Best suburbs of Dallas when work is downtown (Plano, Garland: apartment complexes, low crime)

[Kward1]

Hello,

I have wrote on this thread before. My husband was planning on getting a job at a clinic in bedford so I had wrote for suggestions on places to live there but he just got offered a job at the Baylor Medical Center in downtown Dallas so now things have changed. We want to live in the suburbs not the city. He doesn't want to drive more than 35 min. As far as our housing budget goes we are looking to stay around 300k with his salary only. Once I start working too we will put them together and be able to spend more. Before we buy we will rent. But once it comes time to buy I would love to hear yalls suggestions.we have 2 young boys so good school districts are essential. I've heard carrolton is very nice, low crime, affordable housing. Can anyone tell me what the commute is like from there to downtown? Traffic and no traffic. I've also heard Coppell or Grapevine (but probably out of our price range), las colinas, Euless, and mesquite. Can anyone that lives in these areas and work downtown let me know how the commute is but also how they like these suburbs. We will be heading up there in a month so we need to find something pretty fast. Thanks

[Klorider76]

If you budget is 300K that will definitely get you a decent ready to move in home in Carrollton. To look for the higher rated schools, you are pretty much going to have to be aiming for the northern portion of the city. Castle Hills and north Hebron is going to be too expensive to get something on that budget, but you can find something within this range in the area around Old Denton and Josey and north of the Bush Turnpike and south of Rosemeade.

If you can get your salary included in the housing purchase price, North Hebron becomes more affordable, you will have absolutely no problems finding a no reno house with great schools in north Hebron if you can budget 400K, and probably a bit less than this honestly.

The commute from this area to downtown is manageable in the whole scheme of things. I knew a lady living in the area around Hebron who who commuted to work just north of downtown Dallas and it wasn't terrible but she still preferred to leave in the early morning when it was dark to beat the traffic. The 135 going south in the morning is for some reason congested south of the turnpike and north of the I635, but clears relatively from the I635 south to about Northwest highway where you are dealing with rush hour traffic the rest of the way.

Crime anywhere is Carrollton is nothing to worry about. Where there are a lot of apartment complexes congregated like some areas of Frankford, it is not the best, but it is not bad either. Any neighborhood with houses there will be no issues with excess crime and what you will have will be what any other neighborhood can get. Carrollton is very manageable traffic wise, it is not that congested to drive the streets. I never take the dallas north tollway, but that also takes you downtown.

[WorldKlas]

Richardson is the best located burb for Baylor that has decent schools. Your budget may be a bit tight but look in Lake Highlands (Richardson school district). Avoid Richardson any place near Richland Collage due to crime.

Far east Garland on the Richardson border also is a good consideration.

Years ago I lived in Mesquite and commuted to Downtown. Not fun, but not the worst. Back then the Mesquite school district was highly rated. Not any moe.

Carrollton is not a fun commute, neither is anything in Tarrant County.

[Kward1]

Thank you both for the great tips and suggestions! Im goung to look at these areas yall mentioned! Ill look at the more pricier places yall mentioned too because I'm hoping once I get a job our budget can be more in the 350k or a bit higher range. Seems like every good house starts around those prices. I don't mind commuting an hour to work (I did it when I lived in orlando) but my husband is a bit more picky.

[Klorider76]

I now see that you are looking for something less than 35 minutes. Carrollton to downtown Dallas is 20 miles ish, if you are driving to Baylor Medical Center from here in rush hour, you can throw getting there in under 35 minutes out the window, even if doing the graveyard shift would still be 35 minutes at best. But still could get there in under an hour barring some exceptionally bad traffic or construction.

[NTXPerson]

I agree with the suggestions above. However, I do want to make you aware that your commute from North Carrollton to Baylor will likely be more than 35 minutes. I used to work in North Carrollton and live in the Medical District (off 35 and Inwood). I was doing that commute five years ago and it would take me 35-40 minutes and going against traffic. North Carrollton to Baylor will likely take you longer.

[NTXPerson]

An outside the box recommendation to add to the others is to buy a house in Farmers Branch. The homes will be cheaper since most are older (more houses in your price range available), you will be closer to Dallas, you get the low crime rates, and you are still in the same school district as Carrollton. Carrollton Farmers Branch ISD allows you to go to any school in their district. In Farmers Branch, there are some highly rated elementary schools, but Carrollton seems to have the higher rated middle and high schools.

[Kward1]

Thank you so much! Yes carrollton was our first place to look because houses are more in our price range, schools are good, and crime is low. But my husband will probably go against it if he has to drive 45 minutes. I will look at farmers branch ive been meaning to look at that suburb but kept going past it so thanks for saying that. I like all yalls suggestions i wish he wouldn't mind driving a little further but I understand why he doesn't want to. He's use to a small town and getting to work in 8 minutes so this will be quite a change for him

[texstout]

Hi - I live near Baylor with kids. I know you are looking for a suburb experience - I would recommend Farmers Branch and Richardson. Rockwall will normally be more like 35 mins, but I actually really like it. (And I don't like suburbs in general...)

We belong to the Brookhaven Country Club in Farmers Branch and its typically about 25 mins from our house to it. We've thought about moving up there, although we would keep in the Dallas ISD since our kids go to a DISD magnet school. (Most homes are zoned to Carrolton/Farmers Branch). Its definitely one of the closer-in suburbs and has great parks. Richardson is also an easy shot just up 75N.

Rockwall is 30E - on the other other side of the lake. Another random suggestion is Waxahachie. Its more of a small town vs. a suburb - but less than 30 mins from downtown since its South. Not bad traffic. Its getting very popular, but still has its own identity (historic downtown). My husband is from nearby and has fond memories of it.

I don't have any good impressions of Mesquite...probably snobby of me, but its not well thought of anymore. Garland is typically considered lower income BUT I've heard some good things about the school district since its open enrollment and kids can go to different magnet schools.

Be aware that due to COVID - current commute times are not normal. They are WAY shorter since so many people are working from home. Don't fall into the fallacy that a current commute when you are visiting is in anyway normal.

GOOD Luck!!

[turf3]

Well, to get to Baylor (which is not in downtown but near) you'd want to be in inner ring suburbs. $300k for single family house is going to be challenging or impossible for many of these unless you buy in places with bad schools.


Taking them clockwise:


Carrollton, Farmers Branch - at the limit of 35 minutes, probably not realistic.
Addison - mostly apartments
Plano - very few SFH in that price range, good schools
Richardson - very few SFH in that range
Garland - some are zoned to Richardson schools, north part is OK, south part not so much, north Garland with Richardson schools will probably all be over $300k
Note - Lake Highlands area of Dallas has some areas zoned to Richardson schools, but I don't know if SFH in any of those areas would fall in your price range.
Mesquite - Plenty of SFH in your range, but schools are not so good these days.
Seagoville - I think schools are DISD and not the best.


The south section I don't know enough about - places like Red Oak or Duncanville MIGHT be within 35 minutes, but the problem is you've probably got to go through downtown to get to Baylor.


All the mid cities is probably longer than 35 minutes to Baylor during rush hour - as you'll generally have to go through DT to get there.