections, Frontier Waste Solutions, STAR Transit, Oncor, Atmos Energy, NCTCOG, the Texas State Historical Association, builder websites, Redfin, Zillow, Freddie Mac, FHFA and local reporting. Rates, fees, providers and hours change; verify anything you intend to rely on. The city’s 2026 tax rate was pending as of October 2, 2026; tax figures use its 2025 rate of $0.794629 as a placeholder, with Mesquite ISD’s $1.0862, or $1.1762 if Proposition A passes; Dallas ISD’s reported 2026 rate; Dallas County’s adopted $0.24865, or $0.22465 if its election fails; Parkland’s $0.212; and Dallas College’s $0.106575. Tax figures are illustrations, not quotes. Parkland and Dallas College exemptions are from a title company chart. Any city over-65 tax ceiling, short-term rental rules, the STAR Transit single-ride fare, electric and gas providers, the urgent care’s current operator and the FHA limit (from lender tables) weren’t confirmed. The rental registration fee is $25 on the city’s form and $35 in a 2023 fee schedule. School-district boundaries are approximate. Project dates are projections. Drive times are estimates. This is general information, not legal, tax, lending, insurance, environmental or engineering advice. Bobby Franklin, REALTOR®, TREC #0805459, Legacy Realty Group – Leslie Majors Team.
Verified numbers and links for Balch Springs. Two things to check on every address: which school district serves it, Mesquite ISD or Dallas ISD, and the city’s 2026 tax rate, which was still pending in early October. Start with the green first-week cards; health care is in red and anything outside Balch Springs in purple.
Water, sewer and trash through Utility Billing at City Hall: a $150 deposit with a current Texas driver’s license, or $200 without one. Weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; pay by phone at 855-202-3000.
972-286-4477 13503 Alexander Rd. Do this firstHomestead exemption, values and protests for every Balch Springs home. File by April 30.
214-631-0520 2949 N. Stemmons Fwy., Dallas Do this firstCollects city, county and school taxes for Balch Springs, plus vehicle registration. 2026 bills will be mailed after the November 3 vote.
214-653-7811 dallascounty.org Do this firstFrontier Waste Solutions picks up trash twice a week in Frontier carts, set out by 7 a.m., and recycling weekly; don’t bag recyclables. Extra carts go through Utility Billing.
469-444-1555 Do this firstSign up for Genasys emergency alerts, including boil-water notices and weather, and Notify Me for city news.
balchspringstx.gov Do this firstRegister to vote or update your address. Early voting for November 3 runs October 19 through 30.
469-627-8683 1520 Round Table Dr., Dallas Bulky itemsOnce a month, up to 8 cubic yards combined, at the curb by 7 a.m. Monday of your zone’s bulk week. Bag leaves and grass in the trash cart.
469-444-1555 City HallCity offices, public records and city elections, under one roof on Alexander Road. Weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
972-286-4477 13503 Alexander Rd. PermitsBuilding permits and business licenses at extension 127; rental inspections at extension 124.
972-286-4477 Ext. 127 · City Hall CodeReport tall grass, junk vehicles or illegal dumping: extension 237 for complaints, 235 for status.
972-286-4477 Ext. 237 · City Hall LandlordsEvery rental must register, $25 per unit for two years on the city’s form, and pass inspection; the first inspection is free.
972-286-4477 Ext. 124 · City Hall RecreationWeight room, open gym and programs; a $2 open-gym day pass, with resident memberships. Weekdays 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday 9 to 4.
972-557-6090 4372 Shepherd Ln. ParksSplash pads at Luedeke Park on Hickory Tree Road and Oakridge Park’s Pirates Cove on Pioneer Road, open in season.
972-557-6090 3211 Hickory Tree Rd. LibraryBooks, a computer lab and family programs, free to Texas residents. Monday to Thursday 10 to 7, Friday 10 to 6, Saturday 10 to 3.
972-913-3000 12450 Elam Rd. SeniorsActivities and programs for older residents; call for the current schedule.
972-286-9317 PetsPet registration is $5 a year for a spayed or neutered pet. Adoptions are $70 for dogs and $50 for cats. Weekdays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
972-557-6035 3117 Hickory Tree Rd. CourtCitations, fines and court dates, beside Animal Services behind the municipal building.
972-557-6055 3117 Hickory Tree Rd. PoliceNon-emergency reports and records; office hours weekdays 8 to 5. Call 911 for emergencies.
