The ZIP code Dallas has fought over for a century. Where Highland Park ISD, world-class architecture, and generational wealth converge in the most coveted square miles in North Texas
Highland Park is a town of 8,864 (2020 census) on 2.24 square miles, planned in 1907 around Turtle Creek and Hackberry Creek with a fifth of its land set aside for parks. Recent medians ran roughly $2.2 million to $2.9 million on very few sales. The Town doesn’t name its neighborhoods, so here are 10 street-based areas with dated context.
Town medians about $2.2M–$2.9M (2026)
The first lots sold in Highland Park, in 1909, on streets laid out by landscape designer Wilbur David Cook along Hackberry Creek.
Early homes here date to the Prairie and Craftsman era, and many lots have since been rebuilt. Creek-side parcels should be checked against FEMA flood maps. Lot sizes vary by address; confirm them on the appraisal record.
Often trades off-market
The 1910 Lakeside addition, with large homes facing Lakeside Park, Exall Lake and the Turtle Creek greenbelt.
Agents report that estate properties on Lakeside, Beverly and Armstrong Parkway often sell off-market, so public sales data understates activity here. Creek-adjacent parcels may sit in a floodplain; check each one.
Town medians about $2.2M–$2.9M (2026)
An east–west spine through the Town, lined with 1920s and 1930s period-revival homes and newer construction.
Tudor, Spanish Eclectic and Georgian designs mix with recent rebuilds. Secondary sources credit architect Hal Thomson with 1920s homes in the Town; attributions for specific addresses weren’t confirmed.
Town medians about $2.2M–$2.9M (2026)
The median-divided boulevard named for founder John S. Armstrong.
A mix of restored early homes and newer construction. The Town has funded Armstrong Avenue street work in recent budgets. No HOA was found; the Town relies on zoning and historic deed restrictions.
Town medians about $2.2M–$2.9M (2026)
Built around Town Hall at 4700 Drexel Drive (1924), home to the library and the Town’s police and fire offices.
Prather Park, at 4509 Drexel Drive, has walking paths along Hackberry Creek and a tennis court. Homes nearby range from early houses to recent rebuilds.
Listed at $4.2M (2026)
Streets around Flippen Park, at 4421 N. Versailles Ave., with its gazebo, fountain and reflecting pool.
A home at 4331 Versailles Ave. was listed at $4,200,000 in a 2026 snapshot; that’s a list price, not a sale. The park is named for Edgar L. Flippen, one of the Town’s founders.
Listed at $4.6M–$4.9M (2026)
The 1924 addition the Handbook of Texas calls the Town’s last major land development.
Homes on Normandy and Shenandoah were listed at $4,895,000 and $4,595,000 in 2026 snapshots, list prices rather than sales. Similar names are used for areas in the City of Dallas, so confirm the Town on the appraisal record.
Town medians about $2.2M–$2.9M (2026)
Homes around Highland Park Village, the 1931 shopping center that’s a National Historic Landmark.
In April 2026 the Village’s owner filed plans to renovate parts of two buildings, at an estimated $11 million. Streets nearby include Livingston and Douglas avenues.
Listed at $1.7M–$3.6M (2026)
The northern boundary toward University Park, with the widest price spread in the Town.
2026 snapshots showed list prices of $1,695,000 at 3119 Mockingbird and $3,550,000 at 3517 Mockingbird. Some Mockingbird addresses are in University Park, so check the jurisdiction.
Town medians about $2.2M–$2.9M (2026)
The Town’s southern edge, home to the Shops of Highland Park on the 4200 block of Oak Lawn Avenue.
The Town is rebuilding Wycliffe Avenue, and a rezoning request for the Shops would trade parking for landscaping and allow 10 more feet of height; the Zoning Commission continued its hearing to October 28, 2026.
Swipe or drag sideways to see them all.
Recent Town medians ran roughly $2.2 million to $2.9 million in 2026 snapshots; Redfin showed $2,685,000 in February 2026 on just 7 sales.
With 4 to 21 sales a month, one estate sale can swing the number by $1 million.
The nominal 2026 rate runs about $1.57 per $100 before exemptions; Highland Park ISD’s $0.8128 is more than half.
The Town offers a 20 percent homestead exemption and $50,000 at 65. Dallas County’s rate goes to voters on November 3.
Town homes carry Dallas mailing addresses, and ZIPs 75205, 75209 and 75219 also cover Dallas and University Park.
Check the Dallas Central Appraisal District record for “Highland Park” on every listing.
Highland Park Village filed an estimated $11 million renovation of parts of two buildings in April 2026.
The Shops of Highland Park rezoning hearing resumes October 28, 2026, and Wycliffe Avenue is being rebuilt.
The Town of Highland Park is a home-rule town of 2.24 square miles in Dallas County, surrounded by the City of Dallas and University Park. Residents voted to incorporate on November 29, 1913, per the Town and the Handbook of Texas; some sources give 1914 or 1915. The Town was planned by landscape designer Wilbur David Cook beginning in 1907, with about 20 percent of the land set aside for parks; the role of planner George Kessler, cited by secondary sources, wasn’t confirmed. It counted 8,864 residents in the 2020 census; the Census Bureau estimated 8,764 for July 1, 2025. Area names are informal, street-based labels; the Town doesn’t publish official neighborhood names, and boundaries are approximate. A Dallas 75205, 75209, 75219 or 75204 mailing address doesn’t establish the Town. Confirm the city and school district by address with the Dallas Central Appraisal District. Price ranges are Redfin, Zillow and Orchard 2026 snapshots on very small samples; individual figures are list prices from 2026 Redfin snapshots, not sales. They are context, not values. Lot sizes, HOA status, architect attributions and flood exposure by area weren’t verified; check FEMA maps for any parcel near Turtle Creek or Hackberry Creek. The combined rate uses 2026 rates for the Town ($0.192042, as reported adopted by People Newspapers; the Town proposed $0.191888 and its notice gave no figure), Highland Park ISD ($0.8128), Dallas County ($0.24865, subject to a November 3, 2026, tax-rate election; about $1.548 total if it fails), Parkland Hospital District ($0.212) and Dallas College ($0.106575), before exemptions. A Town disability exemption and any Town tax ceiling weren’t confirmed. Some Town parcels may be in Dallas ISD; confirm by address. Highland Park Village’s landmark status and renovation details are from the National Park Service and The Real Deal; the rezoning schedule is from People Newspapers. School districts are listed at the district level only. Bobby Franklin, REALTOR®, TREC #0805459, Legacy Realty Group – Leslie Majors Team.
Highland Park eats and shops in two places: Highland Park Village, a 1931 center that’s a National Historic Landmark, with longtime restaurants and designer boutiques, and the Shops of Highland Park on Oak Lawn Avenue, with a specialty market and new sushi. Two nearby districts are labeled. Here’s a 2026-checked list of 16.
24 Highland Park Village
A white-tablecloth seafood room that has served the Village since 1980.
Listed in the Village’s own directory in 2026.
87 Highland Park Village
French, Italian and Spanish dishes in an Art Deco room, with weekend brunch.
77 Highland Park Village
The Village’s Tex-Mex mainstay since 1993.
77 Highland Park Village
A third-floor cocktail bar above Mi Cocina.
Highland Park Village
New York-style bagels, smoked fish and all-day brunch.
Highland Park Village
A small-format American restaurant from the Hillstone group.
Highland Park Village
Italian-American plates built around handmade pasta.
