Rio Vista is a Johnson County town of about 1,000 on SH 174 about 8 miles south of Cleburne, where Zillow’s typical home value for the 76093 ZIP code was about $290,500 in October 2026. You’ll find older homes on the original town grid, new homes on one-acre lots and acreage stretching toward the Brazos River. Here are 8 areas with dated price context.
About $190K to $330K
Older homes on the original 1880s railroad-town grid around Depot and Main streets, near City Hall and the cafes on SH 174.
In October 2026, a four-bedroom, 1,547-square-foot home on N. Cleburne Whitney Rd. was listed at $330,000 and a two-bedroom on Tower Rd. at $190,000. Inside city limits; Rio Vista ISD. City water and sewer.
About $244K to $345K
Newly built three-bedroom homes of about 1,400 to 1,600 square feet on existing lots in town.
New homes on N. Cleburne Whitney Rd. and Swope St. were listed from $317,000 to $345,000 in fall 2026, and Whitney Ct. homes from about $244,000 to $250,000. Rio Vista ISD; confirm city limits by parcel.
Homes near $380K
A new 57-homesite subdivision marketed as one-acre lots (listed lots run about 0.67 to 1.11 acres) inside city limits, with city water and sewer, deed restrictions and no HOA per listings.
Riverside Home Builders listed four-bedroom, 1,800-square-foot homes at about $379,000 to $384,000, with lots from about $73,000 to $121,000. Rio Vista ISD.
About $475K to $509K
Larger homes of about 2,200 to 2,700 square feet on lots of an acre or more in the subdivision’s second phase.
Four-bedroom homes were listed from $475,000 to $509,000 in October 2026, several after price cuts, and the last lots were offered at $79,900. City-limits status wasn’t confirmed.
About $465K to $665K
Homes on five-acre tracts along quiet courts outside town.
A four-bedroom on Augustus Ct. was listed at $665,000 in October 2026, and Augustus Ct. and Julia Ct. homes sold in July after listing at $465,000 and $534,900. Five-acre lots were offered from $144,900 to $296,500. Likely unincorporated.
About $249K to $899K
Homes on wooded lots along Apache, Indian and Old Wagon trails, near Hamm Creek Park, Johnson County’s public access to the Brazos River.
Listings ran from a new three-bedroom near $249,000 to wooded four-bedroom homes at $849,900 and $899,000 in October 2026. Unincorporated; Rio Vista ISD per listing portals.
Land from $90K
Ranch homes and raw land on county roads around town, some reaching into Hill County.
In October 2026, a CR 1110 estate was listed at $2.39 million, a CR 1102 home at $460,000, 10 acres on CR 1208 at $183,000 and two acres on CR 1106 at $90,000. Unincorporated; confirm the county, school district and water.
About $105K to $169K
Smaller homes and manufactured homes, some on acreage, at the lowest prices in the area.
A three-bedroom on Eagles Nest Ct. was listed at $105,000 after a price cut, and a doublewide on acreage on CR 1206 at $169,000 in October 2026. A Valley View Trl. home sold in July for $105,000. Mostly unincorporated.
Swipe or drag sideways to see them all.
Redfin’s Rio Vista median for the three months ending August 2026 was about $151,000, but it rests on just two sales in August, skewed by land.
Zillow’s typical home value for the 76093 ZIP code was about $290,500 in October 2026, and listings run from about $105,000 to $2.39 million.
The city’s rate jumped from $0.436333 in 2023 to $1.006118 per $100 in 2024 and has held there, with no general homestead exemption and no tax ceiling for owners 65 and older.
A $300,000 homestead pays about $6,177 a year inside city limits versus about $3,330 outside.
Town lots and Torre Estados use city water and sewer; most acreage relies on wells or other providers and septic systems.
Some 76093 addresses sit in Hill County or another school district, so confirm every address.
Torre Estados is adding 57 one-acre homesites in city limits, and Westover Hills is down to its last lots.
Rio Vista ISD reported about 1,035 students in 2026, up about 42 percent since 2016.
Rio Vista, a Johnson County city on SH 174 about 8 miles south of Cleburne, was founded on the railroad in the 1880s and named for its views of the Nolan River and Mustang Creek; the Census Bureau counted 1,008 residents in 2020; a 1,241 figure for 2025 appears online but couldn’t be traced to an official Census release. The city incorporated in the 1950s; the Texas Municipal League lists 1954. Area names follow subdivision and street names, and boundaries are approximate. Price figures are dated snapshots: Redfin’s three-month median ending August 2026, Zillow’s October 2026 ZIP-level typical value and individual 2026 listings and sales; they are context, not values. Redfin’s Rio Vista figures rest on one or two sales a month. Listing prices for the same home differ between portals, and some listing dates weren’t confirmed. Torre Estados’ city-limits status, utilities and HOA status are from MLS listings; city-limits status for other areas wasn’t confirmed and should be checked by parcel. Some listings returned for Rio Vista carry Cleburne, Grandview or Blum addresses. No public improvement district or utility district was listed for Rio Vista on the 2026 rate sheet, but that doesn’t mean none applies. School districts are listed at the district level only and must be confirmed by address. Tax rates are 2026 figures from the Johnson County Tax Office: City of Rio Vista $1.006118 and Rio Vista ISD $1.17029, plus Johnson County ($0.367), its road levy ($0.05) and Hill College ($0.033796); the in-city example excludes Johnson County ESD No. 1 ($0.057815), whose application inside city limits wasn’t confirmed and would add about $171, and the outside example includes it. Bobby Franklin, REALTOR®, TREC #0805459, Legacy Realty Group – Leslie Majors Team.
Rio Vista keeps it simple: a hometown coffee shop, a downtown bar and grill, barbecue and pizza along SH 174 and Depot Street, plus everyday basics and a county park on the Brazos River. Here’s a 2026-checked list of 9.
107 N. SH 174
A hometown coffee shop and cafe with breakfast, weekly lunch plate specials, desserts and specialty lattes, with dine-in, takeout and a drive-thru.
Posted hours are Tuesday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.; closed Sunday and Monday. 817-373-2491.
103 Depot St.
A bar and grill in a century-old downtown building, known for char-grilled burgers, hand-cut fries and a steak night; Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. 817-373-3123.
300 N. SH 174, Ste. D
Barbecue and burgers with counter service and a drive-thru window; call 817-373-2022 to confirm hours.
100 N. SH 174
Pizza for dine-in, takeout and delivery, inside the convenience store at the north end of downtown. 817-373-3228.
100 S. SH 174
A Mobil gas station and convenience store with Hunt Brothers Pizza, snacks and catering; open early to late. 817-373-2122.
