The north Dallas-Fort Worth suburbs offer distinct paths for buyers looking outside the city limits. The choice between Southlake, TX and Argyle, TX comes down to how you prioritize finished square footage against open acreage.
Southlake has an established footprint with mostly built-out subdivisions. Argyle has larger lots and a smaller population. Your daily commute, property tax structure, and preference for city utilities over private wells will steer you one way or the other.
Key Takeaway
If you want an established town with shopping close by and homes that close near asking, start with Southlake. If land matters more to you than finished square footage, look at Argyle. Before comparing prices, confirm its lot minimums, combined tax rate, and whether a home runs on a well or septic system.
Who This Guide Is For
You are shopping for a home in the north DFW suburbs and deciding whether to focus your search on Southlake or Argyle, based on budget, land, taxes, and daily drive.
How the Southlake Market Affects Your Timing
Southlake isn't forcing a fast decision. Homes there recently sold at a median near list after 39 days on the market, with 3.9 months of supply, even as values rose at a strong year-over-year pace. A buyer weighing Argyle has time to settle the choice on what differs address by address rather than on fear of losing a house.
Those figures translate into real room to negotiate. A home listed at $1.45 million that closes at the recent sale-to-list ratio sells for about $1.41 million, a gap of roughly $40,600. You can review our full guide to the Southlake housing market for a deeper look at seasonal shifts.
Southlake and Argyle Compared
Both municipalities sit northwest of Dallas, but they differ sharply in scale and housing density. The raw land area and population numbers go a long way toward explaining the housing options available within each border.
Southlake, TX
Southlake spans 21.83 square miles and holds a population of 31,265, located predominantly in Tarrant County with a small portion extending into Denton County. The market is almost entirely detached single-family houses. Of the 94 Southlake homes sold in the 90 days ending September 30, 2026, 90 were single-family properties.
Buyers who want to understand the full process can review our buying guide for the area. What you give up is low-maintenance living. If you want a townhome, Southlake barely has them, and those property types sold too rarely to report. You can check our types of homes guide for what occasionally surfaces.
Argyle, TX
Argyle covers 11.56 square miles with a population of just 4,403, giving it a much lower density than Southlake. The U.S. Census Bureau classifies Argyle as a city, but the environment is geared toward land and space.
Finding a home here often means looking at acreage rather than tightly packed subdivisions, which also means fewer comparable sales to price against. More land frequently means private wells and septic systems, both of which require specialized inspections during your option period.
What Your Budget Buys in Each Town
The core choice is whether you want to pay for finished square footage or land. In Southlake, homes recently sold at a median $364 per square foot. At that figure, a 4,000-square-foot house runs about $1,456,000 before accounting for lot size or updates.
Argyle shifts the value toward the dirt. The town's zoning ordinance sets minimum lot sizes by district, so you're guaranteed a certain amount of space depending on where you buy. An SF-7 district requires a minimum 7,000-square-foot lot; an SF-12 district mandates a 12,000-square-foot minimum.
Lot sizes vary enough that you should confirm the exact boundaries on the property survey rather than relying on the listing. Our guide to the types of homes available in the area shows how lot sizes scale across different neighborhoods.
Property Taxes and Utilities
Purchase price is only part of the monthly cost. The combined property tax rate and the type of utilities connected to the house will shape what you carry every month.
Property Tax Rates
Texas property tax bills combine rates from the city, county, and school district. For the 2025 tax year, the City of Southlake adopted a rate of $0.295 per $100 of valuation, while the Town of Argyle adopted a rate of $0.343100 per $100 of valuation. The school districts add the largest share: Carroll ISD adopted a 2025-2026 total rate of $0.9294 and Argyle ISD approved a rate of $1.1727, both expressed on the same basis.
A rate difference applies every year to the full assessed value of the home, so the math compounds quickly. Our cost of living guide walks through how that plays out. One important caveat: rates vary by specific address, since parts of Southlake fall outside Carroll ISD. Always ask the appraisal district for the exact rates tied to a given house before you run the numbers.
Water, Sewer and Septic
City infrastructure is standard in most of Southlake, but larger lots in both towns may rely on private systems. Properties without city sewer connections use septic tanks; homes without municipal water draw from private wells. Our utilities page has more on how this works.