58 Highland Park Village
A café inside the Dior boutique, opened February 22, 2025.
Highland Park Village
A bakery and coffee counter for baked goods and a morning stop.
47 Highland Park Village (center office)
Designer fashion and jewelry houses including Chanel, Hermès, Dior, Celine, Cartier, Harry Winston and Brunello Cucinelli, in a 1931 center that’s a National Historic Landmark.
Carolina Herrera moved to 70 Highland Park Village in February 2026.
Highland Park Village
A shoe and leather repair shop among the Village’s service tenants.
4208 Oak Lawn Ave.
A specialty market for prepared foods, wine and spirits at the Shops of Highland Park.
4216 Oak Lawn Ave.
The first Dallas-area location of an Austin sushi group, reported to have opened in summer 2026.
4248–4254 Oak Lawn Ave.
A garden gift shop, a children’s clothing store and a nail salon in the Shops of Highland Park.
Knox St. at Cole Ave., Dallas
A shopping and dining district just east of the Town, in the City of Dallas.
Hillcrest Ave. at Daniel Ave., University Park
A neighborhood shopping village a short drive north, in University Park.
Nearly all of the Town’s shops and restaurants sit in two places: Highland Park Village at Preston and Mockingbird, and the Shops of Highland Park on Oak Lawn Avenue. The rest of the Town is residential.
Knox Street and Snider Plaza are just outside the Town and are labeled.
Compiled October 2026. Listings are from the Highland Park Village and Shops of Highland Park directories, OpenTable, People Newspapers, The Real Deal, the National Park Service and restaurant listings, and were not confirmed with owners; call ahead to confirm hours and that a business is still open. Café Pacific, Bistro 31, Fachini, Bird Bakery, Deno’s, Barsotti’s and the Oak Lawn shops appear in their centers’ own directories; Monkey Bar, Sadelle’s, The Honor Bar, Café Dior and Neighborhood Sushi rely on news and secondary coverage, and Neighborhood Sushi’s opening date wasn’t confirmed. Village tenants change often; Bvlgari and Gucci were reported as coming but weren’t confirmed open. The Village Starbucks closed in 2024, the Highland Park Village Theatre is no longer operating, and Jimmy Choo moved to NorthPark, so they were left out. The former Highland Park Pharmacy soda fountain closed in 2018. Restaurants in the Town serve mixed beverages, but the Town’s local-option election history wasn’t confirmed. 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 Exall Lake and a 1907 Park Plan to a Town of About 8,900
Long before streets were platted, Turtle Creek and an old trail along today’s Preston Road drew travelers across the high ground north of Dallas.
The Town’s official history records that in 1837, after a clash with Native Americans, the survivors of a Texas Ranger scouting party camped beside what they called the creek with all the turtles. They are the first recorded Anglo-Americans in the area. The stream became Turtle Creek, the natural spine that still shapes the Town’s parks. Sources reviewed don’t name the specific tribes involved in that encounter.
In 1838 the Republic of Texas surveyed an old Caddo trace as part of a National Central Road running from Austin to the Red River. The route later carried cattle as part of the Shawnee Trail to Missouri, and it survives today as Preston Road. Dallas founder John Neely Bryan is believed to have traveled it. The land itself traces to Republic of Texas grants, including one to investor John Cole.
A Philadelphia-backed land venture dammed Turtle Creek and laid out roads before the Panic of 1893 stopped it.
Between 1886 and 1889, Colonel Henry Exall and Philadelphia investors, organized as the Philadelphia Place Land Association, acquired the Cole property, about 1,300 acres, for roughly $500,000. Exall, acting as their agent, planned a residential suburb modeled on Philadelphia’s parkland neighborhoods. In 1890 he dammed Turtle Creek to form Exall Lake and began laying out graveled streets across the high ground north of Dallas.
The Panic of 1893 collapsed the Dallas land boom and ended Philadelphia Place; the Handbook of Texas says Exall lost nearly everything. He turned to breeding trotting horses at his Lomo Alto Horse Farm, from the Spanish for high land. Through the 1890s Exall Lake was a favorite Dallas picnic spot, stocked with bass and perch and even plied by a small steamboat, until new buyers arrived in 1906.
John S. Armstrong bought the former Philadelphia Place land and hired planners who set aside one-fifth of it for parks.
In 1906 John S. Armstrong, a former partner of Oak Cliff developer Thomas L. Marsalis, sold his meatpacking business and bought 1,326 acres of former Philadelphia Place land, per the Handbook of Texas. With his sons-in-law Edgar L. Flippen and Hugh E. Prather Sr., he named it Highland Park for its high ground overlooking downtown Dallas. Armstrong died in 1908, and his widow and sons-in-law carried the work forward.
In 1907 the developers hired landscape architect Wilbur David Cook, who later planned Beverly Hills, and secondary sources say George E. Kessler, designer of Fair Park, helped too. Twenty percent of the land was set aside for parks. The first addition was sold with the slogan Beyond the City’s Dust and Smoke. The first lots sold in 1909 near Armstrong, Abbott and Gillon avenues, and the Lakeside addition followed in 1910.
Turned down for annexation by Dallas, residents voted to incorporate in 1913 and quickly built their own services and schools.
According to the Handbook of Texas, Highland Park asked Dallas to annex it in 1913 and was refused, so its roughly 500 residents voted to incorporate on November 29, 1913. The Handbook adds that incorporation officially took place in 1915, when the population had reached about 1,100. The new Town set up its own waterworks, which it ran until 1932, bought a fire engine and built a fire house for the growing community.
Highland Park Independent School District was officially established on May 5, 1914, according to the district. Its first school, on land donated by Alice Armstrong in her late husband’s memory, opened on October 12, 1914, with 95 students and four teachers, and housed the entire district until a high school opened in 1922. Meanwhile, additions west of Preston Road opened in 1915 and 1917, extending the Town’s residential streets.
Dallas reversed course and tried to absorb the Town, while Highland Park built its Town Hall and filled out its last major subdivision.
In 1919 the City of Dallas sought to annex Highland Park, starting a fight the Town’s history says continued for decades. The Handbook of Texas says it lasted until 1945, when Dallas was turned down for the last time and annexed the surrounding land instead. To the north, University Park incorporated separately in 1924, and together the two towns became known as the Park Cities, sharing a school district.
Town Hall rose in 1924 at 4700 Drexel Drive beside the engine house on Hackberry Creek, with an ornate entry and a distinctive tower that remain its signature. Highland Park West, the Town’s last major land development, also opened in 1924. A municipal library and art gallery followed in 1930, and the census counted 8,422 residents that year, up from 2,321 in 1920.
The developers opened Highland Park Village in 1931, Dallas water replaced the Town’s own system, and the high school won its first state football title.
Hugh Prather Sr. and Edgar Flippen developed Highland Park Village at Preston Road and Mockingbird Lane. Architects Marion F. Fooshee and James B. Cheek designed it in 1928 and 1929, drawing on Kansas City’s Country Club Plaza and on markets in Spain and France. It opened in 1931, and the Handbook of Texas calls it the first shopping center of its type in the country. The Village Theater followed in 1935.
The Town’s own waterworks ran until 1932; from then until 1950 it bought water from Dallas. The 1940 census recorded 10,288 residents. The Park Cities News was founded in 1938. On the field, Highland Park High School reached state title games in 1944, 1945 and 1947 and shared the 1945 championship, the program’s first state crown, according to the district and Texas Football.