407 N. SH 174
Snacks, household goods and basic groceries, open daily from 8 a.m. 682-916-0010.
6957 W. FM 916
A Johnson County park about 8 miles west of town and the county’s only public access to the Brazos River, with a boat ramp, parking for 50 trailers and two playgrounds.
Downtown Rio Vista
Home of the town’s Texas Historical Marker, which notes Rio Vista was founded on the railroad in 1885 and named for its views of the Nolan River and Mustang Creek.
302 W. Henderson St., Cleburne
Rio Vista has no public library; the Cleburne Public Library is about 8 miles north and offers nonresident cards for a household fee. 817-645-0934.
Rio Vista’s dining and daily-needs shopping sit along SH 174 and Depot Street, from coffee and barbecue to a dollar store and gas stations.
There’s no full-service grocery store or library in town; both are in Cleburne, about 8 miles north.
Compiled October 2026. Listings are from business pages, store locators, Johnson County and 2026 business and review listings, and were not confirmed with owners; call ahead to confirm hours and that a business is still open. Roughnecks’ address appears as both E. and W. Depot St.; Meat & Potatoes’ full hours and 2026 activity weren’t confirmed; Simple Simon’s host station is listed under different fuel brands; and Boney Joe’s and Dollar General’s closing times differ between sources. Wendy’s Salsa Rio, a Subway counter, Shiver Shack and a convenience store at 1016 N. SH 174 appeared on directory listings but aren’t shown until 2026 activity is confirmed. A city park’s name and address weren’t confirmed. Library hours are from directory listings. No feed store, hardware store, bakery or confirmed new business in town was found. Listings are not endorsements, and no business paid to be included. Bobby Franklin, REALTOR®, TREC #0805459, Legacy Realty Group – Leslie Majors Team.
From a Nolan River Cabin and a Santa Fe Railroad Townsite to a Growing City on SH 174
Pioneer cabins, a plantation house and small crossroads communities stood along the Nolan River long before the railroad arrived.
In July 1849 Henry Briden and his bride, Lucinda, arrived with her Sevier relatives and built a log cabin at springs on the Nolan River west of the future townsite; the Handbook of Texas calls it the first house in Johnson County. Briden, born in Germany, had served as a Texas Ranger. In 1856 R. Meredith Hart bought 1,280 acres and built a house that still stands east of town.
The state marker says the Meredith Hart House was built by enslaved laborers with hand-hewn, pegged timbers hauled from Louisiana by oxen; it joined the National Register in 1977. Small communities, including Grange Hall, Kimbell and Noland’s River, served farms and ranches nearby. The land east of today’s tracks is flat blackland, while the west side rolls toward the Brazos River.
The Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway brought a new town, named in Spanish for its view of the Nolan River and Mustang Creek.
The Handbook of Texas says the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway was completed a mile east of the old settlement in 1881, and a townsite was laid out overlooking the Nolan River and Mustang Creek. The state marker dates the founding to 1885, when the first train came through and a post office opened. H. K. Hughes laid out the townsite on his farm, and landowners named Swope and Menefee gave more land.
Settlers from Grange Hall, Derden, Nathan, Hart and Sullivan moved to the new town, which took the name Rio Vista, Spanish for “river view.” T. U. Baker built a general store, and L. G. Pipes ran a cotton gin. By 1896 Rio Vista had about 175 residents, eight stores, a lumber yard and a steam gin, and its public school system began that year.
Three passenger trains a day stopped in a busy cotton town, until a 1914 fire destroyed 24 buildings.
In the early 1900s telephone lines reached Rio Vista, and three passenger trains a day stopped at the depot. The town had churches, schools, a bank, a meat market, a livery stable, a cattle-dipping vat and a cotton yard near the tracks, according to the Handbook of Texas. Cotton drove the local economy, and dairy farming grew in importance over the following decades.
In 1914 a fire destroyed 24 buildings, and the Handbook notes that many businesses were never restored. After the fire, C. H. Coffman and his wife put up a two-story building with a drugstore downstairs and the Masonic Lodge upstairs. The 1929 Texas Almanac estimated Rio Vista at about 500 residents, and a service station opened on the south side of the square in 1932.
The rerouting of SH 174 sparked growth on the west side of town, and Rio Vista incorporated as a city in the 1950s.
In the mid-1950s State Highway 174 was rerouted through Rio Vista toward Hill and Bosque counties and Lake Whitney. The Handbook of Texas says the change set off a spurt of growth on the west side of the highway, and the state marker says it brought a boost to the economy. In 1954 a granite monument to explorer Philip Nolan was placed about three miles south on SH 174.
Rio Vista incorporated as a city in the 1950s; the Texas Municipal League lists 1954, and the city operates as a general-law city. After Whitney Dam was completed, a park opened on Hamm Creek west of town off FM 916. The 1960 census counted 284 residents, and by 1969 the town had a new post office and a landing field.
Rio Vista nearly doubled in size, and a state historical marker recorded its railroad roots in 1985.
Rio Vista grew from 370 residents in 1970 to 509 in 1980 and 541 in 1990. In 1977 the Meredith Hart House joined the National Register of Historic Places. In 1985 the Texas Historical Commission placed the “Rio Vista” marker downtown near Pavilion Square, telling the story of the 1885 founding, the River View name, the 1914 fire and the highway era.
By 1990 the Handbook counted a fire department, four churches, a school system, three grocery stores, a feed mill and feed store and two antique stores. Area farms raised cotton, corn, milo, wheat, hay and peanuts, along with dairy cattle and horses. Rio Vista ISD, home of the Eagles, started its band program in 1984. Hamm Creek Park closed in 1990.
Rio Vista passed 1,000 residents, a county park reopened on the Brazos and its school district grew and passed a bond.
Rio Vista counted 656 residents in 2000, 873 in 2010 and 1,008 in 2020. A citizen effort that began in 2003 led the Army Corps of Engineers to rebuild Hamm Creek Park, and Johnson County took over its operation; after a first ribbon cutting in 2007, the 191-acre park opened to the public in May 2008 as the county’s only public access to the Brazos River.
In 2007 the 2,336-acre Smith Ranch, established in 1887, joined the National Register. On November 8, 2022, Rio Vista ISD voters approved a $12 million bond, 427 to 311, mainly to remodel and add 15 classrooms at the elementary school and build a storm shelter and gym. In 2024 the city’s tax rate rose to $1.006118 per $100.
