Northeast Tarrant County has two distinct housing markets for buyers working at higher price points.
Key Takeaway
Start with Southlake if you want to live near Southlake Town Square and your budget sits at the top of the market. Despite rising prices, its homes are taking a median 39 days to sell and closing below asking, which leaves room to negotiate. Look at Colleyville if lot size or a lower entry price matters more. Compare its current sale price and price per square foot before you tour.
Who This Guide Is For
You're deciding whether to focus a Northeast Tarrant County home search on Southlake or Colleyville and want to compare prices, lots, and location before touring.
Southlake vs Colleyville: What's the Difference?
Southlake and Colleyville sit side by side in Northeast Tarrant County, and both are high-priced. Southlake's median keeps rising, yet its homes still sell below asking, so buyers there can negotiate. The decision should rest on net price after negotiation, price per square foot, and lot size rather than on headline medians.
Southlake
Southlake is a mostly single-family market centered on one main shopping district, Southlake Town Square. Nearly every recent sale was a single-family home. Attached homes traded too rarely to report in the last 90 days, so if you're hoping to start with a townhome, you'll find very few options here.
Colleyville
Colleyville relies on zoning that favors larger lots. Its retail runs along State Highway 26 rather than gathering in a single town center.
Home Prices and Negotiating Room
A realistic budget factors in how long homes sit and what sellers accept alongside the asking price.
Southlake Home Prices
Southlake's median sale price rose 9.6% in a year, to $1,424,322 for all homes during the 90 days ending September 30, 2026. Waiting has cost buyers money, but homes are still closing below asking. For illustration only: at a 97.2% sale-to-list ratio, a home that closes at that median would typically have been listed near $1,465,000, meaning roughly $41,000 came off asking.
The discount is a median, not a rule. About one Southlake sale in nine still went over asking. With supply under four months, the room to negotiate can shrink quickly if listings thin out.
Colleyville Home Prices
Colleyville's market is smaller, so a handful of large-acreage sales can move its median in either direction. Compare price per square foot alongside the median, and rely on comparable sales for specific neighborhoods rather than the citywide number.
If Colleyville homes close below list, the gap after negotiation roughly matches the gap between medians. If they move faster or closer to list, a lower sticker price buys less bargaining room than it appears to.
Lot Sizes and Types of Homes
Southlake builds around a dense, mixed-use center surrounded by subdivisions. Colleyville's zoning keeps lots larger and more spread out.
Price per Square Foot
Southlake single-family homes sold at a median $360 per square foot. At a $1.5 million budget, that buys roughly 4,100 square feet of living space. Compare that with active Colleyville listings to see what the same budget buys across the border.
Price per square foot doesn't capture land. A cheaper-per-foot house on a smaller lot can cost more per acre, so read this figure alongside lot size.
Lot Sizes and Zoning
Colleyville's single-family zoning sets minimum lot sizes by district: R-10 requires a 10,000-square-foot lot, R-20 requires 20,000, and R-40 requires 40,000. Buyers looking for acre-plus lots often start their search here.
Southlake also offers large lots. In either city, pull the subdivision plat or survey to confirm actual lot size. Zoning sets a floor, not what's for sale, and older subdivisions may have smaller lots than the district rule suggests.
Location and Commute
Southlake runs along State Highway 114 and Colleyville along State Highway 26, and both are close to DFW International Airport. Southlake lists the airport about 5 miles east of the city, and Colleyville says it is 5 miles from DFW. These are approximate distances each city publishes, not driving distances, so drive your commute at rush hour from the specific street you're considering.
Shopping, Dining and Things to Do
Southlake Town Square
Southlake Town Square is an open-air lifestyle shopping district with more than 120 shops and dozens of fine restaurants. It's the main reason buyers who value walkable errands start in Southlake. The district mixes retail, dining, and civic buildings, including Southlake Town Hall, and anchors most things to do in Southlake.
Its popularity brings weekend traffic. Drive past on a Saturday before you commit to a nearby street.