The Town reached its largest population in the 1950s, joined University Park in launching shared waterworks and won a second football title.
In 1950 Highland Park and University Park began operating their own waterworks, ending the Town’s reliance on Dallas water, per the Handbook of Texas. Population crested in this era: the 1950 census counted 11,405 residents, and the Handbook cites a late-1950s estimate of 12,900. With no room to expand, the Town grew only by building on vacant lots or replacing older houses, which the Handbook links to its strict zoning rules.
In 1957 the Scots won the program’s first outright state football title, ending Abilene’s 49-game winning streak in the semifinals before beating Port Arthur. Highland Park Village began its annual holiday light display in 1951, according to The Washington Post, and the Howard Corporation bought the center in 1966. Census counts then eased slightly, to 10,411 in 1960 and 10,133 in 1970, a slow decline that continued for decades.
Voters adopted a council-manager home-rule charter, new owners revived the Village, and the shopping center won national recognition.
Highland Park’s home-rule charter, establishing council-manager government, was adopted on August 26, 1975, according to the Town’s codified charter, and voters approved a revised version on May 15, 2004. Under the charter, the elected council sets policy and hires a professional town administrator to run daily operations. The charter commission directed that a copy be mailed to every qualified voter at least thirty days before the election.
In 1976 the family and partners of real estate executive Henry S. Miller Jr. bought Highland Park Village for $5 million and began bringing in national fashion brands. Park Cities People launched in 1981, and the Park Cities Historic and Preservation Society, dating to 1982, began promoting the area’s architecture. The Village joined the National Register of Historic Places on November 17, 1997. Census counts were 8,909 in 1980 and 8,739 in 1990.
The Village became a National Historic Landmark, changed hands in a record sale, and the Town marked 100 years.
Highland Park Village was designated a National Historic Landmark on February 16, 2000. The Highland Park Library finished a major renovation in 2008, funded by resident donations. In 2009 a group of Dallas investors bought the Village for about $170 million, which the Dallas Morning News reported as that year’s top price for a U.S. retail property, and began renovating stores, the Village Theater and restaurants around the plaza.
The Town celebrated its centennial throughout 2013. Events included a spring historic home tour, a May 11 literary festival presented with Texas Monthly and the Texas Book Festival, a March groundbreaking for the Town Hall renovation that opened the 1923 cornerstone, and a Centennial Sunday block party at Lakeside Park on October 27. The Scots had added a 2005 state title. The census counted 8,842 residents in 2000 and 8,564 in 2010.
A rebuilt Town Hall, a football three-peat, a new holiday tree and a restored Exall Lake mark the Town’s second century.
The Town Hall renovation, finished in April 2014, removed the building’s center, added 15,000 square feet including a third floor and basement, and restored the 1924 domed tower and Spanish Colonial details. The Dallas Morning News called the $20.2 million job the priciest public works project in Town history, paid for without borrowing. The Scots then won state football titles in 2016, 2017 and 2018, according to the district.
In fall 2019 the Town removed the ailing Big Pecan Tree on Armstrong Parkway, a holiday landmark since 1927, and moved its tree lighting to a grafted sister tree beside it. The 2020 census counted 8,864 residents. In 2026 the Town finished dredging Exall Lake, removing about 35,000 cubic yards of silt in a $2.5 million project completed August 1, and the July Fourth parade marked the nation’s 250th birthday.
Compiled from the Texas State Historical Association Handbook of Texas (Highland Park and Highland Park Village entries), the Town of Highland Park’s history, Town Hall and codified charter pages, Highland Park ISD’s history and state-titles pages, The Cultural Landscape Foundation, the Dallas Morning News, People Newspapers, Texas Monthly, Texas Football, The Washington Post, CultureMap, the National Park Service listing dates and U.S. Census counts. Sources differ on several points: whether incorporation dates to the November 29, 1913, vote or to 1915 (some sources give 1914), whether the land venture bought in 1886–89 or 1889, the acreage (about 1,300 or 1,326), whether the first football title came in 1944 or 1945, the start of the Village’s holiday lights (1951, per The Washington Post) and the Town Hall renovation’s final cost. George Kessler’s role in the plan comes from secondary sources. Census counts for 1920 through 1980 rely on compiled tables rather than primary census reports; the late-1950s figure of 12,900 is an estimate. The 2009 Village sale price is as reported. Football titles are listed as Highland Park ISD reports them; school information is otherwise at the district level only. Native peoples are described at the regional level. No current officials are named. Bobby Franklin, REALTOR®, TREC #0805459, Legacy Realty Group – Leslie Majors Team.
A Fourth of July Parade From Town Hall and Two December Lightings
The largest single-day event in the Park Cities, per People Newspapers. The parade steps off at Town Hall, 4700 Drexel Dr., runs up Lakeside Drive, Beverly Drive and Preston Road, and ends at Centennial Park in University Park.
Held Friday, July 4, 2025, and Saturday, July 4, 2026, both at 9 a.m.; the 2026 parade marked the nation’s 250th birthday. The Rotary Club of Park Cities hosts it, with proceeds benefiting the North Texas Food Bank.
Post-parade activities run in Centennial Park, which is in University Park. The parade was canceled in 2020 and returned in 2021.
The Highland Park Library runs summer reading clubs for children, teens and adults with the University Park Library, including a cup for the campus that logs the most hours. Covered in June 2025 and again in summer 2026.
A community night with the Town’s police and fire departments, held at Highland Park Village. Town and Village listings show an October 7 edition, likely 2025, and an earlier October 4 edition, likely 2022, from 6 to 8 p.m.
A tradition the Town traces to 1927, when the original Big Pecan on Armstrong Parkway was first lit. Since 2019 the lights go on its grafted sister tree, with Santa and Mrs. Claus, treats and a holiday toy drive.
Held Thursday, December 7, 2023, and Thursday, December 4, 2025, from 6 to 8 p.m., with earlier lightings in 2018, 2019 and 2022. The 2020 lighting was virtual.
The 2026 date hadn’t been posted as of late October; check hptx.org before you go.
Highland Park Village lights up with more than 1.5 million lights, a display The Washington Post dates to 1951. The evening brings carolers, face painting, photos with Santa, a Highland Park High School orchestra and a toy drive.
Held Wednesday, December 6, 2023, December 11, 2024, and December 10, 2025, at Preston Road and Mockingbird Lane. The lights stay up through the holidays.
The 2026 date hadn’t been posted as of late October.
The Town’s creek-side parkland, with Exall Lake freshly restored after dredging finished on August 1, 2026.
Story times, Baby Bounce, open mahjong and writing groups on the second floor of Town Hall, per the Town’s October 2026 calendar.
A December-heavy calendar. The Town’s tree lighting moved in 2019 from the removed Big Pecan to its grafted sister tree, and the parade’s end point, Goar Park, is now Centennial Park. Exall Lake reopened fully in August 2026.
One year of dates only: the 2013 centennial brought a literary festival, a spring historic home tour and a block party at Lakeside Park, none found since. No spring event had dated evidence for two years.
Missing: no Town-run Easter egg hunt, Memorial Day or Veterans Day ceremony, Halloween event or Arbor Day program could be confirmed. Several Park Cities traditions, including the post-parade festival and the Snider Plaza tree lighting, take place in neighboring University Park.