Compiled from the Texas State Historical Association Handbook of Texas (Rio Vista and Noland’s River entries), Texas Historical Commission marker text for Rio Vista (No. 4273), the Henry Briden Cabin (No. 2443), the Meredith Hart House (No. 3344) and Grange Hall Cemetery via the Historical Marker Database and the Texas Historic Sites Atlas, National Register of Historic Places listings, the Johnson County Historical Commission, Johnson County, the Texas Municipal League, Rio Vista ISD, the Cleburne Times-Review, the Johnson County Appraisal District and the U.S. Census Bureau. Sources differ on several points: the townsite year (1881 per the Handbook, 1885 per the state marker) and the incorporation year. The Texas Municipal League lists 1954; a county timeline lists 1893, a date that matches Rio Vista, California, and no record of an 1893 incorporation of Rio Vista, Texas was found. The first postmaster and early business details come from a county history quoted by the Historical Commission. The 1929 figure is an almanac estimate, not a census count. Distances to Cleburne are given as 7 to 8.5 miles. No published reason for the 2024 city tax rate increase was found. Historical population figures are total counts. Bobby Franklin, REALTOR®, TREC #0805459, Legacy Realty Group – Leslie Majors Team.
Eagles Homecoming at Home, with Rodeo, Fireworks and Christmas Lights Nearby
Four nights of pro rodeo at the Johnson County Sheriff’s Posse grounds, about 15 minutes north. Held June 7–10, 2023, June 5–8, 2024, June 11–14, 2025, and June 10–13, 2026.
The grounds are at 1315 S. Main St., Cleburne.
The Posse also holds a ranch rodeo in October.
Cleburne’s Independence Day celebration with fireworks over Lake Pat Cleburne, presented with the Cleburne Chamber of Commerce. Held July 4, 2026.
The Greater Grandview Chamber’s 10K, 5K and kids’ fun run at Grandview City Park, about 15 minutes east. Held June 27, 2026.
Homecoming week for the Rio Vista Eagles, with dress-up days, a pep rally and the homecoming football game. The 2025 game was November 7, and 2026 homecoming week ran October 13–16. 2027 dates not yet announced.
Run by Rio Vista ISD; check the district calendar for game times and any public events.
District colors are green, black and white.
Cleburne’s lights in Hulen Park and a lighted Christmas parade downtown. The 2026 lighting is November 23 at 6:30 p.m., and the parade is Friday, December 4, at 6:45 p.m.; lights stay up through January 3, 2027.
Run by the Cleburne Chamber of Commerce.
Parades were held December 1, 2023, December 6, 2024, and December 5, 2025.
Grandview’s lighted Christmas parade, about 15 minutes east, was held December 13, 2025; a December 12, 2026 date was listed by the Chamber but should be confirmed.
Rio Vista held an America 250 Fourth of July parade from the high school on July 4, 2026, and a Cookies and Toys with Santa event at the Civic Center on December 6, 2025. Each was found in only one year, so neither is listed yet.
No recurring city Christmas parade, fall festival, trunk-or-treat, egg hunt or heritage day was found in two or more years.
Search results for “Rio Vista” events often belong to Rio Vista, California; those were excluded.
Timing shown is the usual pattern for each event; exact dates, times, prices and locations change from year to year and should be confirmed with organizers. Event details are from Rio Vista ISD, the Cleburne Chamber of Commerce, the City of Cleburne, the Johnson County Sheriff’s Posse, the Greater Grandview Chamber of Commerce and Cleburne Times-Review reporting; the Rio Vista event listed was found in at least two years. Homecoming dates come from district calendars and game listings. Nearby events are outside Rio Vista and are listed for convenience, and drive times to them are estimates; the Grandview parade date for 2026 wasn’t confirmed by every source. Bobby Franklin, REALTOR®, TREC #0805459, Legacy Realty Group – Leslie Majors Team.
What to know about Rio Vista schools:
The ratings: TEA released 2026 ratings in August; check TXschools.gov for each district’s current status.
Taxes: Rio Vista ISD’s 2026 rate is $1.1703 per $100, down slightly from $1.1810; on a $300,000 homestead, the school share is about $1,872 a year.
Want the full breakdown? Read our complete Rio Vista schools guide →
Most Rio Vista addresses are in Rio Vista ISD, a 3A district rated C in 2025 with about 1,035 students on three campuses. Rural homes at the edges can sit in Cleburne, Grandview or Blum ISD. Confirm the district by address.
City and surrounding area
Rio Vista ISD received a C in TEA’s 2025 ratings. It enrolled about 1,035 students in 2026 on three campuses, up about 42 percent since 2016. TEA released 2026 ratings on August 14, 2026; check TXschools.gov for the district’s 2026 result.
The district office is at 100 Capps St., 817-760-0111. TEA classifies the district as non-metropolitan and fast-growing.
Pre-K through 8th grade
Rio Vista Elementary (pre-K–5, 501 S. Cleburne Whitney Rd.) and Rio Vista Middle School (grades 6–8, 309 S. Cleburne Whitney Rd.) serve the younger grades.
Confirm each campus’s grades and enrollment steps with the district.
100 Eagle Dr.
Rio Vista High School (grades 9–12, 100 Eagle Dr.) is home of the Eagles, who moved up to UIL 3A Division II, District 5, for 2026–27 football.
District colors are green, black and white.
District-wide
On November 8, 2022, voters approved a $12 million bond, 427 to 311, with about $9 million for Rio Vista Elementary to remodel, add 15 classrooms, improve security and build a storm shelter and gym.
A 9,200-square-foot storm shelter and play gym at the elementary school has passed its state accessibility inspection. The classroom addition’s completion date wasn’t confirmed.
2026
Rio Vista ISD’s 2026 rate is $1.1703 per $100, down slightly from $1.1810 in 2025. On a $300,000 homestead, the school share is about $1,872 a year after the $140,000 exemption.
Owners 65 and older or disabled add the state’s $60,000 exemption, about $702 less in the first year, and then a tax ceiling applies.
Rio Vista ISD
Enrollment has grown about 42 percent since 2016, and the Eagles moved from 2A to UIL 3A in the latest realignment.
Ask the district about dual credit, career and technical programs, FFA and transfer policies; those details weren’t confirmed for this guide.
Edge addresses
Most Rio Vista homes are in Rio Vista ISD, but rural 76093 addresses can fall in a neighboring district. Rio Vista ISD also reaches into a small part of northern Hill County.
Grandview ISD received a B in 2025. Boundaries within the 76093 ZIP code weren’t confirmed; check the appraisal record.
Most homes with a Rio Vista mailing address are in Rio Vista ISD, but rural edge addresses can belong to a neighboring district, and some sit in Hill County.
Check the school district on the appraisal record and confirm the campus with the district.
On a $300,000 homestead, the school share runs about $1,872 in Rio Vista ISD at 2026 rates.
Inside city limits, the city tax adds about $3,018, because the city offers no general homestead exemption.
Rio Vista ISD received a C in TEA’s 2025 ratings.