972-557-6000 12500 Elam Rd. FireFire marshal, inspections and burn-ban updates. Call 911 for emergencies.
972-557-6040 12500 Elam Rd. BusinessSites, incentives and new projects; the board meets the second Wednesday of each month.
972-913-3004 13503 Alexander Rd. ElectricOncor delivers power and handles outages; text OUT to 66267. Shop retail electric plans at PowerToChoose.org.
888-313-4747 Outages, 24/7 GasNatural gas service. For a gas leak, leave the area, then call 911 and Atmos at 866-322-8667.
888-286-6700 Customer service InternetOptions vary by street; check the FCC broadband map and each provider.
broadbandmap.fcc.gov Before you digFree utility line locates before you dig for fences or pools.
811 SchoolsServes the northeastern half of the city, roughly; Proposition A is on the November 3 ballot.
972-288-6411 3819 Towne Crossing Blvd. SchoolsServes the southwestern half of the city, roughly; use its school finder to confirm by address.
dallasisd.org CollegeCareer programs and dual credit, about 15 minutes away in Mesquite.
972-860-7100 3737 Motley Dr., Mesquite HospitalAn acute-care hospital with a 24-hour emergency department, in Mesquite.
214-320-7000 1011 N. Galloway Ave., Mesquite HospitalA hospital with a 24-hour emergency room, east of Balch Springs.
972-892-3000 231 S. Collins Rd., Sunnyvale ParklandDallas County’s public health system, on Elam Road; new patients call 214-266-4000.
214-266-1600 9202 Elam Rd., Dallas Urgent careWalk-in care on Lake June Road, listed as CareNow; older listings say FastMed, so call to confirm hours.
469-872-5393 12127 Lake June Rd., Ste. B Help linesPoison Control 1-800-222-1222; 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline; 211 for Texas health and social services.
1-800-222-1222 TransitWeekday runs from Walmart on Lake June to DART Buckner Station, hourly 5 to 9 a.m. and 2 to 6 p.m. Day pass $3; 31-day pass $48; STARNow on demand.
877-631-5278 TransitBalch Springs isn’t a DART city, but Buckner Station on the Green Line connects to downtown Dallas.
214-979-1111 Before you buyCheck any parcel near a creek or drainage channel, and ask for an elevation certificate.
msc.fema.gov BuyingState down payment and mortgage credit certificate programs, with income and price limits.
tsahc.org tdhca.texas.govLinks, phone numbers and addresses verified October 2026 against the City of Balch Springs (utility billing, fee schedule, permits, code enforcement, rental registration, recreation, library, animal services, police, fire and alert pages), the Balch Springs EDC, Frontier Waste Solutions, the Dallas County Tax Office, Dallas County Elections, Mesquite ISD, STAR Transit, Oncor and Atmos Energy, and subject to change; if something has moved, tell me and I will correct it. Balch Springs is split between Mesquite ISD and Dallas ISD, roughly at I-635, and the line doesn’t follow the freeway exactly. Confirm the school district and every taxing unit on the appraisal record before you buy. Conflicts flagged: the rental registration fee is $25 on the city’s form but $35 in a 2023 fee schedule; Code Enforcement is also listed at extension 201; the Fire Department also lists 972-557-6000; and the city directory lists longer Recreation Center hours. The urgent care operator and hours, the Senior Center address, Municipal Court hours, splash pad seasons, STAR Transit single-ride fares, the nearest tax office branch and DPS office, the DCAD, Dallas ISD, Dallas College, hospital, Parkland, DART, FEMA, TSAHC and Texas 811 contacts and internet providers weren’t re-verified this round. Listings are provided for general reference and are not endorsements; I receive no compensation from any organization named. Bobby Franklin, REALTOR®, TREC #0805459, Legacy Realty Group – Leslie Majors Team.
Balch Springs, a city of 27,685 at the 2020 census, sits where I-635, I-20 and US 175 meet in southeast Dallas County. It’s mostly established single-family neighborhoods, with new construction on the east side, and it’s split between Mesquite ISD and Dallas ISD. Two homes a few blocks apart can come with different school districts and tax bills. I sort out the details that matter here, and the awkward parts are named.
Balch Springs splits between Mesquite ISD, roughly northeast, and Dallas ISD, roughly southwest, near I-635, and the line doesn’t follow the freeway. Mesquite ISD’s 2026 rate is $1.0862, or $1.1762 if Proposition A passes; Dallas ISD’s voter-approval rate is about $0.9857. I confirm the district from the appraisal record.