Timing shown is the usual pattern for each event; exact dates, times, prices and locations change from year to year, and the authoritative sources are the Town of Highland Park calendar at hptx.org and Highland Park Village at hpvillage.com. Event details are from the Town of Highland Park, Highland Park Village, People Newspapers, the Dallas Morning News, The Washington Post, CultureMap and a sponsor news release; each event shown was found in at least two years, except as noted. National Night Out’s years are inferred from calendar weekdays, and summer reading’s 2026 dates weren’t listed. Sources differ on the 2023 tree lighting date (December 7 or 8); the Town’s calendar gives December 4 for 2025. Highland Park Village is a privately owned shopping center, and its lights event is listed as a free community event, not an endorsement. Statements that something is missing mean no reliable source was found, not that it doesn’t exist. Bobby Franklin, REALTOR®, TREC #0805459, Legacy Realty Group – Leslie Majors Team.
What to know about Highland Park schools:
The ratings: Check TXschools.gov for the current status.
Nearby: Several private schools and Southern Methodist University, in neighboring University Park, are a short drive away.
Want the full breakdown? Read our complete Highland Park schools guide →
Town parcels sit in Highland Park ISD, a district of about 6,200 students that earned a preliminary A (95) for 2026 and budgets $87.9 million in state recapture this year. It takes no transfers. On a $2.7 million homestead, the school tax runs about $16,420. Confirm the district and campus by address.
In Town limits
Town parcels are served by Highland Park ISD, which also serves all of University Park and small parts of Dallas. The appraisal district’s 2025 and 2026 tax-unit tables list only a Town plus Highland Park ISD combination.
Some secondary sources say a sliver of the Town west of Roland Avenue is in Dallas ISD; the appraisal district’s tables don’t show that combination. Confirm any address with the Dallas Central Appraisal District and the district.
District-wide
Highland Park ISD earned a preliminary A (95) in TEA’s 2026 ratings, released August 14, 2026, after an A (96) for 2025 and an A (98) for 2022.
2026 ratings can change through TEA’s appeals process until final ratings post, scheduled for December. Scores for 2019, 2023 and 2024 weren’t confirmed.
Highland Park ISD
Enrollment was 6,215 students in 2025–26. Five elementaries run from early education through fourth grade, then McCulloch Intermediate (5–6), Highland Park Middle School (7–8) and Highland Park High School.
District offices are at 7015 Westchester Dr.; the phone is 214-780-3000. TEA reports about 14 students per teacher. Starting teacher pay for 2026–27 is $64,500 with a bachelor’s degree. Campus names are listed for organization only.
Highland Park ISD
Under the state’s school finance recapture system, Highland Park ISD budgets $87.9 million in payments to the state for 2026–27, about 51 percent of its general-fund revenue.
The district says it keeps about one-third of its operating tax collections; debt-service collections aren’t recaptured. Cumulative recapture since 1995 tops $2.16 billion, per a May 2026 budget briefing. The Highland Park Education Foundation pledged $1.9 million for 2026–27 salary support.
Highland Park ISD
Voters approved $361.4 million in May 2015, 54.75 to 45.25 percent, and $137.3 million in November 2024 with 68.26 percent, for security, HVAC, roofs, buses, technology and land.
The 2024 bond was designed with no increase in the $0.17 debt rate. The 2015 bond’s focus on rebuilding elementaries is from secondary sources.
Highland Park ISD
Highland Park ISD doesn’t accept transfer students from other districts, and board policy bars out-of-district tuition enrollment, except for students in the process of becoming residents.
Enrollment requires proof of residency inside the district. Ask the district which documents it accepts before you close or sign a lease.
Highland Park ISD
The district offers full-day preschool for ages 3 and 4, with classes capped at 22. It’s free or reduced for state-eligible students; resident tuition is $11,000 for 2026–27.
Tuition was $10,000 for 2025–26. Confirm space and eligibility with the district.
After exemptions
On an illustrative $2.7 million homestead, the 20 percent local and $140,000 state exemptions leave $2,020,000 taxable: about $16,420 a year to Highland Park ISD.
The 2026 rate is $0.6428 for operations and $0.17 for debt, adopted August 18, 2026, down from $0.8347 in 2025. Eight cents of the operating rate isn’t subject to recapture.
Dallas Central Appraisal District
Highland Park ISD exempts 20 percent of a homestead plus the state’s $140,000, adds $60,000 at 65 or with a disability, then caps the school bill at the level of the year you qualify.
File the homestead application, Form 50-114, with the Dallas Central Appraisal District. Town, county, hospital district and college exemptions are separate.
Dallas and University Park
Private schools within a short drive include St. Mark’s School of Texas, The Hockaday School, Episcopal School of Dallas, Jesuit College Preparatory and Highland Park Presbyterian Day School. Southern Methodist University sits next door in University Park.
Admission is by application. Addresses and distances weren’t verified for this guide, and listing them isn’t a recommendation.
Town parcels are in Highland Park ISD, and the district takes no transfers, so residency is the only way in.
Confirm the district and campus before you write an offer.
On a $2.7 million homestead, the school line runs about $16,420 a year at $0.8128.
Owners 65 and older get another $60,000 off and a school-tax ceiling.
Highland Park ISD earned a preliminary A (95) for 2026, after an A (96) for 2025.
Final ratings are due in December; check TXschools.gov.
About half of general-fund revenue goes back to the state as recapture.
Bond money from 2024 funds security, HVAC, roofs and technology.
Accountability ratings are shown at the district level only; campus ratings are intentionally not shown, and campuses are named only for organization. Ratings change every year, and 2026 ratings remain subject to TEA’s appeals process until final ratings post, scheduled for December; use TXschools.gov for current ratings. TEA notes 2023 and later scores aren’t comparable with earlier years. Ratings and enrollment are from TEA’s Texas School Report Cards, People Newspapers and Highland Park ISD. Recapture figures are from Highland Park ISD’s 2026–27 official budget and its Bond 2024 FAQ; the cumulative total is from a meeting summary of a May 2026 budget briefing. Bond results are from Highland Park ISD and People Newspapers. Transfer, preschool and pay details are from the district and People Newspapers. Whether any Town parcel is in Dallas ISD wasn’t settled; the appraisal district’s tax-unit tables list no Town and Dallas ISD combination. The Education Foundation figure is the foundation’s. The 2026–27 first day of school, UIL classification and dual-credit details weren’t confirmed. No current officials are named. The school tax example uses the 20 percent local and $140,000 state homestead exemptions on an illustrative $2.7 million home near recent median sale prices; it is an illustration, not a quote. 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 Highland Park homes actually sold for each month. With older homes bought partly for the lot, renovated classics and new construction all trading in a town of about two square miles, the mix of what sold moves this line as much as the market does.
Highland Park’s median moves with which homes sold. Recent monthly medians have ranged from about $1.8 million to about $3 million, while price per square foot has held in the high $600s. When the median jumps and the square-foot price doesn’t, the mix changed, not the market.
An older home valued mostly for its lot, a renovated classic and a new build can all land on this one line. The chart is not your comp. Your comps match your street, lot size, frontage, age, condition and whether a buyer would keep or replace the house.
Texas is a non-disclosure state, so portal prices are models, and at this level they can miss by hundreds of thousands. This is MLS. Ask for the actual comparable sales and lot sales, plus the Town’s rules on what can be built and how long construction may take.
Days on market describes how buyers behaved. Readings have ranged from a few weeks to more than three months depending on the month and the homes that sold. Well-priced homes on the right streets still move quickly; overpriced ones wait.
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 a home has waited a while, there’s usually room to negotiate on price, repairs or timing. Plan for jumbo financing, since nearly every sale here is above the conforming loan limit, and have your lender’s approval ready before you write an offer.