TEA released 2026 ratings in August; check TXschools.gov for each district’s current status.
Enrollment rose about 42 percent from 2016 to 2026, and the 2022 bond added space at the elementary school.
Ask how the district plans for room at each campus as new homesites fill in.
Accountability ratings are shown at the district level only; campus ratings and campus awards are intentionally not shown, and campuses are listed by name and location only. Ratings change every year; use TXschools.gov for current ratings. Rio Vista ISD’s C is TEA’s 2025 rating; an overall score of 76 is reported by a third-party site without a year label and isn’t shown. TEA released 2026 ratings on August 14, 2026, but Rio Vista ISD’s 2026 result wasn’t confirmed for this guide. Enrollment is from the Texas Tribune’s schools explorer (2026); federal data show 1,032 for 2024–25. Campus grade spans and addresses are from directory and federal sources and should be confirmed. Bond results are from the Cleburne Times-Review; the storm shelter’s status is from its state TDLR project registration. UIL alignment is from 2026 football standings. The split between maintenance and debt-service rates wasn’t confirmed. Neighboring districts’ boundaries within the 76093 ZIP code and the Hill County portion of Rio Vista ISD weren’t verified, and Blum ISD’s rate wasn’t found. Tax rates are 2026 figures from the Johnson County Tax Office and the Johnson County Appraisal District; school tax examples apply the $140,000 state homestead exemption and 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
Median sales price for Rio Vista by month, from NTREIS. With only a handful of sales in a typical month, a single sale can move this line sharply.
Rio Vista sees only a few sales a month, so one acreage sale or one older home can swing the median. In the 76093 ZIP, the median sold price was about $400,000 over the past year on about 21 sales.
Acreage and lot size drive value here. Torre Estados lots of 0.67 to 1.11 acres list from about $73,000 to $121,000, so buyers compare a resale against building new. Price against true rural comparables.
Run the full payment. A $300,000 homestead in city limits pays about $6,177 a year at 2026 rates, about $3,330 outside city limits, and water can come from the city or the county district depending on the address.
About 191 days on market on very few sales means buyers have time to compare, and sellers need patience or a sharper price.
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.
Long market times give you room to ask for closing costs, repairs or a rate buydown. With the 30-year rate at 7.24 percent on October 29, 2026, a seller-paid buydown can beat a small price cut.
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.
Closed sales show how many homes actually changed hands. With so few each month, appraisers often reach into Cleburne and the surrounding county for comparables.
Low volume means each recent sale carries real weight. I adjust for acreage, outbuildings, water source and septic before we set a price.
Many Rio Vista-area properties sit outside city limits. Confirm city limits, water provider, septic and the school district before you compare prices.
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. Redfin figures are for the three months ending August 2026 and rest on very few sales; the 76093 sold-price median and sale count are RealtyTrac figures for September 2026; Torre Estados lot prices are from listing sites in October 2026. The mortgage rate is Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey for October 29, 2026. Tax figures are illustrations at 2026 adopted rates, not quotes. The charts cover the NTREIS Rio Vista area, which may include homes outside city limits. 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 Johnson County index, the federal repeat-sales measure for the county that holds Rio Vista. A home bought in 2015 is worth more than twice its price on the index, with the biggest jump from 2021 to 2022 and almost no change from 2024 to 2025, while Rio Vista itself logs only one or two sales a month.
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 Johnson County index rose about 114 percent, with a 22 percent jump from 2021 to 2022 alone.
It rose just 0.1 percent from 2024 to 2025, and Rio Vista’s own medians swing widely on one or two sales a month.
Zillow’s 76093 readings ran from about $262,000 to $295,000 and RealtyTrac’s median list price was about $363,000 in fall 2026; Redfin’s $151,000 city median rests on two sales.
Type over the prefilled price with what you actually paid.
Owners who bought before 2021 carry large gains; many who bought from 2022 to 2025 have little or none, while new Torre Estados homes list near $379,000 with builder incentives.
Indexes are county-wide, so value any specific property from true comparables.
A $300,000 homestead in city limits and Rio Vista ISD pays about $6,177 a year at 2026 rates, or about $6,348 if ESD No. 1 applies.
Outside city limits it’s about $3,330, a gap worth roughly $34,000 of loan principal at 7.32 percent.
Growth rates are the FHFA All-Transactions House Price Index, annual values 2009 through 2025: Johnson County, Texas (FRED series ATNHPIUS48251A, 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 Johnson County series recorded 146.11 in 2015, 292.69 in 2022, 312.80 in 2024 and 313.11 in 2025. FHFA describes county indices as developmental and subject to revision, and the annual series does not cover 2026. No city-specific index was used, and a reliable year-by-year Rio Vista median wasn’t found. The prefilled dollar figures are derived and illustrative, not published: they apply the Johnson County index to a $300,000 anchor bracketed by Zillow’s 76093 typical-value readings ($261,769 and $294,665) and RealtyTrac’s September 2026 median list price ($363,185). Rio Vista logs about one or two sales a month, so single-period medians swing widely: Redfin’s three-month city median ending August 2026 was $151,000, while RealtyTrac’s September 2026 ZIP median sale was $399,600. Torre Estados prices are from MLS listings and the builder, change often and should be confirmed with the builder. The index is built from conforming loans and excludes jumbo lending and all-cash purchases. Equity figures assume a 30-year fixed mortgage at that year’s Freddie Mac annual average rate (2025 approximately 6.6 percent; 7.32 percent on October 22, 2026), 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 2026 rates from the Johnson County Tax Office on a $300,000 homestead: Rio Vista ISD 1.170290 after the $140,000 exemption, City of Rio Vista 1.006118 with no general homestead exemption, Johnson County 0.367000 after its 5 percent exemption, the farm-to-market and lateral road levy 0.050000 after its $3,000 plus 5 percent exemption and Hill College 0.033796 after its $5,000 minimum exemption. Whether Johnson County ESD No. 1 (0.057815) applies inside city limits wasn’t confirmed, so both totals are shown. The city offers $5,000 to owners 65 and older but no city tax ceiling. Outside city limits, the example drops the city levy and includes ESD No. 1. The principal comparison assumes a 30-year loan at 7.32 percent. No public improvement or municipal utility district was listed for Rio Vista on the 2026 rate sheet. 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.
Rio Vista is a Johnson County city of 1,008 residents at the 2020 Census, where Zillow’s typical home value for the 76093 ZIP code was about $290,000 in fall 2026. It sits on SH 174 between Cleburne and the Brazos River country. The trade-offs are real: the highest city tax rate in Johnson County, no general homestead exemption, and no hospital, full grocery store or library in town.
