Where affluent country living meets one of the safest, most sought-after corners of Rockwall County, custom estates and acreage homes on one-acre-plus lots, communities like Sonoma Verde and Kingsbridge, an A-rated Rockwall ISD, and Highway 205 connecting to I-30 and Dallas in about thirty minutes
McLendon-Chisholm is a fast-growing city of about 5,600 along SH 205 south of Rockwall, still mostly homes and open land. You’ll find the Sonoma Verde master plan, new one-acre enclaves, the coming Horizon Lakes, custom estates and country acreage. Here are 8 areas with dated price context.
About $475K–$800s
A master plan begun in 2017, with about 1,095 lots on 550 acres and homes by Highland, Perry, Bloomfield and CastleRock.
A pool and pavilion, 30-plus acres of open space, sports courts and trails. Financed by a public improvement district on top of HOA dues. Rockwall ISD.
Low $500Ks to $2M planned
A 900-acre master plan by Huffines, planned for about 1,800 homes; ground broke in July 2025 and the first homes are expected in 2027.
Plans include a recreational lake, trails, pools and a lakeside restaurant. Builders include Toll Brothers, CastleRock and Pulte. HOA and any special district not yet published. Rockwall ISD.
From about $822K
An 83-lot, one-acre enclave on about 99 acres, building in 2025 and 2026.
Windsor Homes and Toll Brothers, with homes of about 3,200 to 5,400 square feet. HOA details differ by builder; ask. Rockwall ISD.
About $625K–$950K
134 one-acre lots on about 165 acres, zoned in 2021 and built from 2022 on.
Ponds and mature trees. Kindred and Altura homes of about 2,700 to 4,150 square feet; Kindred lists HOA dues of $695 a year. Rockwall ISD.
From about $615K
A new half-acre community by Altura Homes, building in 2026.
Homes of about 2,300 to 4,500 square feet. HOA, amenities and city-limits status weren’t published; confirm by address. Rockwall ISD.
About $1.25M–$1.4M listings
Established custom estate subdivisions on lots of about 1 to 2 acres.
Recent listings ran about $1.25 to $1.4 million. Confirm HOA rules, septic and the school district by address.
Priced individually
Older large-lot subdivisions such as Quail Creek, Greenhollow, Frontier Meadows, Glen Hills Ranch and Chisholm Crossing.
Sizes and prices vary widely. Many homes are on septic; confirm HOA, water provider and school district for each address.
Lots from about $285K
Rural tracts and 2.5-acre lots for custom builds along League Road, FM 1139 and Klutts Drive.
Lots of about 2.5 acres were listed at $285,000 to $300,000 in 2026; larger tracts run into the millions. Expect septic and a water supply corporation.
Swipe or drag sideways to see them all.
Sonoma Verde is financed by a public improvement district, about $0.77 per $100 on top of other taxes and payable over 30 years.
No municipal utility districts were found inside city limits.
The city’s rate was $0.09239 per $100 for 2025; it adopted $0.121555 for 2026, a 31.6 percent increase.
The average homestead city bill rises from about $581 to $753.
City sewer serves Sonoma Verde; other homes generally use septic; confirm by address.
Water comes from RCH, Blackland or High Point, depending on the address.
D.R. Horton’s proposed River Rock is in unincorporated Rockwall County, outside city limits, and in court with the county.
Check the city and special districts on the appraisal record.
McLendon-Chisholm, incorporated October 18, 1969, lies mostly in Rockwall County, with part of its extraterritorial jurisdiction in Kaufman County, and counted 3,562 residents in the 2020 census, up from 1,373 in 2010 (Census estimate 5,629 for July 2025). Area names follow builder, subdivision, city and listing usage; boundaries are approximate. Price figures are dated snapshots from 2025–2026 builder sites and individual listings, not medians; they are context, not values. Sonoma Verde’s PID figure is the developer’s equivalent rate and varies by lot; HOA dues are reported as $71 and $78 a month. Horizon Lakes details are from Huffines, Toll Brothers and news reports, and its HOA and any special district hadn’t been published. Ridge Pointe HOA details conflict between builders. Legacy Trails, Kingsbridge, Kensington Park and the established and acreage areas weren’t fully confirmed. All verified communities list Rockwall ISD; school districts are listed at the district level only and must be confirmed by address. Tax rates: the city’s $0.092390 was its 2025 rate, and the 2026 rate of $0.121555 was adopted September 22, 2026, equal to the voter-approval rate. Utility details are from the City of McLendon-Chisholm. River Rock’s status is from Rockwall County and news reports. Bobby Franklin, REALTOR®, TREC #0805459, Legacy Realty Group – Leslie Majors Team.
McLendon-Chisholm is mostly homes and open land, so the list is short: a country store and cafe on SH 205, the new Village of Chisholm center at FM 550, a few businesses on the way, and Rockwall’s H-E-B, Costco and square up the road. Here’s a 2026-checked list of 12.
1251 S. SH 205
A country store and lunch cafe on SH 205, selling antiques, furniture and home decor, with a furniture barn attached.
Open Tuesday through Saturday; call ahead to confirm hours.
177 W. FM 550
A new retail, office and medical center at the city’s main intersection; the first phase opened in late 2025, and a second is under way.
177 W. FM 550, Ste. 102
Pizza delivery and carryout in the new center.
177 W. FM 550, Ste. 105
An IV hydration and wellness studio in the new center.
177 W. FM 550
A donut shop with a finish-out permit on file; opening not confirmed.
FM 550 & SH 205
A store with fuel, under construction since May 2026 with a target of February 2027.
SH 205 & FM 550
A Tractor Supply rezoning went to public hearing in 2026; the outcome wasn’t confirmed.
11139 S. SH 205
Barbecue Thursday through Sunday on SH 205 south toward Terrell, likely outside city limits.
1600 E. I-30, Rockwall
The nearest full-service grocery, opened October 2025, about 15 minutes north on SH 205.
1225 SH 276, Rockwall
Costco with gas and a pharmacy on SH 276.
SH 205 at SH 66, Rockwall
Locally owned restaurants and shops straight up SH 205 on the courthouse square.
I-30 at Lake Ray Hubbard, Rockwall
The area’s lakefront dining district on Lake Ray Hubbard.
McLendon-Chisholm is mostly homes and open land. Its commercial center is forming at SH 205 and FM 550, where the Village of Chisholm opened and a 7-Eleven is under construction.
For groceries and most dining, residents drive north on SH 205 into Rockwall; those spots are marked Not In McLendon-Chisholm.
Compiled October 2026. Listings are from business websites, the City of McLendon-Chisholm, state construction filings, leasing materials and review listings, and were not confirmed with owners; call ahead to confirm hours and that a business is still open. Village of Chisholm tenants were confirmed through job, permit and review listings; Donut Supreme’s opening, the 7-Eleven’s completion date and the Tractor Supply rezoning are unconfirmed. Chisholm Country Store’s location inside city limits wasn’t confirmed. Smoke Monkey BBQ appears to be south of the city. No grocery store has been announced inside McLendon-Chisholm. Nearby wineries and other restaurants with Rockwall addresses weren’t confirmed and aren’t listed. Businesses marked Not In McLendon-Chisholm are in Rockwall or unincorporated Rockwall County. 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 Cotton Gin and a Prairie Chapel to a Growing City on SH 205
The land around today’s city was Caddo homeland and later saw Cherokee migration, on some of the richest soil in Texas.