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. Highland Park often records fewer than ten sales a month, so a single estate or a single lot sale can move the median more than the market did.
Your competition includes new construction in Highland Park and University Park and the wider Park Cities market. Price against true comparables, including lot value, and have your permits, surveys and renovation records ready.
Inventory is thin, so be ready before the right home lists. Confirm the Town’s building and construction-time rules, the tax bill, insurance and Highland Park ISD residency requirements early, because they affect your plans and 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. Highland Park is its own town, separate from the City of Dallas, and ZIP code 75205 also covers parts of University Park and Dallas, so a mailing address alone doesn’t confirm Town limits. Sales volume is low, often fewer than ten closings a month, so every chart here can swing on a single transaction. The median range, price per square foot and days-on-market range in the notes come from Redfin monthly readings and a third-party summary of NTREIS data covering different periods; they are shown as ranges, not a current figure. These charts do not separate new construction, renovated homes and homes sold mainly for the lot. 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 the Town sits in. A home bought in 2015 is worth about twice its price on the index, with the biggest jump in 2021 and 2022, then flat to slightly down in 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 rose about 98 percent, with a jump of about 20 percent in 2022 alone.
It slipped 0.1 percent in 2025, its first annual dip since 2011.
Redfin’s Highland Park median was $2,685,000 in February 2026 on just 7 sales, and Zillow’s home value index was $2,891,619 in March 2026.
One estate sale can move either number. Type over the prefilled price with what you paid.
Dallas County adopted $0.24865, above its voter-approval rate, so Proposition A goes to voters. If it fails, the rate drops to $0.22465.
On a $2.7 million homestead, the difference is about $518 a year.
On a $2.7 million homestead at 2026 rates, I estimate about $32,820 a year if Proposition A passes, or about $32,300 if it fails.
Highland Park ISD is the largest line at about $16,420; the Town’s share is about $4,150.
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), 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 128.42 in 2009, 155.22 in 2015, 283.86 in 2022, 307.02 in 2024 and 306.66 in 2025, as last updated March 31, 2026. FHFA describes county indices as developmental and subject to revision, and the annual series does not cover 2026. No town-specific index was used, and a countywide index may not track Highland Park’s own prices. The prefilled dollar figures are derived and illustrative, not published: they apply the Dallas County index to a $2,700,000 anchor between Redfin’s February 2026 median sale price ($2,685,000, on 7 sales) and Zillow’s March 2026 home value index ($2,891,619) for Highland Park. An analysis of the appraisal district’s 2026 proposed values put the average Highland Park residential value near $4.25 million, pulled up by estate parcels; it isn’t an official certified figure. The index is built from conforming loans and excludes jumbo lending and all-cash purchases; most Highland Park purchases require jumbo loans above the 2026 conforming limit of $832,750, which price differently. 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; Freddie Mac’s weekly 30-year average was 7.32 percent on October 22, 2026. They exclude closing costs, property taxes, insurance, maintenance, improvements and selling costs. Tax examples use an illustrative $2,700,000 appraised homestead, owner under 65, at 2026 rates: Town of Highland Park $0.192042 after a 20 percent homestead exemption; Highland Park ISD $0.8128 after 20 percent and $140,000 exemptions; Dallas County $0.24865 (or $0.22465 if Proposition A fails), Parkland Hospital District $0.212 and Dallas College $0.106575, each after a 20 percent homestead exemption. The Town’s rate is as reported adopted by People Newspapers; the Town proposed $0.191888, and its notice gave no figure, so confirm on the Dallas County truth-in-taxation table. Owners 65 and older receive a further $50,000 Town, $60,000 school and $100,000 county exemption, plus a school tax ceiling; Parkland and Dallas College over-65 amounts are from a 2025 table. It is an illustration, not a quote; actual bills depend on certified values, the homestead appraisal cap and each owner’s exemptions. 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.
Highland Park counted 8,864 residents at the 2020 census and about 8,764 by the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate, on 2.24 square miles about three miles north of downtown Dallas, with recent medians near $2.7 million. The trade-offs are real: a property-tax bill near $33,000 on a typical homestead, long rebuild projects next door and a transit system the Town now runs itself.
Estimated Off-Peak Drive Time from Highland Park Town Hall
Around Town and Beyond
Estimated minutes off-peak from Town Hall at 4700 Drexel Dr. These are planning estimates, so check a live map before relying on any of them.
The Town sits about three miles north of downtown Dallas and about four miles from Love Field, between US-75 and the Dallas North Tollway.
SMU, Knox Street and the Katy Trail are a few minutes away.
The Town maintains 22 park sites on about 59 acres, including 14-acre Lakeside Park along Turtle Creek, eight tennis courts and a Town pool.
Exall Lake reopened after dredging finished August 1, 2026.
One department, DPS, staffs officers certified as police officers, firefighters and paramedics, and its dispatch can monitor your home alarm directly.
Garbage and brush go twice a week, and water comes from the Park Cities MUD at Grapevine Lake.
The Texas Bond Review Board reports $0 in outstanding Town debt for fiscal 2025.
After leaving DART in May 2026, the Town runs its own on-demand rides, free during a pilot ending around mid-November.
Taxes run about $32,800 a year on a $2.7 million homestead, and most purchases need jumbo financing.
Rebuilds can take 24 months or more, with work allowed Monday through Saturday.
The Town is rewriting its zoning ordinance, adding resident-only parking blocks and weighing fares for its ride service.
Lots along Turtle Creek and Hackberry Creek can sit in mapped floodplain.
Drive times are planning estimates from Highland Park Town Hall, not live traffic or measured routes; check a live map before you rely on them. The three-mile distance to downtown is the Town’s; the Love Field and DFW times are from route aggregators, and the rest weren’t verified. US-75 and Dallas North Tollway rush-hour traffic can stretch these times by half or more. Population figures are the 2020 census count and the Census Bureau’s Vintage 2025 estimate. The median reference reflects Redfin’s February 2026 median ($2,685,000, on 7 sales) and Zillow’s March 2026 home value index ($2,891,619). Park, department, utility, alarm, construction-hour, parking and transit details are from the Town of Highland Park; debt from the Texas Bond Review Board; DART exit details from the Town, WFAA and the Dallas Morning News; ride-service figures from People Newspapers. Fares and hours may change after the pilot. The tax estimate uses 2026 rates and standard homestead exemptions, assumes Dallas County’s Proposition A passes, and is an illustration, not a quote. Zoning hearing dates come from an advocacy site and weren’t confirmed on the Town’s agendas. No credit rating or insurance rating was confirmed. Flood zones vary by parcel; check FEMA maps by address. 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 Town limits, tax rates, exemptions, Proposition A and school transfers to water, trash, alarm monitoring, the library, permits, parking, floodplain and transit after DART.
No. The Town of Highland Park is a separate home-rule municipality in Dallas County. Residents voted to incorporate on November 29, 1913, and the council-manager charter dates to 1975, revised in 2004. Dallas surrounds the Town on three sides, and University Park borders it to the north.
Most Town homes still use “Dallas, TX” as their mailing city and share ZIP codes 75205, 75209 and 75219 with Dallas neighborhoods, so the ZIP code alone doesn’t tell you which city governs a home.
Inside the Town, residents get Town services instead of City of Dallas services: water, sanitation, police, fire and EMS, the library and the municipal court. Town Hall is at 4700 Drexel Dr., 214-521-4161.