A private well or septic system is the owner's responsibility to repair, full stop. Ask the seller for recent well water test results and septic service records, and budget for a separate septic inspection before your option period closes.
Commutes from Southlake and Argyle
The driving distance between Argyle, TX and Southlake, TX is approximately 16 miles via US-377, which takes about 22 to 23 minutes. Where you end up in traffic depends entirely on where you're driving to.
Southlake sits closer to the center of the Metroplex, which shortens the trip to Dallas or Fort Worth proper. Argyle is positioned further north along the I-35W corridor, which works well for commuting into Denton or northern Fort Worth. Drive your commute at rush hour from the specific street before making an offer. Our getting around guide has more on transit details.
How to Choose Between Southlake and Argyle
A few practical questions will narrow this down quickly:
Do you need land more than finished square footage? If yes, read the Argyle profile first.
Would a difference in combined tax rate change your monthly payment more than the price gap between two homes? Check the property tax section and the linked cost of living guide.
Are you comfortable owning a private well or septic system, or do you want city water and sewer? See the utilities section and the FAQ on Argyle utility providers.
Where do you drive most days? Review the commutes section to gauge your drive to DFW Airport, Fort Worth, or Dallas.
If you want a detached house in an established town with time to negotiate, start with Southlake. If you want more land for the money and you're comfortable checking well, septic, and zoning details yourself, focus on Argyle. Michael Hershenberg can pull sales in both towns for the size and lot you want. Our guide to the pros and cons of living in Southlake can further assist with your decision.
At a Glance
Median sale price, all homes, Southlake: $1,424,322 (90 days ending Sept. 30, 2026), up 9.6% year over year
Median sale price, single-family, Southlake: $1,424,432 (90 days ending Sept. 30, 2026), up 9.2% year over year
Homes sold, Southlake: 94 all homes, 90 of them single-family (90 days ending Sept. 30, 2026)
Median days on market, Southlake: 39 for all homes and for single-family (90 days ending Sept. 30, 2026)
Sale-to-list ratio, Southlake: 97.2% all homes, 97.1% single-family (90 days ending Sept. 30, 2026)
Share sold above list, Southlake: 10.8% all homes, 11.2% single-family (90 days ending Sept. 30, 2026)
Months of supply, Southlake: 3.9 all homes, 3.7 single-family (90 days ending Sept. 30, 2026)
Active inventory, Southlake: 119 all homes, 110 single-family (90 days ending Sept. 30, 2026)
Median price per square foot, Southlake: $364 all homes, $360 single-family (90 days ending Sept. 30, 2026)
Southlake vs Argyle FAQs
Why Is Southlake, TX so Expensive?
Home values reflect the high demand for properties in this specific location. The median sale price for all homes was $1,424,322 over the 90 days ending September 30, 2026, up 9.6% year over year. Our guide to the most expensive areas breaks down how prices vary by subdivision.
Are Homes in Southlake Selling Above Asking Price?
Sometimes, but it's not the norm. Only 10.8% of all homes sold above list price over the 90 days ending September 30, 2026. That means about nine in ten buyers paid the asking price or less, so offers over list are the exception.
What County Are Southlake and Argyle In?
Southlake is located predominantly in Tarrant County, with a small portion extending into Denton County. Argyle is located entirely in Denton County. The county lines dictate which appraisal district you use and affect your combined property tax rate.
What School Districts Serve Southlake and Argyle?
Carroll Independent School District is the primary district for Southlake, though portions of the city fall into Northwest ISD, Keller ISD, and Grapevine-Colleyville ISD. Argyle ISD serves the majority of Argyle, but some addresses fall under Denton ISD or Northwest ISD. Use the official boundary lookup tools provided by the districts to confirm the zoning for any specific address, and read our schools page for more detail.
Is Southlake or Argyle Closer to DFW Airport?
Southlake is much closer. Southlake is approximately 10 miles from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport via the South Service Road. Argyle is approximately 25 miles from DFW Airport via TX-114 East, which takes about 30 minutes to drive.
Does Argyle Have City Water and Sewer, or Do Most Homes Use Private Systems?
Water service in the Town of Argyle is provided by Argyle Water Supply Corporation, as the town does not provide direct water connections. The town oversees sewer service but relies on the same corporation for usage and billing data. Ask the seller whether the home connects to these lines or uses a private well and septic system, and review our utilities page for details on the Southlake side.