The Handbook of Texas says the Rockwall County area “was the home of several tribes of Caddo Indians.” Early in the 1800s, Cherokees moving west from beyond the Mississippi began arriving, and by the time Anglo-American settlers reached the East Fork of the Trinity in the 1840s, the groups were at war with one another across the region. Settlers who followed found a landscape with few trees, open grasslands and creeks that drained toward the East Fork of the Trinity River.
The land itself shaped everything that followed. Rockwall County sits on the Blackland Prairie, and the Handbook calls 93 percent of it “arable and extremely fertile.” Most of it was open prairie with tall grasses and timber along the river. That dark soil later supported the cotton farms that built both the McLendon and Chisholm communities. Farm families, including the Chisholms from Tennessee, would soon arrive to clear and plow the land.
Republic of Texas colonization and the Central National Road brought the first Anglo settlers. In 1847 the future Chisholm townsite went to Mexican War veteran King Latham.
In the mid-1840s the Republic of Texas built its Central National Road through the future county, carrying settlers toward the Peters Colony near present-day Dallas. Nearby, John O. Heath received a Mercer Colony grant on the East Fork in 1846. The area passed through Nacogdoches, Henderson and, after 1847, Kaufman counties before Rockwall County was formed in 1873. Those early grants set the pattern of large family landholdings that defined the area for more than a century.
The city’s history page says the land that became the Chisholm townsite “was given to a veteran of the Mexican War, King Latham in 1847.” Its archive also shows a map labeled “The Griffith League,” suggesting part of the area traces to an earlier league survey. Which grants cover today’s city limits hasn’t been confirmed in land office records. The details matter today mainly to historians, since modern titles trace back through many later sales and surveys.
Methodist preacher and farmer Enoch Parson Chisholm bought 200 acres from King Latham. The Chisholm community is named for him and his brother, Col. B. Frank Chisholm.
The Handbook and the city say Chisholm took its name from Enoch Parson Chisholm, “who settled on 200 acres in 1856,” and from his brother, B. Frank Chisholm, a Civil War colonel. A few years later Enoch bought another 600 acres for $2 an acre. He farmed the land and was a licensed preacher in the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. His land became the heart of the community that still carries the family name.
Cemetery records give Enoch’s dates as 1812 to 1875, born in Maury County, Tennessee; his brother lived from 1820 to 1896 and is buried nearby. Sources differ on when the family came: the Handbook says the 1850s, while the state historical marker says Enoch brought his family “in the 1860s.” Both brothers helped shape the church, cemetery and school that held the scattered farm families together.
Landowner P. A. McLendon built a combined store, cotton gin and blacksmith shop that anchored the McLendon community for more than a century.
The Handbook says McLendon’s was named for P. A. McLendon, who about 1870 built “a combination store, cotton gin, and blacksmith shop that remained in continuous operation until 1975.” A schoolhouse and a church went up at about the same time, and the city calls McLendon “a thriving neighborhood” surrounded by blackland soil that produced an abundance of cotton. The combined business served farmers who brought cotton to be ginned, tools to be repaired and supplies to be bought, all at one stop.
A McLendon post office opened in 1880 and closed in 1905. By 1896 the farm settlement had 150 residents and nine businesses. After that, the Handbook says, McLendon held at about 50 residents and two businesses for most of the 20th century, while its gin kept serving farm families across the area. Its long run made the McLendon name a fixture on local maps, and it later became half of the city’s name.
Enoch Chisholm organized a Methodist congregation in his home in 1871, donated land for a cemetery and built Chisholm Chapel by 1875.
The Handbook says the congregation met in Enoch’s home before he built a small chapel by 1875, “called Chisholm Chappell by the congregation, which was still standing in the 1980s.” The state historical marker says he donated land for the graveyard in 1871 and, in 1875, became the first person buried there, the same year the chapel was built on the cemetery grounds. The chapel and cemetery became the center of community life for the families who settled around the Chisholm land.
The Chisholm Cemetery carries a Texas Historical Commission marker, which says that at its peak Chisholm had “a school, post office, Masonic Lodge, cotton gin, and stores.” Sources date the marker to 1977 and 1990. The city says early family names can still be read today at the historic Chisholm Chapel Cemetery. The marker is one of the few state historical markers within the city today.
The town of Chisholm was platted in 1886, the same year its two small schools combined into Berry Creek Academy. A post office operated from 1891 to 1905.
The Handbook says that in 1886 Chisholm’s two school buildings were combined to form Berry Creek Academy. By 1898 it had four rooms, four teachers and 301 students, the second-largest school in Rockwall County. That same year the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad reached Rockwall, giving local farmers a nearby place to ship cotton. The academy drew students from farms across the southern part of the county and gave the small community a regional reputation.
Chisholm’s first store opened in 1890, and a post office followed in 1891 and stayed open until 1905. The Handbook puts Chisholm’s population at 102 in 1904. No source shows a railroad ever running through Chisholm itself; farmers hauled their crops to the rail line at Rockwall. After the post office closed in 1905, Chisholm remained a small farm community centered on its church, school and gin.
Cotton dominated Rockwall County farms into the 1930s, then gave way to livestock and commuting to Dallas. Chisholm reached about 200 residents by 1940.
The Handbook says county cotton production rose from 1900 to 1930, peaking at 18,987 bales in 1930. The Depression, diversified farming and mechanization cut that to 7,466 bales by 1959, and the number of farms fell from 1,031 to 320. By 1948, about a third of the county’s workers commuted to jobs in Dallas. Many families who stayed raised livestock or combined farming with jobs in nearby towns.
In Chisholm, the Handbook records 200 residents in 1940 and 167 in 1968–69, and says the community supported a few businesses until the mid-1960s. The completion of Interstate 30 in the late 1950s tightened the county’s ties to Dallas. Local schools were later consolidated into Rockwall ISD. Families who remained kept the area’s rural character, with large lots, pastures and scattered homes along farm roads.
RCH Water Supply Corporation, whose initials originally stood for Rockwall, Chisholm and Heath, was incorporated in 1961 as a nonprofit rural water provider.
The city’s RCH page says, “Originally the letters stood for Rockwall, Chisholm and Heath.” It describes RCH as a nonprofit water supply corporation created under the Texas Water Code, incorporated in 1961 and holding a state certificate to provide retail drinking water. Its filings describe a system serving about 3,000 members from a pump station, tower and storage site. Rural water was a major step for farm families who had relied on wells, cisterns and stock tanks.
For decades RCH bought wholesale water from the City of Rockwall, including a 2009 agreement for 2.1 million gallons. A local newspaper column reported some RCH customers in McLendon-Chisholm lost water entirely in 2022. RCH now reports a direct connection to the North Texas Municipal Water District, and water service remains a key growth issue. The city has studied ways to secure more reliable supply, including an agreement with Blackland Water Supply Corporation for parts of Sonoma Verde.