Look up the property on the Dallas Central Appraisal District site, dallascad.org, and open the account’s detail page. A Town parcel lists Highland Park among its taxing units, along with Highland Park ISD, Dallas County, Parkland Hospital and Dallas College.
If the record shows City of Dallas or University Park instead, the home is outside the Town, even when the street name, ZIP code or listing says Highland Park. That changes the tax rate, the water and trash provider and which permit office you deal with.
For a second check, call Town utility customer service at 214-521-4161, since only addresses inside the Town get Town water, sanitation and alarm service. The appraisal district answers at 214-631-0910.
They’re two separate municipalities, together called the Park Cities. Highland Park is a town of 2.24 square miles to the south; University Park is a separate city to the north, home to SMU and Snider Plaza.
Each has its own council, tax rate, police and fire service, sanitation rules, library and permit process. Both buy water from the Park Cities Municipal Utility District, which they created together, and both are served by Highland Park ISD.
One notable 2026 difference: Highland Park voters chose to leave DART in May 2026, while University Park voters chose to stay. Confirm which municipality governs a property before relying on any local rule, fee or service.
2026 rates per $100 are about $0.192042 for the Town, $0.8128 for Highland Park ISD, $0.24865 for Dallas County, $0.212 for Parkland Hospital and $0.106575 for Dallas College, about $1.572 in all before exemptions.
On an illustrative $2.7 million homestead, owner under 65, I estimate about $32,820 a year: roughly $16,420 to the school district, $5,370 to the county, $4,580 to Parkland, $4,150 to the Town and $2,300 to Dallas College. Without a homestead exemption, the same home would owe about $42,450.
If Dallas County’s Proposition A fails, the total drops to about $32,300. Actual bills depend on certified values and the 10 percent homestead cap. The Town’s rate is as reported adopted; confirm it on the county’s tax table.
Every taxing unit offers a 20 percent homestead exemption. Highland Park ISD adds the state’s $140,000, plus $60,000 at 65 or with a disability and a school tax ceiling. The Town adds $50,000 at 65, and Dallas County, Parkland and Dallas College add $100,000 at 65.
File with the Dallas Central Appraisal District, not the Town. Use the online homestead filing on your property’s account page at dallascad.org, or mail Form 50-114 with a copy of a Texas driver’s license or ID showing the home’s address. Filing is free.
The general deadline is April 30, and late homestead applications are accepted up to two years after the delinquency date. Processing can take up to 90 days. Questions: 214-631-0910.
Dallas County adopted a 2026 rate of $0.24865 per $100, above its voter-approval rate, which triggered an automatic election on November 3, 2026.
If Proposition A passes, the $0.24865 rate stands. If it fails, the county rate falls to $0.22465, still above 2025’s $0.2155. Community Impact, citing the county, reports the extra 2.4 cents would raise about $102.9 million for homelessness, mental-health and housing-stability programs.
On a $2.7 million homestead with a 20 percent exemption, the difference is about $518 a year. Reports indicate county tax bills may go out after the vote. Read the official ballot language before you vote; it’s posted by Dallas County Elections.
No. Highland Park ISD serves the Town, University Park and small parts of Dallas, and it doesn’t accept transfer students from other districts. Board policy also bars out-of-district tuition enrollment, except for students in the process of becoming residents.
The appraisal district’s 2026 tax-unit tables list only a Town and Highland Park ISD combination, so Town parcels appear to be in the district. The district earned a preliminary A (95) in TEA’s 2026 ratings, which can change before final ratings post in December.
Enrollment requires proof of residency, which the district verifies. Confirm the district on the appraisal record and the campus with the district at 214-780-3000 before relying on any listing remarks.
The Town itself provides water, sewer, garbage, recycling and alarm monitoring, so there’s no private trash hauler to call. Complete the Town’s application for water and sewer service on hptx.org; a meter deposit is required for each water meter.
Call utility customer service at 214-521-4161 for the deposit amount and payment options. Water runs $24.10 a month plus $7.57 per 1,000 gallons for the first 12,000 gallons, with higher tiers above that. Alley garbage is $35.18 a month, and backyard pack-out service is $69.87.
Sewer and stormwater charges are billed separately on the same Town bill. Set up electricity and gas in your own name with those companies.
Garbage is collected twice a week. Alley customers set the cart next to the alley; roll-out customers set it behind the front building line. Have it out by 7 a.m., and keep each cart under 200 pounds.
Recycling is collected weekly on Wednesday. Brush is picked up twice a week from the parkway: Mondays and Thursdays west of Preston Road, and Tuesdays and Fridays east of Preston.
The Town offers Wednesday front collection for heavy or bulky items that won’t fit in a cart. Backyard pack-out service, where crews take carts from behind the house, is available for a higher monthly fee. Call customer service at 214-521-4161 with questions.
The Town buys treated surface water from the Dallas County Park Cities Municipal Utility District, which draws from Grapevine Lake through the Elm Fork of the Trinity River. The district holds senior water rights in the lake.
The Town bought about 976 million gallons in 2025, according to its energy report, and the state’s environmental agency designates the Town a Superior Public Water System.
Drought-stage watering rules apply, so check the Town’s water conservation page before setting an irrigation schedule. For water quality details, read the Town’s annual drinking water quality report, posted on hptx.org each year. University Park buys from the same district.
The Town runs one combined department, known as DPS. Each officer is certified as a police officer, firefighter and paramedic and rotates through those roles, working 48 hours on and 96 off.
The department runs two mobile intensive care ambulances and has automatic and mutual-aid agreements with University Park and Dallas fire departments. It has been accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies since 1988.
For emergencies, call 911. The non-emergency line, 214-521-5000, is answered 24 hours a day, including for loose or injured animals after hours. The administrative office at Town Hall is open weekdays, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sign up for HP Alerts for emergency texts and calls.
Yes. The Town’s dispatch center offers direct alarm monitoring around the clock, with no outside monitoring company in between. The fee is $31.60 for a landline connection or $38.60 for cellular, billed on the Town utility bill.
Every alarm system must be registered with the Town. If a private company monitors your system, registration costs $48 a year. Direct-monitoring subscribers can request yard signs, window decals and a verification letter for their insurance company.
The first five invalid police responses in 12 months are free; each one after that costs $50. Fire, panic and environmental alarms don’t count. The alarm unit answers at 214-559-9481.
Oncor Electric Delivery owns the poles and wires; report outages at oncor.com or 888-313-4747. In the competitive Texas market, residents generally choose a retail electric provider through the state’s powertochoose.org; confirm the meter’s current provider at closing.
Natural gas is reported to come from Atmos Energy; confirm the account with the seller. Internet options vary by street, so check the FCC National Broadband Map for the exact address instead of relying on marketing claims.
Set up electricity, gas and internet in your own name before move-in. Water, sewer, garbage and alarm monitoring are billed by the Town.
The Highland Park Library is on the second floor of Town Hall, 4700 Drexel Dr. It’s open Tuesday from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Wednesday through Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Cards are free for Town residents. Library policy defines a resident as someone who actually lives in the Town; owning property without living there doesn’t qualify, and staff verify the address. Live-in household employees may qualify, and non-residents can buy a card for a council-set fee.
Separately, the University Park Public Library issues free cards to anyone living within Highland Park ISD, which includes the Town. Call the library before you go for the non-resident fee and required documents.