The city has charged $0.794629 for five straight years. For 2026, its no-new-revenue rate is $0.629037 and its voter-approval rate $0.975814, and Dallas County still listed the adopted rate as pending on October 2. I update your estimate the day the council adopts it.
Mesquite ISD’s Proposition A would add about $117 a year on a $270,000 homestead in that half of the city, and Dallas County’s rate election about $52 for every homeowner. County tax bills won’t be mailed until after the vote. I run every scenario so the escrow isn’t a surprise.
Much of Balch Springs is established ranch-style housing on North Texas clay, which moves with the weather. I check the permit history with the city and push for a thorough inspection of the foundation, plumbing, roof and electrical, with a structural engineer when needed, before the option period ends.
Arcadia Trails has listed homes from about $341,000, and one builder advertises no MUD or PID; Lennar’s McKenzie Trails started near $248,000. The city adopted water and wastewater impact fees in May 2026. I put a resale next to the builder’s real terms and check the title commitment.
Redfin’s August 2026 median was about $271,000, with homes selling in a median 49 days at about 98.8 percent of list, while Zillow’s typical value was down about 4 percent. With rates at 7.28 percent, I negotiate on price, repairs, closing costs or a rate buydown.
Every rental must be registered, $25 per unit for two years on the city’s form, though a 2023 fee schedule lists $35, and inspected before tenants move in. Add the $150 to $200 water deposit and yearly utility rate increases through 2028. I build all of it into the numbers.
Balch Springs has real trade-offs: a city rate above Mesquite’s and Dallas’s, no DART rail, two school districts, a 2026 rate still pending and water and sewer rates set to rise every October through 2028. If any of that is a dealbreaker, you will hear it from me first.
Confirm the school district for the address: Mesquite ISD or Dallas ISD. Second, check the city’s adopted 2026 rate. Third, price in the November 3 tax votes. Fourth, ask for the permit history on additions and repairs. Fifth, check the title commitment for any special district. And sixth, if you’re buying to rent, budget for registration and inspections.
Balch Springs-specific things to raise with all four. Freddie Mac’s 30-year average was 7.28 percent on October 1, 2026, and with prices flat, ask how a seller-paid buydown compares with a price cut. A typical Balch Springs home falls well under the $563,500 FHA limit for Dallas County and the $832,750 conforming limit. Ask about TSAHC and TDHCA programs. Make sure the estimate uses the right school district’s tax rate, the city’s final 2026 rate and the November 3 tax votes. I recommend these lenders based on their expertise and service. I do not receive compensation for referrals.
Either is fine. I answer my own phone, and you will never be routed to a call center or handed to a junior agent. Send me an address and I will tell you which school district serves it, what the full tax bill looks like under each November 3 outcome, what the permit history shows and what’s planned nearby.
Bobby Franklin, REALTOR® · Legacy Realty Group – Leslie Majors Team · 214-228-0003 · northtexasmarketinsider.com
Information on this page is provided for general reference and is not legal, tax, insurance, environmental, engineering or lending advice. The City of Balch Springs’ 2026 tax rate was listed as pending by the Dallas County Tax Office on October 2, 2026; its 2021–2025 rate was $0.794629. Tax figures are illustrations for a $270,000 homestead, using Mesquite ISD’s Proposition A increase of 9 cents after the $140,000 school exemption and the difference between Dallas County’s adopted $0.24865 and its voter-approval rate after a 20 percent homestead exemption. They are not quotes. Dallas ISD’s figure is its 2026 voter-approval rate; Dallas County listed its adopted rate as pending. School district boundaries are approximate; assignment is determined by address. The older-home inspection note is general guidance, not a finding about any property. New-home pricing and the no-MUD, no-PID claim are from builder and aggregator listings in 2026 and change often; impact fee amounts weren’t confirmed. Market figures are Redfin’s for August 2026 and Zillow’s for mid-2026. The rental registration fee is $25 on the city’s form and $35 in a 2023 fee schedule; the deposit is from the city’s master fee schedule. The FHA limit is from lender tables and should be confirmed with HUD; the conforming limit is FHFA’s 2026 limit. The mortgage rate is Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey for October 1, 2026. City rate comparisons use Mesquite’s adopted 2026 rate of $0.654018 and Dallas’s $0.6988. All real estate services are provided through Legacy Realty Group. Equal Housing Opportunity.
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Serving DFW | Ellis County
16 Northgate Dr. Ste 100
Waxahachie, TX 75165
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