Residents of McLendon and Chisholm voted to incorporate as a single city to secure zoning protection for their rural way of life.
The city’s history page says residents “seeking zoning protection for their rural type communities voted to incorporate and the two communities were incorporated as McLendon-Chisholm on October 18, 1969.” A state proclamation read in 2016 said they united “in order to preserve the area’s unique rural lifestyle.” It governed as a general-law city until voters adopted a home rule charter on May 3, 2025. Zoning gave local residents a way to control lot sizes and land use as suburban development spread east from Dallas.
Incorporation came as the region changed quickly. Rockwall County had joined the Dallas metro area in 1967, and the Handbook says Lake Ray Hubbard was built in 1969 and 1970, setting off lakeside growth to the west. The city marked the 50th anniversary of its incorporation in 2019. Through the 1970s and 1980s, the city remained small, rural and largely agricultural.
The McLendon-Chisholm Volunteer Fire Department was incorporated in 1974. The town grew slowly, reaching 1,373 residents by the 2010 census.
Local reporting and the city say the volunteer fire department was incorporated in 1974 as a nonprofit and contracted with the city every year for more than four decades. P. A. McLendon’s store, gin and blacksmith operation closed in 1975, after about a century. The Handbook says the town had about 150 residents in 1972–73 and about 480 in the 1980s. Volunteers answered fire and emergency calls across the city and nearby rural areas for decades.
Mike Donegan served as mayor from 1994 to 2010, the longest tenure in city history. The census counted 914 residents in 2000 and 1,373 in 2010. Sources disagree on 1990: the Handbook and the city’s history page say 646, while a city recruitment document cites 548. City government stayed small as the population grew from a few hundred to more than a thousand.
On September 10, 2007, the city created the Sonoma Public Improvement District, covering about 548 acres, which later financed streets, water and sewer for Sonoma Verde.
A city document says the council approved the PID creation resolution on September 10, 2007, covering “approximately 547.89 contiguous acres.” The development agreement dates to June 2007, with amendments in 2008 and 2012 that mainly dealt with wastewater treatment. The original service and assessment plan was approved in January 2015. The district was created years before homes were built, laying the financial groundwork for the city’s first large master plan.
The plan called for a lift station and about 27,309 feet of sewer force main along FM 550, connecting to the regional Buffalo Creek interceptor. The city issued $6.2 million in 2019 special assessment bonds for the second improvement area, and it still provides sewer service to Sonoma Verde homes today. Sonoma Verde homeowners pay PID assessments on their tax bills to repay the cost of those improvements over time.
A new City Hall opened on FM 550 in 2016, the volunteer department became McLendon-Chisholm Fire Rescue in 2018, and the Mike Donegan Public Safety Building was dedicated in 2022.
City Hall at 1371 W. FM 550 opened in April 2016, when a state proclamation noted the town had grown to more than 2,000 residents. The Rockwall chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution dedicated a Veterans Memorial on its grounds in 2018. That October, the volunteer fire department joined the city as McLendon-Chisholm Fire Rescue. The new building gave the city its first dedicated civic campus, which also hosts its annual ceremonies and holiday events.
Ground was broken in late 2020 on an 11,400-square-foot public safety building with three apparatus bays and space for future police staff. The council named it for former mayor Mike Donegan, a longtime supporter of the volunteer fire department, and it was dedicated on March 12, 2022. Today the City Hall and fire station campus sit side by side on FM 550, hosting council meetings, ceremonies and holiday events.
The city adopted a Comprehensive Plan for 2021–2040 favoring one-acre lots and rural character, and zoned the 164.5-acre Heritage subdivision for 134 one-acre lots.
The plan, adopted in September 2021, records residents’ preference for new homes “on a minimum of one-acre lots.” It names SH 205 and FM 550 as the main commercial corridors and floats a future downtown at their intersection with dining, a coffee shop and a farmers market. It also notes the city’s limited sales tax base. Residents shaped the plan through surveys and public meetings, reflecting the same rural priorities that led to incorporation in 1969.
Earlier that year, on March 23, 2021, the city rezoned about 164.5 acres near Pullen and Sinks roads from agriculture to a planned development of 134 single-family lots of at least one acre, plus common areas. Builders including Kindred and Altura later built homes in the Heritage community. The one-acre standard set the pattern for several later subdivisions, including Ridge Pointe Estates.
The city grew from 3,562 residents in 2020 to an estimated 5,629 in 2025. Horizon Lakes broke ground, and new retail took shape at SH 205 and FM 550.
Huffines broke ground on Horizon Lakes on FM 550 in July 2025, a 900-acre community planned for about 1,800 homes, with Toll Brothers, CastleRock and Pulte expecting first homes in 2027. At the city’s main intersection, the Village of Chisholm retail center opened its first phase in late 2025, and a 7-Eleven is under construction. New homes at Sonoma Verde, Heritage and Ridge Pointe Estates added thousands of residents in just a few years.
Not every nearby plan is in the city. D.R. Horton’s proposed River Rock development lies in unincorporated Rockwall County, outside city limits, and is the subject of a lawsuit with the county; a court denied the developer’s motion in March 2026, and the case was headed toward trial. The dispute grew from a 2019 state law that let landowners leave a city’s extraterritorial jurisdiction, which once included this land.
Compiled from the Texas State Historical Association Handbook of Texas (McLendon-Chisholm and Rockwall County entries), the City of McLendon-Chisholm’s history page, RCH water page and CivicWeb documents, Texas Historical Commission marker text, cemetery records, Blue Ribbon News, the Rockwall Herald-Banner, The Rockwall Times, WFAA, Rockwall County and the U.S. Census Bureau. Where sources conflict, the widget notes both: the Chisholm family’s arrival (1856 or the 1860s), the 1990 population (646 or 548) and the cemetery marker’s date (1977 or 1990). The city cites more than 6,500 residents; the widget uses the Census Bureau’s July 2025 estimate. Which land grants cover today’s city limits, the year local schools joined Rockwall ISD and Sonoma Verde’s first occupancy year weren’t confirmed. Pre-1900 details rely largely on one 1969 county history. River Rock is outside city limits. Census figures are total population. Bobby Franklin, REALTOR®, TREC #0805459, Legacy Realty Group – Leslie Majors Team.
An Easter Egg Drop, a Christmas Tree Lighting and Ceremonies for Veterans
The city lights its live Christmas tree, with Santa arriving by fire truck, cocoa and cookies, and bins for unwrapped toys and canned food. Free. Held December 1 in 2021, 2022 and 2024; 2026 date not yet announced.
No 2025 announcement or recap was found; check with City Hall at 972-524-2077.
Hosted by the City of McLendon-Chisholm with McLendon-Chisholm Fire Rescue.
A ceremony honoring veterans and active military members, with a guest speaker and food. Free and open to all. Held 2019, November 11, 2024, and November 11, 2025; 2026 not yet announced.