Nearly all construction, alteration, repair or demolition needs a Town building permit, and general, electrical, plumbing, mechanical and irrigation contractors must be licensed and registered with the Town. Permits and inspections run through the Town’s online portal; Building Inspection is 214-559-9409.
Work is allowed Monday through Saturday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., and not on Sundays or major holidays. Larger projects need a construction parking plan and a perimeter fence, and new homes often take 24 months or more. Violations can bring fines of up to $2,000 a day.
Building in a floodplain needs a special permit. The Town is rewriting its zoning ordinance, so confirm setbacks, height and lot rules for your address before you design.
Some blocks are resident-only from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m., including listed blocks of Gillon, Euclid, Lexington, Crescent, Armstrong, Byron, Cowper and Abbott; others are enforced around the clock.
On September 1, 2026, the council added districts on the 3100 and 3200 blocks of Drexel Drive and the 5400 block of Sewanee Avenue, citing parking pressure from university staff and students. Resident permits renew every three years and expire September 30, and guest permits are free and unlimited.
Residents can petition for a new district with a $300 filing fee, after which the Town mails ballots to the block. If street parking matters to you, check the Town’s current list before you buy.
Yes, in places. The Town has mapped floodplain along its creek corridors, mainly Turtle Creek and Hackberry Creek, which run through Lakeside Park and other parks. The Town publishes a floodplain map and points owners to FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center for official determinations.
Under the Town Code, building or rebuilding in the floodplain requires a special permit. Lenders on federally backed mortgages require flood insurance for homes in FEMA’s high-risk zone.
For any creek-side property, order an elevation certificate or a flood determination, read the seller’s flood disclosure, and get an insurance quote even outside the high-risk zone. Third-party models count only a small share of local properties in the high-risk area.
On May 2, 2026, Town voters chose to leave DART, about 70 percent to 30 percent, and DART service in the Town ended May 13. Buses still pass along Preston Road but no longer stop in Town.
The Town now runs Highland Park On-Demand, operated by Via, from 5 a.m. to midnight daily, covering the Town and a one-mile radius that includes Love Field and Mockingbird Station, where riders can catch DART rail. Book in the app or at 214-785-4345. Paratransit costs $3.50 a ride.
Rides are free during a six-month pilot ending around mid-November 2026, and the council is weighing fares and hours after that. The 1 percent DART sales tax continues until the Town’s exit obligation, estimated at $30 million to $40 million, is paid.
Sales tax is 8.25 percent: 6.25 percent to the state, 1 percent to the Town and 1 percent to DART. The DART share continues after the Town’s 2026 withdrawal until its exit obligation is paid; after that, the Town can redirect the 1 percent to local uses.
The Town says its DART contributions reached about $8 million in 2025 and are projected near $9 million in 2026, so the payoff could take several years.
Alcohol is served at restaurants in Highland Park Village, and a 2010 Dallas Morning News report noted the Town had permitted liquor sales for years. The Town’s exact local-option status by category wasn’t confirmed; check the state alcohol commission’s wet and dry map.
The Town uses a council-manager form of government. The mayor and five council members are elected at large to two-year terms, serve without pay and are elected in May of even-numbered years. A town administrator runs daily operations.
Regular meetings are the first and third Tuesday of each month at 8 a.m. in the Council Chamber on Town Hall’s second floor, with agendas posted online three business days ahead. An advocacy site lists hearings on a town-wide zoning rewrite for October 28 and November 3, 2026; confirm them on the Town’s agendas.
No Town proposition was found for November 3. Voters will see Dallas County’s Proposition A and other races, and can vote at any county vote center.
Answers were verified as of October 27, 2026, from the Town of Highland Park’s utility, sanitation, water, alarm, library, building, parking, floodplain, transit, DART and council pages, its Code of Ordinances and fee schedule, the Dallas Central Appraisal District, Dallas County, Highland Park ISD, the Texas Education Agency, the Texas Bond Review Board, the University Park library, People Newspapers, WFAA, Community Impact and the Dallas Morning News. Rates, fees, providers, fares and hours change; verify anything you intend to rely on. The Town’s 2026 rate is as reported adopted by People Newspapers; the Town proposed $0.191888. Proposition A’s result was pending when this was written, and ride-service fares and hours may change after the pilot. Water meter deposits, the non-resident library fee, the alarm billing interval, tree-removal and historic rules, gas and internet providers, the Town’s exact alcohol local-option status and the zoning hearing dates weren’t confirmed. The DART vote share is rounded from final unofficial results. The $2.7 million tax example is an illustration, not a quote. School ratings are district-level 2026 ratings subject to TEA appeals. 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 the Town of Highland Park. Three things to check on every address: whether it’s inside the Town, University Park or Dallas, whether the Town utility account is in your name and whether your homestead exemption is filed. Start with the green first-week cards; county offices are in blue, health care in red and regional links in purple.
The Town bills water, sewer, alley trash, recycling and alarm monitoring on one account; a meter deposit is required for each meter.
214-521-4161 Town Hall, 4700 Drexel Dr. Do this firstPay utility bills and court fines online. Bills go out the last business day of the month and are due the 15th; pay by phone at 866-274-8573.
214-521-4161 Do this firstHomestead and over-65 exemptions, values and protests. Check that your account lists Highland Park as the city.
214-631-0910 Do this firstProperty tax bills for every unit on one statement; pay online, by mail or by phone at 1-877-253-0150.
214-653-7811 500 Elm St., Ste. 1200, Dallas Do this firstSign up for emergency texts and calls, plus the Town’s weekly email newsletter.
hptx.org Do this firstEvery enrolled student needs annual proof of residency; the district accepts only a current water or electric bill.
214-780-3000 7015 Westchester Dr. Town HallMain line for Town departments, weekdays 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
214-521-4161 4700 Drexel Dr. RecordsPublic information requests, ordinances and council minutes.
214-559-9457 RulesThe Town code, including zoning, construction and parking rules. The online library may lag the newest ordinances.
hptx.org CourtCitations, pleas and payment plans; court meets Tuesdays at 1:15 p.m.
214-559-9303 Town Hall, 2nd floor PermitsPermits, plan review and inspections through the online permit portal; contractors must register with the Town.
214-559-9409 Town Hall FeesContractor registration is $125 and the minimum permit fee is $55; forms include fence, pool, generator and floodplain permits.
214-559-9409 ZoningThe committee guiding the town-wide zoning rewrite; the Town Council has final say.
214-521-4161 ParkingBlocks can petition for resident-only parking with a $300 fee; resident permits renew every three years.
214-521-4161 LibraryFree cards for Town residents, on the second floor of Town Hall; open Tuesday 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., Wednesday to Saturday until 5:30 p.m.
214-521-4161 4700 Drexel Dr. PoolResidents-only pool; 2026 season passes were $65 a person for the first four household members.
214-521-4161 Davis Park TennisAnnual tennis permits, with free court reservations online.
214-521-4161 Parks22 park sites, from Lakeside Park on Turtle Creek to Abbott, Davis and Fairfax parks.
hptx.org TransitTown-run rides 5 a.m. to midnight in the Town and a one-mile radius, including Love Field and Mockingbird Station; free during the pilot.
214-785-4345 TransitBackground on the Town’s 2026 DART withdrawal and the sales tax that continues until the exit obligation is paid.
hptx.org AlarmsRegistration is $48 a year; Town dispatch can monitor your alarm directly for $31.60 landline or $38.60 cellular.
214-559-9481 DPSThe Town’s combined police, fire and EMS department. Call 911 for emergencies.