Estimated Off-Peak Drive Time from Rio Vista City Hall
Around Town and Beyond
Estimated minutes off-peak from City Hall on SH 174. These are planning estimates, so check a live map before relying on any of them.
Downtown Cleburne, the county seat, is about 13 minutes north on SH 174, with the hospital, H-E-B, Walmart and the library.
From Cleburne, the Chisholm Trail Parkway toll road reaches downtown Fort Worth in roughly 45 minutes total.
The city provides water and sewer, and Frontier Waste Solutions picks up trash every Monday.
The volunteer Rio Vista Fire Department on Depot St. holds an ISO rating of 8/9, and CareFlite answers 911 ambulance calls.
Hamm Creek Park, about 8 miles west, is Johnson County’s only public access to the Brazos River, with a boat ramp, campsites and picnic shelters.
Lots of an acre or more and larger acreage surround town.
Torre Estados is adding 57 homesites inside city limits with city water and sewer, and Rio Vista ISD grew about 42 percent from 2016 to 2026.
A storm shelter and gym funded by the 2022 bond has passed its state inspection at the elementary school.
The city’s rate of $1.006118 per $100 is the highest city rate in Johnson County, with no general homestead exemption and no senior tax ceiling.
There’s no hospital, full grocery store or library in town; those trips mean Cleburne.
City water is under Stage 1 drought rules, with sprinkler days on Tuesdays and Thursdays by address.
City Hall’s hours aren’t posted online, and the city has announced water and sewer rate changes on its homepage, so call before you count on a number.
Drive times are planning estimates from Rio Vista City Hall along SH 174, FM 916 and connecting routes; they weren’t confirmed with a mapping tool, so check a live map before you rely on them. Sources place Rio Vista 7 to 8 miles south of Cleburne. The population is the 2020 Census count; a 2025 figure seen online couldn’t be traced to an official Census release. The home value is Zillow’s 76093 typical value, which differed between page views ($261,769 and $294,665); Rio Vista logs only one or two sales a month. Utility, trash and drought details are from the City of Rio Vista; its posted rate tables are labeled unclearly, so confirm current rates with City Hall. The ISO rating is from Johnson County ESD No. 1’s provider list and wasn’t confirmed with the rating agency. Ambulance service is from CareFlite’s 2024 county announcement. Park details are from Johnson County. The city-rate comparison uses 2026 rates from the Johnson County Tax Office. 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 the city line, the county’s highest city tax rate and Torre Estados to water service, Monday trash, Hamm Creek Park, fire protection and drought rules.
Rio Vista sits on SH 174 in southern Johnson County. The Handbook of Texas places it about seven miles south of Cleburne, and other sources say eight. Downtown Cleburne is roughly a 13-minute drive north on SH 174.
Downtown Fort Worth is roughly 36 to 40 miles away, or about 45 minutes off-peak, by way of SH 174 to Cleburne and the Chisholm Trail Parkway toll road. Grandview is about 16 minutes east on FM 916, Burleson about 28 minutes north and DFW Airport a little over an hour.
These are planning estimates that weren’t confirmed with a mapping tool. Test the drive at the hours you’d actually commute, and budget for tolls if you use the parkway.
Rio Vista is Spanish for “river view.” The state historical marker downtown says the townsite was chosen for its views of both the Nolan River and Mustang Creek.
The Handbook of Texas says the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway was completed about a mile east of an older settlement in 1881, and a townsite was laid out beside it. The marker dates the founding to 1885, when the first train came through and a post office opened. Earlier communities nearby included Grange Hall and Kimbell.
Rio Vista incorporated as a city in the 1950s; the Texas Municipal League lists 1954. Our Rio Vista history timeline covers the full story.
The 2020 Census counted 1,008 residents in the City of Rio Vista, up from 873 in 2010 and 656 in 2000, so the town has grown by about half in two decades.
You may see a figure of about 1,241 for 2025 online, but it couldn’t be traced to an official Census Bureau release, so treat it with caution. The Census Bureau’s American Community Survey estimated about 1,312 residents for 2020 through 2024.
The 76093 ZIP code and Rio Vista ISD cover a much larger rural area than the city itself. Rio Vista ISD reported about 1,035 students in 2026, up about 42 percent since 2016, which shows how fast the surrounding area is growing.
The city’s rate rose from $0.436333 per $100 in 2023 to $1.006118 in 2024 and has stayed at that level for 2025 and 2026, according to the Johnson County Appraisal District. It is the highest city rate on the Johnson County Tax Office’s 2026 list; Cleburne’s rate is $0.581000, for comparison.
The city also offers no general homestead exemption, so the full value of a home is taxed. No published explanation for the 2024 increase was found.
If you’re weighing a home inside city limits against one just outside, compare the full tax bills, not just the prices. The difference can run close to $2,850 a year on a $300,000 home. City Hall, 817-373-2588, can explain the budget behind the rate.
Using 2026 rates from the Johnson County Tax Office, a $300,000 homestead inside city limits pays about $6,177 a year, or about $6,348 if Johnson County ESD No. 1 also applies, which wasn’t confirmed.
The pieces: the city at $1.006118 on the full value, about $3,018; Rio Vista ISD at $1.170290 on $160,000 after the $140,000 school exemption, about $1,872; Johnson County, about $1,046; the farm-to-market road levy, about $141; and Hill College, about $100.
Outside city limits, the same home pays about $3,330, including ESD No. 1. This is an illustration, not a quote, so check the actual bill on the Johnson County Tax Office website.
No on both counts for city taxes. The Johnson County Tax Office lists no general homestead exemption and no tax ceiling for the City of Rio Vista in 2026. Owners who are 65 or older, or disabled, receive a $5,000 city exemption.
School taxes work differently. Rio Vista ISD homesteads receive the state’s $140,000 exemption, plus $60,000 more for owners 65 or older or disabled, and those owners’ school taxes are frozen at a ceiling. Johnson County also offers a tax ceiling for seniors.
File your homestead exemption with the Johnson County Appraisal District after you move in; you only need to file once unless something changes.
Look up the property on the Johnson County Appraisal District or Johnson County Tax Office website and check its taxing units. If the City of Rio Vista appears, the property is inside city limits and pays the city rate.
Inside the city you’ll typically have city water and sewer and city building permits. Outside it, expect a private well or another water provider, a septic system permitted through Johnson County and county development rules.
Listings aren’t always right about this, and many homes with a Rio Vista mailing address sit outside city limits. Confirm with City Hall at 817-373-2588 before you make an offer, and ask the seller for the utility providers in writing.
Download the Water Application from the Residents page of the city’s website and return it to City Hall, 201 S. Highway 174. The city says it accepts new applications daily. A bank draft form is also available for automatic payments.
City Hall’s office hours and the deposit amount aren’t posted online, so call 817-373-2588 before you go.