Egg hunts by age group, Easter Bunny photos, food trucks and inflatables; some years a helicopter dropped the eggs. Free. Held every year from 2022 through 2025, and scheduled for March 28, 2026.
A program honoring service members who died in military service. Free and open to the public. Held May 30, 2022, May 27, 2023, and May 26, 2025.
Rockwall’s birthday festival with an evening country concert, about 15 minutes north on SH 205.
Free lakefront concerts at The Harbor, with fall dates in October.
The Kiwanis parade and tree lighting in Rockwall and Heath’s tree lighting both fall on the first Saturday of December.
McLendon-Chisholm’s events are hosted by the city at the City Hall and fire station campus on FM 550, and all are free.
For festivals, concerts and parades, most residents head north to Rockwall or west to Heath.
Dates move for weather, so check mclendon-chisholm.com before you go.
Timing shown is the usual pattern for each event; exact dates, times and prices change from year to year and should be confirmed with organizers. Event details are from the City of McLendon-Chisholm, Blue Ribbon News and the Rockwall Herald-Banner; each McLendon-Chisholm event listed was found in at least two years. No post-event recap confirmed the March 28, 2026, egg drop. The tree lighting has been held on December 1, a pattern described by a local source; no 2025 lighting was confirmed. Memorial Day ceremonies weren’t confirmed for 2024 or 2026. A Founder’s Day mentioned in a 2026 magazine profile has no record of being held, and no city National Night Out, fall festival, Fourth of July event or farmers market was found, so none is shown. Sonoma Verde HOA events weren’t confirmed and may be for residents only. Events under “Nearby” are held in Rockwall and Heath; confirm dates with those cities. Bobby Franklin, REALTOR®, TREC #0805459, Legacy Realty Group – Leslie Majors Team.
What to know about McLendon-Chisholm schools:
The rating: 2026 ratings are preliminary until TEA’s final release on December 11, 2026. Review the full results at TXschools.gov.
Nearby: Providence Academy, a private Christian school, is on SH 205. State law places Rockwall County in Collin College’s service area.
Want the full breakdown? Read our complete McLendon-Chisholm schools guide →
Sonoma Verde, Heritage, Ridge Pointe Estates and Horizon Lakes are all in Rockwall ISD, which earned an A (91) in 2026. Builders list different campuses for different neighborhoods, and a small Kaufman County edge may be in another district. Confirm the campus by address.
District-wide
Every verified McLendon-Chisholm subdivision, including Sonoma Verde, Heritage, Ridge Pointe Estates and Horizon Lakes, is in Rockwall ISD.
District rating: A (91) in 2026, up from a B (89) in 2025, a B (87) in 2024 and a B (88) in 2023.
Rural parcels and the small Kaufman County side should be confirmed by address.
FM 3097 · Laurence Dr.
Builders list Dorothy Smith Pullen Elementary and Maurine Cain Middle School, side by side on FM 3097, and Rockwall-Heath High School on Laurence Drive in Heath.
Horizon Lakes’ school guide reflects the 2025–26 school year; confirm current zones with the district.
Fontanna Blvd. · Laurence Dr.
Sources list Sharon Shannon Elementary on Fontanna Boulevard and Rockwall-Heath High School. The middle school is listed as Cain or Rakow, which opened in Fate in August 2025.
Use the district’s 2026–27 attendance zone map rather than builder listings. A planned school in Sonoma Verde is a builder claim and isn’t district-confirmed.
District-wide
Trustees kept the rate at $0.7869 for operations and $0.28 for debt, below the no-new-revenue rate of $1.0866.
On a $620,000 homestead, the school share is about $5,121 after the $140,000 state exemption.
District-wide
In November 2025, voters approved a tax ratification election by 54 to 46 percent. In November 2024 they rejected a VATRE and $848.7 million in bonds.
No Rockwall ISD measure was found on the November 3, 2026, ballot.
District-wide
Rockwall ISD posts a 2026–27 attendance zone map and an inquiry form for unclear addresses, answered within about 24 hours on business days. School started August 13, 2026.
The bus route finder isn’t an attendance-zone tool, the district says. Families building a home can enroll with a signed builder’s contract.
Southern edge
A small part of the city and its extraterritorial jurisdiction reaches into Kaufman County. Census mapping suggests that area may be in Terrell ISD, not Rockwall ISD.
This wasn’t confirmed on appraisal records. Check the school district on the parcel’s appraisal record before you buy.
State law
State law places Rockwall County in Collin College’s service area and Kaufman County in Trinity Valley Community College’s.
Ask each college about tuition, campus locations and dual-credit options.
SH 205 · Rockwall
Providence Academy, a university-model Christian school, is on SH 205 at the former Chisholm Baptist Church site; Heritage Christian Academy is in Rockwall. Texas treats homeschools as private schools.
No charter campus was found nearby. Confirm each school’s grades and admissions directly.
Builders list different middle schools for Sonoma Verde, and zones shifted when a new middle school opened in 2025.
Use Rockwall ISD’s 2026–27 attendance zone map or inquiry form for the address.
On a $620,000 homestead, the school share runs about $5,121 after the $140,000 state exemption.
Owners 65 and older get $60,000 more plus a school tax ceiling.
Rockwall ISD earned an A (91) in 2026, its first A in the four years shown.
Ratings are preliminary until TEA’s final release on December 11, 2026. Review results at TXschools.gov.
Rockwall ISD has no new elementary schools funded since the 2024 bond failed.
Horizon Lakes plans about 1,800 homes, with first homes expected in 2027.
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. 2026 ratings were released by TEA on August 14, 2026, and are preliminary pending appeals. Ratings for 2023 and 2024 were delayed by litigation and released in 2025. District assignment is based on builder and developer listings, a title company tax table and Census mapping; listed campuses come from builder and developer materials and may change. Sources conflict on Sonoma Verde’s middle school. The Kaufman County portion’s district wasn’t confirmed on appraisal records. No Rockwall ISD campus was confirmed inside city limits. Grade spans changed after a new middle school opened in 2025; check the district. Election results are from the Rockwall Herald-Banner and Rockwall ISD. Community college service areas are from the Texas Education Code. Private school details are from school listings and local reporting. 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 McLendon-Chisholm homes actually sold for each month. With Sonoma Verde new construction, one-acre enclaves and country acreage trading side by side, the mix of what sold moves this line as much as the market does.
McLendon-Chisholm’s median moves with which homes sold: Sonoma Verde homes, one-acre new builds or acreage. Redfin’s August 2026 median was about $614,600, while another portal’s 12-month median was about $583,000. Read the trend, not one month.
A Sonoma Verde home on a 60-foot lot, a new one-acre build at Heritage and a ranch on FM 1139 can all land on this one line. The chart is not your comp. Your comps match your size, age, lot, septic or sewer and any PID.
Texas is a non-disclosure state, so portal prices are models. This is MLS. Ask for the actual comparable sales, plus the PID installment in Sonoma Verde, the water provider, septic status and whether the address is inside city limits.