Colleyville Boulevard
Colleyville's shopping and dining are spread along State Highway 26 rather than concentrated in one center. That keeps traffic moving along the highway instead of funneling into one spot, and it suits buyers who want quieter residential streets and don't mind driving to run errands. What you give up is a single gathering place on the scale of Town Square. Evenings out often mean a drive, sometimes into Southlake.
Schools, Property Taxes and Safety
Both cities are served by more than one school district. Confirm a specific address's assignment with the district's own boundary lookup and TEA's district finder before relying on any listing remark.
For property taxes, the City of Southlake's Maintenance and Operations portion of its tax rate is $0.24 per $100 of valuation for FY 2026. That is only one component of the city's rate. The total bill also includes county, school district, and other taxing units, so look up the property's appraisal record for every taxing unit and any exemptions that apply. Ask, too, whether the home is on city water or a private well.
Crime is low in both cities: each police department reported 10 violent crimes in 2024.
How to Choose Between Southlake and Colleyville
If your budget sits near the line between Southlake's roughly $1.42 million median and Colleyville's prices, start with home prices and negotiating room. Southlake's below-asking discount can close part of the gap.
If you would consider a townhome or other attached home, attached sales in Southlake were too few to report, so read the types of homes in Southlake guide to narrow your search.
If acreage matters more than a walkable town center, Colleyville's R-20 and R-40 districts are the place to look. If the town center wins, Southlake Town Square makes Southlake the pick. The pros and cons of living in Southlake highlight other factors to consider.
If your daily drive runs to DFW Airport, both cities are about equally close. Toward Fort Worth, compare the SH 114 and SH 26 routes from the street you're considering. If you want help comparing specific listings in both cities to see which fits your commute and budget, reach out to discuss your search.
At a Glance
Southlake median sale price, all homes: $1,424,322, up 9.6% year over year (90 days ending 2026-09-30)
Southlake median sale price, single-family: $1,424,432, up 9.2% year over year (90 days ending 2026-09-30)
Southlake homes sold: 94 all homes, of which 90 single-family (90 days ending 2026-09-30)
Southlake median days on market: 39 days, all homes and single-family (90 days ending 2026-09-30)
Southlake sale-to-list ratio: 97.2% all homes; 97.1% single-family (90 days ending 2026-09-30)
Southlake share sold above list: 10.8% all homes; 11.2% single-family (90 days ending 2026-09-30)
Southlake months of supply: 3.9 all homes; 3.7 single-family (90 days ending 2026-09-30)
Southlake active inventory: 119 all homes; 110 single-family (90 days ending 2026-09-30)
Southlake median price per square foot: $364 all homes; $360 single-family (90 days ending 2026-09-30)
Southlake vs Colleyville FAQs
Are Southlake and Colleyville in the Same County?
Yes, both are mainly in Tarrant County. The northern part of Southlake extends into Denton County, which changes which appraisal district handles the property tax record.
How Far Are Southlake and Colleyville from Downtown Dallas?
Colleyville is roughly 22 miles from Dallas and 14 miles from Fort Worth. Southlake sits midway between the two cities.
What School Districts Serve Southlake and Colleyville?
Several districts serve parts of each city, including Carroll ISD, Keller ISD, and Grapevine-Colleyville ISD. The city name alone doesn't tell you which school an address is zoned to.
How Does Crime in Southlake Compare with Colleyville?
In 2024 FBI UCR data, the Southlake Police Department reported 321 total offenses, 311 of them property crimes. The Colleyville Police Department reported 148, including 138 property crimes. Both cities' crime rates are well below the national average, and Southlake's is also well below the Texas average.
Does Southlake or Colleyville Have Apartments?
Both cities are overwhelmingly single-family, but each has zoning for multifamily developments. Colleyville has a Multi-Family Residential District. Southlake has multi-family mixed-use zoning, with a notable project discussed for Southlake Town Square.
What Zip Codes Cover Southlake and Colleyville?
Southlake is served by 76092, and Colleyville is covered by 76034. A mailing zip code doesn't always match city limits, so check the city on the tax record to confirm.