Trash pickup by Frontier Waste Solutions is every Monday for homes; trash must be bagged and in a can, and you can rent a cart for $3.95 a month on your water bill or use your own. Bills are due on the 10th, with late fees starting on the 11th, and you can pay online through the city’s billing portal.
The city’s homepage shows inside-city water at $45.00 for the first 3,000 gallons, then $5.00 per 1,000 gallons, and sewer at $30.00 for the first 3,000 gallons, then $5.00 per 1,000. Water outside city limits starts at $52.50.
By that schedule, a home using 5,000 gallons would pay about $55 for water and $40 for sewer, or about $95 a month, before any trash cart rental.
The city’s posted tables carry confusing labels and note a rate increase taking effect on a March bill, so confirm current rates with City Hall at 817-373-2588 before you budget.
Rio Vista is in Texas’s competitive electricity market. TNMP (Texas-New Mexico Power) owns the lines and handles outages, and the city refers residents to TNMP’s outage map.
You choose a retail electric provider for your plan; enter your address on the state’s Power to Choose website to compare offers.
Some rural addresses outside town may be served by United Cooperative Services, a member-owned co-op that isn’t part of the retail-choice market, so check the provider for any acreage property. Natural gas and internet options weren’t confirmed for this guide; check providers’ address lookups or the FCC National Broadband Map.
Torre Estados is a new subdivision inside Rio Vista city limits, east of SH 174 off FM 916 and Callejero Rd. It is marketed as 57 homesites of about one acre, though listed lots so far run about 0.67 to 1.11 acres.
Listings say the lots have city water and sewer, paved streets, deed restrictions and no HOA, and fall in Rio Vista ISD. Lots have been listed from about $73,000 to $121,000, and a four-bedroom, 1,800-square-foot new home was listed at $379,000 with builder incentives.
Because it’s inside city limits, homes there pay the city tax rate. Compare the full tax bill with nearby acreage outside the city before you choose.
Yes. Beyond town, listings in fall 2026 included five-acre tracts on Augustus Ct., Julia Ct. and Eagle Ridge Dr., homes on lots of an acre or more in Westover Hills, wooded lots near the Brazos off FM 916 and ranch land on county roads.
Land prices ranged from about $90,000 for two acres to well over $1 million for large ranches, and acreage homes from the mid-$400,000s up.
Most acreage is outside city limits, so it avoids the city tax but usually relies on a private well and septic system. Wells are regulated by the Prairielands Groundwater Conservation District, and septic permits go through Johnson County, so build both into your inspection plan.
Most Rio Vista addresses are in Rio Vista ISD, home of the Eagles. It received a C in TEA’s 2025 accountability ratings and enrolled about 1,035 students in 2026 on three campuses: an elementary school, a middle school and a high school.
Voters approved a $12 million bond in 2022 that added a storm shelter and gym at the elementary school and funded more classrooms. The district’s 2026 tax rate is $1.170290 per $100.
Some rural 76093 addresses fall in Cleburne, Grandview or Blum ISD, so confirm the district on the appraisal record. TEA released 2026 ratings in August; check TXschools.gov for the latest.
There’s no full-service grocery store in Rio Vista. In town, Dollar General on SH 174 carries snacks, household goods and basic groceries, and convenience stores sell fuel and quick food.
For a full shop, residents drive about 13 minutes north to Cleburne, where H-E-B is at 600 W. Henderson St. and a Walmart Supercenter is at 1616 W. Henderson St.; both are listed as open 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily, and H-E-B has a pharmacy.
Our Rio Vista Eat & Shop guide lists the local cafes and restaurants, including Heather’s coffee shop and Roughnecks.
The nearest hospital is Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Cleburne, 201 Walls Dr., about 9 to 10 miles north. Medicare lists it as an acute care hospital with emergency services, and its campus map shows a 24-hour emergency entrance.
No clinic, pharmacy or urgent care was confirmed inside Rio Vista, so routine care, prescriptions and walk-in visits generally mean a trip to Cleburne.
In an emergency, call 911. Since October 2024, CareFlite has been the 911 ground ambulance provider for Johnson County outside Cleburne, Burleson and Keene, and the Rio Vista Fire Department responds from its station on Depot St.
Hamm Creek Park, at 6957 W. FM 916 about 8 miles west of town, is a Johnson County park and the county’s only public access to the Brazos River. It reopened in 2008 after a rebuild by the Army Corps of Engineers.
The park has a boat ramp with parking for 50 trailers, primitive and hookup campsites, equestrian sites, more than 30 picnic shelters, playgrounds and restrooms with showers. Day use runs 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.; the county’s fee page lists $10 per carload and $5 to launch a boat.
Anglers fish for bass, catfish and crappie. Call 817-556-9311 for reservations and river levels.
The Rio Vista Fire Department, a volunteer department at 102 Depot St., provides fire protection; its non-emergency number is 817-373-2691. It is a service provider for Johnson County ESD No. 1, which funds fire departments across the county outside Cleburne and Burleson.
ESD No. 1’s provider list shows an ISO rating of 8/9. Split ratings usually mean one class for homes near a hydrant and another for homes farther out, and insurers use the rating in pricing homeowner’s coverage, so ask your agent which class applies.
CareFlite handles 911 ambulance calls. Always call 911 in an emergency.
The city’s Residents page lists Stage 1 drought rules. Sprinklers may run on Tuesdays at even-numbered addresses and Thursdays at odd-numbered addresses, from midnight to 10 a.m. and from 9 p.m. to midnight.
On outdoor burning, Johnson County ESD No. 1 announced that the county burn ban was rescinded on October 1, 2026. Burn bans change quickly; the county had bans earlier in 2026. With the ban off, call fire dispatch at 817-357-8800 before burning.
Check the city’s website or Facebook page and the ESD No. 1 homepage for the current status before you water a new lawn or burn brush.
Manufactured homes are common on acreage outside city limits around Rio Vista, where county rules apply. Inside the city, the rules come from the city’s building and housing ordinances, which couldn’t be reviewed for this guide.
A new state law, Senate Bill 785, takes effect September 1, 2026, and generally requires cities with zoning to allow new HUD-code manufactured homes in at least one residential zoning district, with exceptions. Whether and how it applies in Rio Vista wasn’t confirmed.
Before you buy a lot for a manufactured home, call City Hall at 817-373-2588 and ask about zoning, deed restrictions and permits, and check any subdivision’s restrictions; Torre Estados, for example, has deed restrictions.
On July 4, 2026, Rio Vista held an America 250 Independence Day parade at 10 a.m., starting and ending at Rio Vista High School and open to floats, classic cars, horses and bikes. It was the first such parade found, so watch the city’s Facebook page for 2027.