Days on market describes how buyers behaved. Redfin reported a median of about 87 days in August 2026, and price per square foot fell about 3 percent, a market with 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 here have offered price cuts and closing-cost help.
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. McLendon-Chisholm records few sales each month, so a handful of new-construction closings can move the median.
Your competition includes builders in Sonoma Verde, Heritage and Ridge Pointe, with Horizon Lakes coming in 2027, plus homes in Rockwall, Heath and Fate. Price against true comparables and have septic and roof records ready.
Inventory runs from new construction to country acreage. Confirm city limits, PID, water provider, septic and school district early, because they affect 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. Many McLendon-Chisholm homes carry Rockwall mailing addresses, and MLS city fields may not match city limits or the extraterritorial jurisdiction, so these charts may not match the city boundary. The median, days on market and price per square foot are Redfin’s for August 2026; the 12-month median is from Homes.com. Zillow doesn’t publish a city-level value. These charts do not separate PID, septic or sewer, new construction or resale. 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 Rockwall County index, the federal repeat-sales measure for Rockwall County, which holds nearly all of McLendon-Chisholm. A home bought in 2015 is worth about twice its price on the index, with the biggest jump between 2020 and 2022 and a plateau since.
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 Rockwall County index rose about 98 percent, with the biggest jump between 2020 and 2022.
It peaked in 2024 and slipped 0.9 percent in 2025, its first annual dip since 2012.
The city’s 2026 average homestead value is about $619,600, and Redfin’s August 2026 median sale price was about $614,600.
Zillow doesn’t publish a city value. Type over it with what you paid.
Homes took a median of 87 days to sell in August 2026, and price per square foot fell about 3 percent. Builders are cutting prices and offering closing-cost help.
Indexes are county-wide, so value any specific property from true comparables.
A $620,000 homestead pays roughly $7,500 a year to the city, county and Rockwall ISD, about 1.2 percent of value.
Sonoma Verde homes add a PID installment, roughly $700 to $2,400 a year depending on phase and lot.
Growth rates are the FHFA All-Transactions House Price Index, annual values 2009 through 2025: Rockwall County, Texas (FRED series ATNHPIUS48397A, 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 Rockwall County series recorded 137.19 in 2015, 274.05 in 2024 and 271.67 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. The prefilled dollar figures are derived and illustrative, not published: they apply the Rockwall County index to a $620,000 anchor near the City of McLendon-Chisholm’s 2026 average homestead taxable value ($619,562) and Redfin’s August 2026 median sale price ($614,593). Redfin’s figures cover a small number of sales, many of them new construction; another portal showed a 12-month median of about $583,000. 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 6.60 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 McLendon-Chisholm’s 2026 rate of 0.121555, adopted September 22, 2026; Rockwall County’s adopted 0.2620 for FY2027; and Rockwall ISD’s adopted 1.0669. It assumes a $620,000 appraised value for an owner under 65 with no homestead cap benefit, applying the $140,000 school exemption; the city and county offer no general homestead exemption. For an owner 65 or older, the first-year figure is about $6,730 before tax ceilings take effect, using a $30,000 city exemption from a 2024 title company table that should be confirmed with the Rockwall Central Appraisal District. Sonoma PID installments vary by improvement area and lot type; the range shown comes from published buyer disclosures, and current amounts are on the district administrator’s lookup. 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.
McLendon-Chisholm is a city of about 5,600 in southern Rockwall County, between Rockwall, Heath and Forney, built around large lots and a light city tax. The trade-offs are real: septic on most lots, water that varies by address and a drive for most errands.
Estimated Off-Peak Drive Time from City Hall on FM 550
Around Town and Beyond
Estimated minutes off-peak from City Hall on FM 550. These are planning estimates, so check a live map before relying on any of them.
The city’s 2021–2040 plan calls for new homes on lots of at least one acre, or no more than one home per acre.
Residents named the rural, country feel as a top strength; some planned developments vary, so check the zoning.
The 2026 city rate of $0.121555 per $100 is under half the 2025–26 rates in Rockwall, Heath and Fate.
On a $620,000 homestead the city share is about $754; the school district is most of the bill.
Voters adopted a home rule charter on May 3, 2025, 372 to 109, and the city approved its first Parks Master Plan in 2026.
A city fire rescue department handles fire and first-response EMS; the Rockwall County Sheriff provides law enforcement.
TxDOT is planning to widen SH 205 south to Terrell and rebuild the FM 550 intersection; expect work zones.
Horizon Lakes, about 1,800 planned homes on FM 550, expects first homes in 2027.
City sewer serves Sonoma Verde only; other homes use septic. Water comes from RCH, Blackland or High Point, depending on the address.
There’s no hospital and no DART; STAR Transit offers weekday rides by reservation.
The 2026 city rate is up 31.6 percent, and the budget raises city property tax revenue about 58 percent.
A $620,000 homestead pays roughly $7,499 a year in total; Sonoma Verde adds a PID installment of about $700 to $2,400.
Drive times are planning estimates from City Hall on FM 550, not live traffic; check a live map before you rely on them. Rush-hour times can run much longer, especially during I-30 and SH 205 construction. The one-acre standard is from the city’s adopted 2021–2040 Comprehensive Plan; planned development districts set their own standards, and a plan update was under way. Tax figures: the city’s $0.121555 was adopted September 22, 2026, up from $0.092390, and the 57.9 percent levy increase is from the city’s budget notice. Neighbor rates are adopted 2025–26 rates (Rockwall $0.2575, Heath $0.27565, Fate $0.290869); their 2026–27 rates weren’t all confirmed. The $7,499 total is the illustration from our equity widget, using Rockwall County’s $0.2620 and Rockwall ISD’s $1.0669 for an owner under 65; PID installments vary by lot. Home rule results are from the Rockwall Herald-Banner and the city charter. Fire department staffing is a combination of paid and part-time personnel per the Texas A&M Forest Service. Utility details are from the City of McLendon-Chisholm; the city has reported water service problems with RCH, so ask about service at each address. Road and development timing are TxDOT and developer projections. STAR Transit details are from STAR Transit. Population is the Census Bureau’s July 2025 estimate (5,629); the 2020 census counted 3,562. 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 taxes, the 2026 rate increase and senior breaks to septic, three water providers, the Sonoma PID and nearby growth.
Inside city limits, homes are served by Rockwall ISD, which the City of McLendon-Chisholm lists on its new resident page. Every community checked for our neighborhood guide listed Rockwall ISD as well.
Rockwall ISD earned an A (91) in TEA’s preliminary 2026 ratings. Final ratings follow TEA’s appeals process, so check TXschools.gov for the current result.
Near the Kaufman County edge and in nearby unincorporated areas, some communities are marketed with Forney ISD. A city name or mailing address doesn’t set the school district, so confirm the district and the assigned campus with the district’s attendance lookup before you write an offer.
For an owner under 65, roughly $7,499 a year, or about 1.2 percent of value.
That’s about $754 to the city at its 2026 rate of $0.121555 per $100, about $1,624 to Rockwall County at $0.2620, and about $5,121 to Rockwall ISD at $1.0669 after the $140,000 school exemption. The school district is about two-thirds of the bill.