214-521-5000 Town Hall AnimalsLoose animals and pet questions; after hours, call the non-emergency line.
214-559-9428 Water supplyTreats Grapevine Lake water for Highland Park and University Park; its board is elected by residents of both towns.
214-652-8639 1811 Regal Row, Dallas Power linesOutages and streetlights; you choose your own retail electric provider.
888-313-4747 Electric plansThe state’s site for comparing retail electric plans.
powertochoose.org GasThe Town’s natural gas provider. If you smell gas, leave and call 911 or Atmos at 866-322-8667.
866-322-8667 InternetCheck which internet providers serve a specific address.
broadbandmap.fcc.gov Before you digCall two business days before digging, including fence posts.
811 ElectionsCountywide vote centers and sample ballots, including county Proposition A on November 3, 2026.
dallascountyvotes.org SchoolsStudents must live inside district boundaries; the district takes no transfers.
214-780-3000 7015 Westchester Dr. SchoolsThe district-wide nonprofit whose annual campaign funds salary support.
214-780-4060 4201 Grassmere Ln. LibraryFree cards for anyone living within Highland Park ISD, including the Town.
uptexas.org FloodA Town permit is required for work in mapped flood areas along Turtle Creek and Hackberry Creek.
214-559-9409 Before you buyCheck the exact parcel and ask for the seller’s flood disclosure.
msc.fema.gov ERA hospital with a 24/7 emergency department, roughly 2.5 miles away.
214-443-3000 2727 E. Lemmon Ave., Dallas HospitalA large acute-care hospital with a 24/7 emergency department, roughly 6 miles north.
214-345-6789 8200 Walnut Hill Ln., Dallas Help linesPoison Control 1-800-222-1222; 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline; 211 for community services.
1-800-222-1222 NewsPark Cities news, including Town Council, school and zoning coverage.
peoplenewspapers.com AirportsThe nearest commercial airport, about 11 minutes off-peak and inside the On-Demand service area.
dallas-lovefield.comLinks, phone numbers and addresses compiled October 27, 2026, from the Town of Highland Park (utility, payments, Town Secretary, Code of Ordinances, municipal court, community development, fees and forms, zoning committee, pool, tennis, facilities, transit, DART, alarm and alert pages), the Park Cities MUD, the Dallas County Tax Office, Highland Park ISD, the Highland Park Education Foundation, the University Park library, Atmos Energy and the hospitals listed. Phone numbers change; confirm before you rely on one. The Town’s pool page places the pool at 3801 Lexington Ave. in Davis Park, while its facilities page lists Davis Park at 4500 Drexel; the Town’s site says its code is current through a May 2026 ordinance, while the online code library runs through February 2026. Some Town pages, including the library, DPS, animal control, parking and Report a Concern, are linked through the Town’s home or code pages because direct links weren’t confirmed. The DCAD, Oncor, Power to Choose, FCC, Texas 811, FEMA, elections, Love Field and help-line links weren’t reopened this cycle. Hospital and airport distances are estimates. Ride-service fares and hours may change after the pilot. 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.
Highland Park counted 8,864 residents at the 2020 census and about 8,764 by the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. It was planned in 1907 around Turtle Creek, and residents voted to incorporate on November 29, 1913, after Dallas declined to annex it. Today it runs its own water, trash, police, fire and transit, and shares ZIP codes with Dallas and University Park. I sort out the details that matter here, and the awkward parts are named.
ZIP codes 75205, 75209 and 75219 are shared by Highland Park, University Park and Dallas, and even Town Hall shows up in directories with a Dallas address. The appraisal district record decides the tax rate, the school district and whether you get Town water, alley trash and alarm monitoring. I confirm the jurisdiction on every address.
At 2026 rates, I estimate about $32,820 a year on a $2.7 million homestead after the 20 percent exemptions, with about $16,420 to the school district. Dallas County’s Proposition A on November 3 moves that by about $518. I model your actual account once the result is in.
Highland Park ISD takes no transfers, and it re-checks residency every year: households submit a water or electric bill with June, July or August service dates, and gas, phone or cable bills don’t count. I time your closing and utility transfer around the enrollment calendar.
Redfin showed a February 2026 median of $2,685,000 on just 7 sales, while Zillow’s March index was $2,891,619, a gap of more than $200,000 from method and sample size alone. Some trades never reach the portals. Freddie Mac’s 30-year average was 7.32 percent on October 22, and most purchases here need jumbo loans. I price from hand-checked comps.
New-home permits are good for 24 consecutive months, with Town check-ins at 12, 18, 21 and 23 months. Extensions cost $250 a day, then $500, and citations can reach $2,000 a day. The 1965-era zoning ordinance is being rewritten, and no draft of new height or setback rules has been published. I won’t promise buildable square feet until it’s adopted.
One Town account covers water, sewer, alley trash, recycling and optional alarm monitoring by Town dispatch. Water comes from the Park Cities MUD at Grapevine Lake. Since the Town left DART, its on-demand ride service has logged more than 8,400 trips, free during a pilot, and the council is weighing fares and hours. I put the setup on your closing checklist.
Highland Park has real trade-offs: a property-tax bill near $33,000 on a typical homestead, jumbo financing, long rebuilds next door, a pending zoning rewrite and floodplain along Turtle Creek and Hackberry Creek. Older homes on clay soil need foundation and sewer-line checks. If any of that is a dealbreaker, you will hear it from me first.
Confirm the Town, not Dallas or University Park, on the appraisal record. Second, plan school residency around a water or electric bill in your name. Third, open the Town utility account with your meter deposit. Fourth, check the FEMA flood map, especially near the creeks. Fifth, file your homestead and over-65 exemptions with the Dallas Central Appraisal District. And sixth, ask about the zoning rewrite before you plan a rebuild.
Highland Park-specific things to raise with all four. Freddie Mac’s 30-year average was 7.32 percent on October 22, 2026. Most purchases here exceed the 2026 conforming limit of $832,750, so compare jumbo terms, reserves and rate locks. Make sure the payment estimate uses the Town’s taxing units, about $1.57 per $100 before exemptions, and the Town utility bill. 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 whether it’s in the Town, University Park or Dallas, which school district it’s in, whether a floodplain applies, what the zoning allows today and what the full tax bill and Town utility costs look like.
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 tax estimate is mine, for an illustrative $2.7 million homestead, owner under 65, at 2026 rates: Town $0.192042, as reported adopted; Highland Park ISD $0.8128 after 20 percent and $140,000 exemptions; Dallas County $0.24865 (or $0.22465 if Proposition A fails), Parkland Hospital $0.212 and Dallas College $0.106575, each after 20 percent exemptions. Confirm exemptions on the appraisal district record. Enrollment rules are from Highland Park ISD; construction rules from the Town’s residential builders packet and code; transit figures from People Newspapers and WFAA. The zoning rewrite consultant is confirmed in a 2025 Town agenda; hearing dates and claims about specific rezonings come from an advocacy site and weren’t confirmed. Market figures are Redfin’s February 2026 median and Zillow’s March 2026 index on small samples; mortgage rates are Freddie Mac weekly averages; the conforming limit is FHFA’s. Inspection items are general North Texas practice, not findings about specific homes. Population figures are the 2020 census and the Census Bureau’s Vintage 2025 estimate. Historical facts are from the Handbook of Texas and the Town of Highland Park. School campus assignment is determined by address. All real estate services are provided through Legacy Realty Group. Equal Housing Opportunity.
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