The most reliable yearly event is Rio Vista ISD homecoming, with a pep rally and football game each fall; 2026 homecoming week ran October 13 to 16.
For bigger celebrations, Cleburne hosts fireworks at Lake Pat Cleburne on July 4 and Whistle Stop Christmas, with its 2026 lighted parade on Friday, December 4.
Answers were verified as of October 28, 2026, from the City of Rio Vista, the Johnson County Tax Office, the Johnson County Appraisal District, Johnson County ESD No. 1, Johnson County, CareFlite, Rio Vista ISD, the Texas Education Agency, the Texas State Historical Association, Texas Historical Commission markers, the U.S. Census Bureau, the Texas Legislature, Medicare Care Compare, store pages and MLS listings. Rates, fees, providers and hours change; verify anything you intend to rely on. Tax figures use 2026 rates from the Johnson County Tax Office and are illustrations, not quotes; whether ESD No. 1 applies inside city limits wasn’t confirmed. Drive times are estimates that weren’t confirmed with a mapping tool. The city’s posted water and sewer rate tables are labeled unclearly, and its deposit amount and office hours aren’t posted. Whether Rio Vista has zoning, and how the 2026 manufactured-home law applies, weren’t confirmed. Rural electric service may differ by address. No published reason for the 2024 city tax increase was found. 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 Rio Vista. Three things to check on every address: whether it’s inside city limits, who supplies the water (the city, the county utility district or a well) and which county and taxing units apply. City Hall’s hours aren’t posted, so call first. Start with the green first-week cards; county offices are in blue, health and safety in red and regional contacts in purple.
Download the Water Application from the city’s Residents page and return it to City Hall; call for hours and the deposit.
817-373-2588 201 S. Highway 174 Do this firstBills are due on the 10th, with late fees from the 11th; a bank draft form is on the Residents page.
nexbillpay.net Do this firstFile your homestead exemption and check whether “City of Rio Vista” is one of your taxing units.
817-648-3000 109 N. Main St., Cleburne Do this firstVehicle registration and property tax payments at the main Cleburne office, weekdays 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.
817-558-0122 2 N. Mill St., Cleburne Do this firstThe city posts closures, notices and events on its Facebook page; no separate alert system was found.
facebook.com City HallWater billing, permits, records and council business; call for office hours, which aren’t posted online.
817-373-2588 201 S. Highway 174 MeetingsThe council meets the second Tuesday at 6 p.m.; agendas and minutes are posted online.
riovista-tx.com CodeCity ordinances are posted as PDFs, including animals, building and housing, pools and fencing and sewer taps.
riovista-tx.com PermitsPermits are required for sheds, fences, pools and garage sales; the application and builders packet are online.
817-373-2588 201 S. Highway 174 RentalsRent the city’s Civic Center for events; the rental contract is on the Residents page.
817-373-2588 TrashResidential trash pickup every Monday; carts rent for $3.95 a month on the water bill.
817-373-2588 (City Hall) MailP.O. boxes and retail service; confirm hours, which differ between listings.
817-373-2279 205 Highway 174 S. LibraryThe nearest public library, about 8 miles north; nonresident cards carry a household fee.
817-645-0934 302 W. Henderson St., Cleburne CountyEnter an address to find your justice of the peace, constable and commissioner precincts.
johnsoncountytx.org CountyVoter registration, mail ballots and voting locations.
817-556-6197 103 S. Walnut St., Cleburne Outside city limitsSeptic permits ($375 conventional, $475 aerobic) and floodplain development permits for unincorporated land.
817-556-6380 2 N. Mill St., Ste. 305, Cleburne CountyLaw enforcement for unincorporated areas outside Rio Vista city limits.
817-556-6058 1102 E. Kilpatrick St., Cleburne CountyFunds area fire departments, including Rio Vista’s, and posts county burn-ban status.
817-556-2212 2451 Service Dr., Cleburne CountyCounty disaster planning and preparedness.
817-556-6346 810 E. Kilpatrick St., Cleburne CountySoil tests, livestock and gardening help, 4-H and Master Gardeners.
817-556-6370 StateLicenses and ID cards in Cleburne; book an appointment online.
dps.texas.gov 600 W. Kilpatrick St., Cleburne ParkJohnson County’s Brazos River park, with a boat ramp and campsites; reservations by phone.
817-556-9311 6957 W. FM 916 ElectricThe state’s plan comparison site for TNMP-served addresses in town.
powertochoose.org ElectricReport and track power outages; the city links this map from its homepage.
888-866-7456 ElectricMember-owned electric co-op and fiber internet provider for some rural parcels; confirm by address.
817-556-4000 3309 N. Main St., Cleburne WaterWater for parts of the area around and partly inside Rio Vista; confirm the provider for every address.
817-760-5200 740 FM 3048, Joshua DiggingCall before you dig for fences, posts, septic or pools.
811 InternetCheck fiber, fixed wireless and satellite options for an exact address.
broadbandmap.fcc.gov WellsRegister or permit a private water well before drilling.
817-556-2299 208 Kimberly Dr., Cleburne WaterLook up any public water system’s violations and sample results.
tceq.texas.gov AmbulanceJohnson County’s 911 ground ambulance provider outside Cleburne, Burleson and Keene, with an optional membership program.
careflite.org SchoolsEnrollment, calendars and board meetings.
817-760-0111 100 Capps St. SchoolsTEA’s official site for district ratings and a school search by address.
txschools.gov CollegeCommunity college courses and dual credit in Cleburne.
817-760-5500 2112 Mayfield Pkwy., Cleburne MapsCheck parcel lines, taxing units and the city limit for any property.
johnsoncad.com FloodCheck the flood zone near the Nolan River and local creeks before you buy.
msc.fema.gov LandLook up oil and gas wells and pipelines near any parcel before you buy.
rrc.texas.gov HospitalThe nearest hospital, with a 24/7 emergency room, about 9 to 10 miles north.
817-641-2551 201 Walls Dr., Cleburne Urgent careA walk-in clinic, open daily 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; not an emergency room.
817-526-5509 808 N. Nolan River Rd., Cleburne PharmacyFull grocery store with a pharmacy, listed as open 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.
817-641-4036 (pharmacy) 600 W. Henderson St., Cleburne Mental healthJohnson County’s mental health authority. Crisis line: 1-800-772-5987, available 24/7, or dial 988.
817-558-1121 1601 N. Anglin St., Cleburne SafetyA volunteer department on Depot St. with an ISO rating of 8/9. Call 911 for emergencies.
817-373-2691 102 Depot St. SafetyNon-emergency calls; police report requests go in writing to City Hall. Call 911 for emergencies.