The city and county offer no general homestead exemption, so only the school bill gets that break. Homes in Sonoma Verde also pay a PID installment and HOA dues. Treat this as an illustration, not a quote, and ask for the tax certificate on any home you’re considering.
On September 22, 2026, the city adopted $0.121555 per $100, equal to its voter-approval rate. That’s above the no-new-revenue rate of $0.110084 and 31.6 percent higher than 2025’s $0.092390.
The 2026–27 budget raises property tax revenue by about $551,058, or 57.9 percent, with about $90,727 of that coming from new property added to the rolls. On the city’s average homestead, the city bill rises from about $581 to about $753.
Even after the increase, the rate is under half the 2025–26 city rates in Rockwall, Heath and Fate. The city’s budget documents explain where the money goes; read them on the city website before you buy.
Rockwall ISD gives the largest break: the $140,000 general exemption plus $60,000 more for owners 65 or older or disabled, with a school tax ceiling that freezes the school bill.
Rockwall County adds a $35,000 over-65 exemption with its own ceiling. Title company tables show the city offering a $30,000 over-65 exemption with an optional tax ceiling and a $30,000 disabled exemption; confirm current amounts with the Rockwall Central Appraisal District.
On a $620,000 home, the first-year bill for an owner 65 or older runs about $6,730. After that, the ceilings generally keep those bills from rising unless you add major improvements. File with the appraisal district once you qualify.
Sonoma Verde was financed partly through a public improvement district, or PID. Owners repay the cost of streets, utilities and other improvements through an annual installment that appears on top of regular property taxes.
Published buyer disclosures show installments of roughly $700 to $2,400 a year, depending on the improvement area and lot type. The developer describes it as about $0.77 per $100, payable over about 30 years.
The district is administered by P3Works (888-417-7074), which has a lookup for each lot’s current installment and payoff. Ask for that figure, plus the HOA dues, before you compare a Sonoma Verde home with one outside a PID.
Most will be on septic. The city’s sewer system serves the Sonoma Verde subdivision only, at about $95.79 a month; homes elsewhere in the city generally use on-site sewage facilities.
The city sought bids in late 2025 for sewer improvements near SH 205 and FM 550, but the award and construction status weren’t confirmed, so don’t count on sewer reaching other areas soon.
If a home has septic, ask the seller for permits and service records and order a septic inspection during your option period. System size can limit added bedrooms or a guest house, so check before you plan an addition or a pool.
The city doesn’t sell water. Each address falls in the certificated area of one of three providers: RCH Water Supply Corporation, Blackland Water Supply Corporation or High Point Special Utility District.
RCH buys its water wholesale from the City of Rockwall, a North Texas Municipal Water District member. The city’s own FAQ says RCH has had difficulty providing continuous and adequate service, and a 2024 agreement has Blackland extending a line into parts of Sonoma Verde.
Ask the seller which provider serves the home, request recent bills, and call that provider about pressure, outages and any watering restrictions before your option period ends.
Electricity comes from Oncor lines, where you pick a retail electric plan, or from Farmers Electric Cooperative, depending on the address. Cooperative areas generally don’t offer retail choice, so check which applies before you shop rates.
Natural gas is Atmos Energy where lines exist; many rural homes use propane, with Suburban Propane among the suppliers the city lists.
Trash and recycling are handled by Community Waste Disposal on Thursdays in 95-gallon carts, at $32.61 a month, billed through Inframark, which also bills Sonoma Verde sewer. Internet options vary widely; check the FCC broadband map by address.
Fire and first-response medical calls go to the city’s McLendon-Chisholm Fire Rescue, a department set up by city code. State records list it as a combination department with paid and part-time staff.
The city doesn’t have its own police force. Law enforcement comes from the Rockwall County Sheriff’s Office, under an arrangement that dates to 2015. The sheriff’s non-emergency line is (972) 204-7001, and the fire department’s non-emergency line is 469-377-7800.
For any emergency, call 911. If insurance pricing matters to you, ask your insurance agent how the property is rated before you close.
No. Voters adopted a home rule charter at the May 3, 2025, election, 372 to 109. The city had operated as a general-law city since incorporating in 1969.
Home rule lets a city do anything state law doesn’t prohibit, rather than only what state law allows. McLendon-Chisholm’s charter created a city manager position and a parks board.
Since then, the city has held hearings on an SH 205 overlay district for the highway corridor and approved its first Parks Master Plan in June 2026. For buyers, the practical takeaway is to check current city ordinances, not older summaries, when you plan a build, a fence or a business.
For new development, the adopted 2021–2040 Comprehensive Plan calls for lots of at least one acre, not counting floodplain or rights-of-way, or no more than one home per acre.
Each subdivision’s zoning sets the actual rules. Planned development districts can set their own lot standards; Heritage, for example, was zoned in 2021 with one-acre minimums, while Sonoma Verde and some newer plans have smaller lots.
The earlier 2016 plan called for larger lots, and the city listed a plan update among its recent initiatives. Before buying land to divide or build on, ask the city for the current zoning and any planned development ordinance for that parcel.
Yes. The city requires permits and inspections for new homes and most remodeling, and applications are submitted by email as PDFs through the city’s permits page.
The city uses the 2021 residential and building codes and the 2023 National Electrical Code, with local amendments, and publishes a residential building packet with helpful tips.
Homes on septic also need an on-site sewage facility permit. A 2017 city checklist listed a separate septic permit fee for new homes; confirm the current fee and which office reviews the system on the city’s fee schedule. Get permits before work starts, and ask the seller for permit records on past additions, pools and outbuildings.
No. River Rock is a D.R. Horton development in unincorporated Rockwall County, outside McLendon-Chisholm’s city limits, though it sits nearby.
Reporting in April 2026 described an 85-acre, 418-home first section within a larger assemblage of more than 1,800 acres that could hold roughly 6,000 homes at full buildout.
The project is in litigation with Rockwall County; a judge denied D.R. Horton’s bid for partial summary judgment, sending the dispute toward trial. Its timing and scale are uncertain. If you’re buying nearby, follow county updates and confirm whether a home is inside the city, since that changes taxes and services.
Horizon Lakes is a planned master-planned community of about 900 acres on FM 550 in McLendon-Chisholm, reported at about 1,800 homes.
Plans include a recreational lake, trails and pools, and builders named in coverage include Toll Brothers, CastleRock and Pulte. The developer has projected first homes in 2027; treat that as a target, not a promise.
HOA dues and any special district hadn’t been published at last check. If you’re considering an early lot or home, ask the builder for the HOA budget, any PID or district disclosures, the utility providers and the amenity schedule in writing.
Plan on roughly 40 minutes to downtown Dallas off-peak, taking SH 205 north to I-30. Heath is about 10 minutes away and Rockwall about 15; DFW Airport runs about 55 minutes.
McLendon-Chisholm isn’t a DART city. The closest rail is the Downtown Rowlett station, roughly 25 minutes west.
STAR Transit provides curb-to-curb rides across Rockwall County, Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Book at least one business day ahead at (877) 631-5278. Rush-hour drives run longer, especially with I-30 construction, so test your route at commute time.
Most errands mean a drive north to Rockwall, about 15 minutes. H-E-B is at 1600 E. I-30 and Costco is at 1225 SH 276, with other grocers along the I-30 corridor.
The nearest hospital is Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Rockwall at 3150 Horizon Road. McLendon-Chisholm has no hospital of its own.
Closer to home, a convenience store has been reported under construction at the Village of Chisholm center near SH 205 and FM 550. Opening dates for new retail aren’t confirmed, so check before you count on it. For emergencies, call 911.
TxDOT’s SH 205 South project covers about 13 miles from US 80 in Terrell to John King Boulevard in Rockwall, passing through McLendon-Chisholm.
A separate project at the FM 550 and SH 205 intersection received environmental clearance on November 19, 2025, and 60 percent plans had been submitted by February 2026. Construction dates weren’t announced.
North of the city, I-30 widening from Dalrock Road to SH 205 began in 2023, with completion estimated in 2027. Expect lane shifts and detours in the years ahead, and if a home backs to SH 205 or FM 550, ask about right-of-way plans.
The city keeps a small, free calendar at City Hall on FM 550. The Easter Egg Drop in late March or early April has egg hunts by age group and food trucks, and the Christmas Tree Lighting brings Santa by fire truck.
Memorial Day and Veterans Day ceremonies are held at the Veterans Memorial, where you can buy a commemorative brick for $30.
The city also holds an X-treme Green disposal day each year. For festivals, concerts and parades, most residents head to Rockwall or Heath. Dates change, so check the city’s community calendar before you go.
Redfin’s median sale price was about $614,593 in August 2026, and homes took a median of 87 days to sell. The city’s 2026 average homestead taxable value was about $619,562.
Monthly figures swing because there are few sales, and many are new construction. Prices range from Sonoma Verde homes to custom estates on acreage listed well above $1 million.
With mortgage rates near 7.28 percent in early October 2026 and long market times, buyers can often negotiate on price, repairs or builder incentives. Sellers do best pricing to recent sales of similar lot sizes and comparing against new-construction offers nearby.
For 2026, the FHA limit for a one-unit home in Rockwall County is $563,500, and the conforming limit is $832,750. A typical $620,000 home is above the FHA limit, so FHA buyers need a larger down payment or a lower price.
Freddie Mac’s 30-year average was 7.28 percent on October 1, 2026. On a $620,000 purchase with 20 percent down, principal and interest would run about $3,390 a month before taxes, insurance and HOA dues.
Statewide TSAHC and TDHCA programs offer down payment help with income and price limits. The 2027 loan limits are usually announced in late November.
Answers were verified as of October 2026 from the City of McLendon-Chisholm, Rockwall County, the Rockwall Central Appraisal District, Rockwall ISD, the Texas Education Agency, TxDOT, STAR Transit, the Texas A&M Forest Service, the city charter and code, the Census Bureau, builder and developer sites, Redfin, Freddie Mac, FHA and FHFA, and 2025–2026 local reporting. Rates, fees, providers and hours change; verify anything you intend to rely on. The city’s $0.121555 rate was adopted September 22, 2026; tax figures are illustrations, not quotes. School ratings are preliminary until TEA finishes appeals. City senior exemption amounts are from title company tables and must be confirmed with the appraisal district. PID installments vary by lot. The water provider, electric provider and septic status must be confirmed for each property, and the status of the city’s water dispute with RCH and the SH 205 sewer project wasn’t confirmed. River Rock and Horizon Lakes details are from news reports and developers, and their timing is uncertain. Drive times are estimates, and road dates are projections. 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 McLendon-Chisholm. Three things set it apart: your water company depends on the address, most homes use septic and law enforcement comes from the county sheriff. Start with the green first-week cards; county offices are in blue, health care in red and anything outside town in purple.
Water comes from RCH, Blackland or High Point, depending on the address. Set up service in your name before closing; High Point wants its new service packet within three days.
RCH: 972-805-1950 Blackland: 972-771-6375 · High Point: 972-564-3801 Do this firstFiling a homestead exemption is free; check every taxing unit on your account, including the Sonoma PID.
972-771-2034 841 Justin Rd., Rockwall Do this firstSome addresses are in Oncor territory, where you shop plans at PowerToChoose.org; others are served by Farmers Electric Cooperative, with no retail choice.
Oncor outages: 888-313-6862 Farmers Electric: 903-455-1715 Do this firstUse the district’s attendance zone inquiry; a mailing address doesn’t set the district or campus.
972-771-0605 1050 Williams St., Rockwall Sonoma VerdeSonoma Verde owners must set up city sewer through Inframark, which also bills trash citywide. Sources list different numbers; try Inframark’s first.
832-467-1599 City-listed: 281-579-4500 Sonoma VerdeLook up a lot’s PID installment, balance and payoff before you write an offer.
888-417-7074 [email protected] Before you buyOutside Sonoma Verde, homes use septic. The city’s permits page has the OSSF packet and the transfer of ownership form to file when you buy.
972-524-2077 1371 W. FM 550 Before you buyCheck any parcel near a creek, and ask for an elevation certificate or survey.
msc.fema.gov Do this firstSign up for the city’s TextMyGov messages, and text RCOEM to 888777 for Rockwall County Nixle alerts.
Text RCOEM to 888777 TextMyGov City HallPermits, zoning questions and payments. Open Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; closed Fridays.
972-524-2077 1371 W. FM 550 LandPlatting, zoning and other planning and zoning submittals for acreage owners.
[email protected] RulesZoning, building, animal and nuisance rules, plus the 2025 home rule charter.
ecode360.com MeetingsCity Council and board agendas, minutes and live meetings.
CivicClerk portal RequestsReport a code issue or submit a request online.
MyGov portal EventsThe Easter Egg Drop, tree lighting, veterans ceremonies and the X-treme Green disposal day.
972-524-2077 CivicOrder a $30 commemorative brick for the memorial at City Hall.
972-524-2077 Fire & RescueFire, rescue and first-response EMS; call the non-emergency line about burn questions.
469-377-7800 1345 W. FM 550 Law EnforcementThe city has no police department; the sheriff provides law enforcement. Non-emergency line answered 24/7.
972-204-7001 972 T L Townsend Dr., Rockwall PreparednessSevere-weather preparedness and the county burn ban status before you burn brush.
972-204-7080 915 Whitmore Dr., Rockwall VehiclesVehicle registration and titles; property taxes are paid to the appraisal district.
972-204-6130 1101 E. Yellowjacket Ln., Ste. 110, Rockwall RecordsA free County Clerk alert when a document is recorded under your name.
800-728-3858 1111 E. Yellowjacket Ln., Rockwall ElectionsVoter registration and polling locations.
972-204-6200 1101 E. Yellowjacket Ln., Ste. 150, Rockwall LibraryCards are free for Rockwall County residents and property owners.
972-204-7700 1215 E. Yellowjacket Ln., Rockwall Kaufman CountyValues and exemptions for parcels on the Kaufman County side of the area.