817-556-6045 State parkA spring-fed lake, trails and camping; $6 a day for ages 13 and up.
817-645-4215 5800 Park Rd. 21, Cleburne TollsTollTag accounts for the Chisholm Trail Parkway from Cleburne to Fort Worth.
972-818-6882 RoadsLive SH 174 and highway closures, construction and weather conditions.
drivetexas.orgLinks, phone numbers and addresses verified October 2026 against the City of Rio Vista, Johnson County, the Johnson County Tax Office and Appraisal District, Rio Vista ISD, Pecan Valley Centers, Texas Parks and Wildlife and the providers listed, and subject to change; if something has moved, tell me and I will correct it. Rio Vista’s city limits cover about one square mile, and many homes with a Rio Vista address are outside them, where the county, the sheriff and another water provider or a private well serve the property instead of the city. Confirm every taxing unit, the water provider and the school district before you buy. The city’s website couldn’t be fully read, so some city details come from page summaries. Conflicts flagged: a directory lists a different police non-emergency number (817-373-2600); post office hours and the DPS office phone differ between listings; and the municipal court schedule on the city calendar is unclear. City Hall hours, the water deposit, the Civic Center address, the county alert vendor, natural gas availability, CareFlite billing on city water bills and precinct numbers weren’t confirmed. Prairielands, AgriLife, ESD No. 1, United Cooperative, the Johnson County Special Utility District, Hill College and urgent care contacts are from earlier Johnson County research. 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.
Rio Vista, a Johnson County city of 1,008 residents at the 2020 Census, sits on SH 174 about 8 miles south of Cleburne. Its city limits cover about one square mile, while its ZIP code and school district reach deep into the county, so two homes a mile apart can come with very different taxes, water providers and permit rules. I sort out the details that matter here, and the awkward parts are named.
Rio Vista’s city limits cover only about one square mile, while the 76093 ZIP code reaches deep into the county and even into Hill County. Inside the city you pay the $1.006118 city rate with no homestead exemption or senior ceiling and get city water, sewer and permits. On a $300,000 homestead, that’s about $6,177 a year inside versus about $3,330 outside. I pull the appraisal record first.
The city rate rose from $0.436333 in 2023 to $1.006118 in 2024 and has held there; by 2026 about $0.66 of it is listed as debt service. The county’s summary lists a lower voter-approval rate for 2024, no rate election was found, and no explanation is posted online. I ask City Hall for the rate ordinance, worksheet and debt schedule, and budget for today’s rate.
The city charges $45 for water and $30 for sewer for the first 3,000 gallons, and $52.50 for water outside city limits. The Johnson County Special Utility District serves parts of the area, and the two have disputed service boundaries since 2005; an appeals court dismissed the district’s claims in January 2025. I confirm the provider and check the state water-quality record for every address.
Torre Estados lots of about 0.67 to 1.11 acres list from $72,962 to $120,655, with city water and sewer and builder incentives, and a new 1,800-square-foot home sat on the market for months at $379,000. Westover Hills’ last lots were offered at $79,900. If you’re buying a resale, price it against new land; if you’re selling, expect buyers to make that comparison.
Redfin counted just two sales in August 2026, with homes averaging 191 days on market over three months, up from 76. RealtyTrac showed about 33 listings in 76093 against 21 sales in a year, roughly a year and a half of supply. One land sale can swing the median, so I negotiate from specific comparable sales, closing-cost help and rate buydowns, not medians.
Outside city limits, Johnson County issues septic permits ($375 conventional, $475 aerobic) and $240 floodplain development permits. Wells go through Prairielands Groundwater District. Check the Railroad Commission map for pipelines, the FEMA map near the Nolan River and creeks, and any agricultural valuation with JCAD. Hill County road addresses are taxed by Hill County, so pull those rates separately.
Rio Vista has real trade-offs: the county’s highest city tax rate, no hospital, full grocery store or library in town, and a volunteer fire department rated ISO 8/9, so ask your insurance agent which class applies. Sales are thin, and water providers vary by address. Cleburne’s services are about 13 minutes north. If anything is a dealbreaker, you will hear it from me first.
Confirm city limits on the appraisal district record, whatever the address says. Second, list every taxing unit at 2026 rates, including the city rate with no homestead exemption. Third, confirm the water provider: the city, the county utility district or a well. Fourth, compare against new land in Torre Estados. Fifth, check septic, flood and pipeline records on rural parcels. And sixth, ask your insurer about the ISO class for the address.
Rio Vista-specific things to raise with all four. Freddie Mac’s 30-year average was 7.32 percent on October 22, 2026, and with new lots competing for buyers, ask how a seller-paid buydown compares with a price cut. A typical Rio Vista home falls under the FHA limit for Johnson County, which lenders list at $563,500 (confirm with HUD), and the $832,750 conforming limit. Ask about TSAHC and TDHCA programs and, for rural parcels, USDA eligibility. Make sure the escrow estimate reflects the city’s $1.006118 rate with no homestead exemption for in-city homes. 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 inside Rio Vista city limits, who supplies the water, what the 2026 tax bill looks like and how it compares with new lots nearby.
Bobby Franklin, REALTOR® · Legacy Realty Group – Leslie Majors Team · 214-228-0003 · northtexasmarketinsider.com
Information on this page is provided for general reference and is not legal, tax, insurance, environmental, engineering or lending advice. Tax figures are illustrations for a $300,000 homestead using 2026 rates from the Johnson County Tax Office, including the City of Rio Vista’s $1.006118 and Rio Vista ISD’s $1.170290; the in-city figure excludes Johnson County ESD No. 1, whose application inside city limits wasn’t confirmed, and none of them are quotes. The rate history, the maintenance and debt-service split and the voter-approval rate are from the Johnson County Tax Office’s truth-in-taxation summary; whether an exception or election applied in 2024 wasn’t determined, and no conclusion about the rate’s adoption is drawn here. A state bond database listed no outstanding city debt for fiscal 2025, which wasn’t reconciled with the debt-service rate. Water rates are from the city’s homepage, whose labels are unclear. The service-boundary case is City of Rio Vista v. Johnson County Special Utility District, Fifteenth Court of Appeals, January 28, 2025, cited only for service-area context. Lot and home prices are from MLS listings; market figures are Redfin’s for the three months ending August 2026 and RealtyTrac’s for September 2026, and they rest on very few sales. County permit fees are from Johnson County Development Services. The ISO rating is from Johnson County ESD No. 1’s provider list. The mortgage rate is Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey for October 22, 2026; the FHA limit is from lender tables and should be confirmed with HUD; the conforming limit is FHFA’s 2026 limit. All real estate services are provided through Legacy Realty Group. Equal Housing Opportunity.
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