972-932-6081 3950 S. Houston St., Kaufman TrashTrash and recycling pickup on Thursdays; bills come through Inframark.
972-392-9300, option 2 GasNatural gas where lines exist; many acreage homes use propane instead.
800-460-3030 PropaneAsk whether the tank is owned or leased; a leased tank stays with the supplier, and you’ll need a new account.
Suburban Propane: 800-776-7263 Before you digFree utility line locates before you dig for fences, pools or septic work.
811 InternetOptions vary widely on acreage; check the FCC broadband map and each provider.
broadbandmap.fcc.gov SepticOwner responsibilities and aerobic system maintenance contracts for on-site sewage systems.
tceq.texas.gov HospitalThe nearest full-service hospital, with a 24-hour emergency department.
469-698-1000 3150 Horizon Rd., Rockwall Help linesPoison Control 1-800-222-1222; 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline; 211 for Texas health and social services.
1-800-222-1222 TransitCurb-to-curb rides across Rockwall County, booked ahead or same-day; the city has no DART service.
877-631-5278 RoadsSchedules for SH 205 and FM 548 widening; check right-of-way plans for frontage parcels.
txdot.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 McLendon-Chisholm (contact, permits, land use, utility services, new resident information, the fire department and alerts), Rockwall County (the sheriff, emergency management, tax office, county clerk, elections and library), the Rockwall Central and Kaufman Central appraisal districts, Rockwall ISD, RCH Water Supply Corporation, Blackland Water Supply Corporation, High Point Special Utility District, Inframark, Community Waste Disposal, Farmers Electric Cooperative, Texas Health Rockwall, STAR Transit and TxDOT, and subject to change; if something has moved, tell me and I will correct it. Water, electric and sewer service vary by address; confirm the provider, county and every taxing unit before you buy. Several items conflict across official sources and are flagged rather than presented as certain: Inframark is listed at 281-579-4500 and 972-552-9496 on city pages and at 832-467-1599 on its own site; the city lists Farmers Electric at 800-541-2662, while the cooperative lists 903-455-1715; and the city lists the sheriff at 950 T L Townsend Drive, while the county lists 972. Which office holds a given septic permit, city or county, should be confirmed for each parcel. Water deposits, the P3Works website, the propane supplier’s local office and the FEMA, TCEQ, FCC, Texas 811, Power to Choose and TSAHC links weren’t individually checked this round. No HOA management companies, internet providers or urgent care clinics are listed because none were confirmed. Several services are not in McLendon-Chisholm: the appraisal districts, county offices, library and hospital are in Rockwall and Kaufman. 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.
McLendon-Chisholm, a city of 3,562 at the 2020 census and about 5,600 by the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate, sits in southern Rockwall County between Rockwall, Heath and Forney, built around large lots and a light city tax. Its homes range from Sonoma Verde’s new streets and one-acre builder communities to custom estates and open acreage. Buying here is about septic, water providers, the PID and what the mailing address doesn’t tell you. I sort out the details that matter here, and the awkward parts are named.
Outside Sonoma Verde, homes use septic; city sewer reaches Sonoma Verde only. I order an independent septic inspection, confirm whether an aerobic system needs a maintenance contract, and make sure the city’s transfer of ownership form is filed at closing.
Your water comes from RCH, Blackland or High Point, depending on the address. RCH customers faced Stage 5 limits that banned lawn watering in 2023, and the city and RCH were in court in 2024–25. I confirm the provider and usage history and get service in your name before closing.
Sonoma Verde homes carry a PID installment of roughly $700 to $2,400 a year, and Texas law requires the seller to give you written PID notice. I pull the balance and payoff from P3Works so you can decide whether to pay it off or let it run.
A $620,000 homestead pays about $7,499 a year, and only the school bill gets the $140,000 exemption. The city rate rose 31.6 percent for 2026, though it’s still under half of Rockwall’s. Owners 65 and older get exemptions and tax ceilings.
Redfin’s median was $614,593 in August 2026, with homes taking about 87 days to sell. Builders are advertising $20,000 to $25,000 toward closing costs and promotional rates. Whether you’re buying or selling, I put a resale home next to the builder’s real terms.
Homes here carry Rockwall 75032, Forney 75126 or Royse City 75189 addresses, and nearby developments like River Rock sit outside city limits. Some parcels are in Kaufman County. I pull the taxing units from the appraisal record before quoting taxes.
McLendon-Chisholm has real trade-offs: no hospital, no DART, few stores, septic and water service that varies. TxDOT plans to widen SH 205, so I check right-of-way on frontage lots. If that’s a dealbreaker, you will hear it from me first.
Check the county and taxing units on the appraisal record, not the mailing address. Second, confirm the water provider, RCH, Blackland or High Point. Third, confirm the electric provider, Oncor or Farmers Electric, and whether a propane tank is owned or leased. Fourth, get the septic inspected and file the transfer form. Fifth, in Sonoma Verde, get the PID payoff and HOA documents. And sixth, file your homestead exemption with Rockwall CAD or Kaufman CAD, whichever serves the address.
McLendon-Chisholm-specific things to raise with all four. Freddie Mac’s 30-year average was 7.28 percent on October 1, 2026, the highest since November 2023, so ask about rate locks, buydowns and builder incentives. The FHA limit for Rockwall County is $563,500, below a typical home here, and the conforming limit is $832,750. TDHCA’s first-time buyer program caps the price at about $589,596 in Rockwall County; ask about TSAHC and TDHCA programs. In Sonoma Verde, make sure the PID installment is in the payment estimate. 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 county and appraisal district it’s in, who supplies its electricity, which company supplies its water, whether it’s on septic, whether it carries a PID or mandatory HOA and what the tax bill looks 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 example is an illustration using the City of McLendon-Chisholm’s 2026 rate of $0.121555, adopted September 22, 2026; Rockwall County’s adopted $0.2620 for FY2027; and Rockwall ISD’s adopted $1.0669, applying the $140,000 school exemption for an owner under 65. It excludes PID installments; it is not a quote. PID installments vary by improvement area and lot; the range is from buyer disclosures, and the notice requirement is from Texas Property Code §5.014. Septic forms are from the city’s permits page; whether a permit file is held by the city or Rockwall County should be confirmed for each parcel. Water history is from the City of McLendon-Chisholm, RCH and the Rockwall Herald-Banner. Market figures are Redfin’s for August 2026, based on few sales, many of them new construction; other sources report lower medians and more than 11 months of supply. Builder incentives are from builder sites in October 2026 and change often. River Rock’s location is from Rockwall County and news reports. SH 205 plans are from TxDOT, and dates are planning targets. Senior exemption amounts are from title company tables and should be confirmed with the appraisal district. The FHA limit is from lender tables and should be confirmed with HUD; the conforming limit is FHFA’s 2026 limit; the TDHCA price limit is effective July 13, 2026. The mortgage rate is Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey for 1 October 2026. School district assignment is determined by address. All real estate services are provided through Legacy Realty Group. Equal Housing Opportunity.
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