Texas · Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX metro area

Buying a home in Denton, Texas

In Denton, the median value of owner-occupied homes is $348,200, Denton County's effective property tax rate is 1.61%, a purchase mortgage carried a median $8,618 in total loan costs in 2025, and median gross rent is $1,420 a month.

Data as of : Census ACS 2020-2024, Census Vintage 2024, HMDA 2025, HUD FY 2027. Sources

Denton home costs, fact by fact

About Denton

Denton is a city of 165,998 residents that lies in the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX metro area, ranked 4th among U.S. metro areas. The median home value is $348,200, a figure estimated by owners rather than a sale price, and 50% of homes are owner-occupied.

Reading the Denton figures

Denton's numbers look mid-range until you set them beside the county. Owners estimate $348,200, above the Texas figure of $318,100, and the city sits just above College Station ($346,700), then New Braunfels ($339,400). Dallas reports $320,700, Irving $315,600, below it, while Georgetown shows $429,100, Round Rock $418,600, Carrollton $381,000, above.

Denton County, though, has homes valued around $437,200, so the county's tax figures describe a pricier housing stock than the city's. The effective rate is 1.61% and the median yearly bill is $7,055. A buyer in Denton should treat that as an upper reference, since the city's own values are lower than the county's.

Ownership is evenly split: 50% of households own, between Lewisville (46.3%) or Carrollton (58.5%). That is well above College Station (35.4%) or Irving (38.1%), and far below Pearland (76.2%) or League City (74.7%). Rent is $1,420 a month, lower than Lewisville ($1,670), Carrollton ($1,735) or Pearland ($1,860), yet close to Conroe ($1,393) or Dallas ($1,472). HUD's reference for the Dallas metro is $1,807 for a 2-bedroom and $2,275 for a bigger home, higher than the city's median; it is a benchmark and not a market median. On loan costs, the 2025 HMDA records for the county cover 14,429 loans, with a median of $8,618 and a typical spread from $5,699 to $12,167. These are county-level figures, so a loan in the city itself may be priced differently. A quick read of the closest cities adds context. Midland reports $319,200, Conroe $309,600, New Braunfels $339,400, all lower in value, with owner shares of 65.1%, 54.5%, 65.3%, so Denton's 50% is the moderate one. The rent-versus-buy comparison is clear in outline: renting at $1,420 sits at the lower end of the group, while ownership adds a yearly county tax of $7,055 plus one-time loan costs. Whether that is worth it depends on the value of the home you actually choose, because owners' estimates are not sale prices. Payotte has no sector breakdown for Denton, so everything here is read at the city level. Georgetown, at $429,100, pairs a 69.5% owner share with a $1,795 rent, so a much higher value there still comes with a rent that exceeds Denton's by a clear margin. Round Rock, at $418,600, has 55.5% owners and a $1,763 rent. Treat the $7,055 as a county median, not a quote for any home. Denton's own homes are valued lower than the county's, so the real bill on a typical Denton house may differ, and a property record is the only reliable check before you commit to an offer on any listing.

Calculate for Texas

If you buy

Texas state transfer tax

Texas has no real estate transfer tax. Change the price: the amount is recalculated instantly.

Price$318,100
State transfer tax$0
Share of the price—

Default price: the Texas median value of owner-occupied homes, $318,100 (Census ACS 2025). Rule: No transfer tax exists. Buyers pay county recording fees and a state-set title insurance premium. Who pays: No transfer tax to assign. Recording fees and the title insurance premium appear on the closing statement. Not included: county and city transfer taxes, recording fees, title insurance and lender charges. Texas transfer tax guide · all 50 states.

If you sell

Capital gain and the federal tax on it

Same federal rule in every state: Section 121 of the Internal Revenue Code excludes up to $250,000 of gain on a main home ($500,000 for a married couple filing jointly).

Capital gain$350,000
Section 121 exclusion$250,000 (limit $250,000)
Taxable gain$100,000
Type of gainLong-term (owned over 1 year), 15% chosen
Federal tax on the gain$15,000

Section 121 excludes $250,000; the rest is taxable.

Gain = sale price minus your adjusted basis (purchase price, buying costs and improvements); selling expenses reduce it (IRS Publication 523). Long-term rates for sales in 2026, by taxable income including the gain (IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32, section 4.03): 0% up to $49,450 single or $98,900 married filing jointly, 15% up to $545,500 single or $613,700 jointly, 20% above. Not included: Texas state income tax on the gain (not computed), the net investment income tax, depreciation recapture on a rental or home office, and the reduced exclusion for an early sale. Agent commissions are negotiated and never set by law. Capital gains on a home sale.

Questions about buying a home in Denton

How much is property tax in Denton?

Homeowners in Denton County pay a median $7,055 a year in property tax, 1.61% of the county median home value of $437,200 (Census ACS 2020-2024). Your bill depends on your assessed value and local rates.

What are closing costs on a mortgage in Denton?

Home-purchase mortgages in Denton County carried median total loan costs of $8,618 in 2025; half of the 14,429 loans fell between $5,699 and $12,167 (HMDA). Total loan costs are the lender and settlement-service charges of the Closing Disclosure; transfer taxes and prepaid items come on top.

Is there a transfer tax when you buy a home in Denton?

Texas has no real estate transfer tax. Article VIII, Section 29 of the Texas Constitution, added November 3, 2015, says no law enacted after January 1, 2016 may impose a transfer tax on a transaction that conveys fee simple title to real property.

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Denton?

It depends on your mortgage rate, down payment and how long you stay. As a benchmark, the median value of owner-occupied homes in Denton ($348,200) equals 20.4 years of the median gross rent ($1,420 a month), both from Census ACS 2020-2024.

What natural hazards affect home insurance in Denton?

Across Texas, the main hazards for home insurance are flood, tornado, wind and hail, and the insurer of last resort is Texas FAIR Plan Association (TFPA). Texas gets more tornadoes than any other state, according to the Texas Department of Insurance; on the coast, windstorm coverage comes from a separate policy, often from TWIA, in 14 coastal counties plus part of Harris County.

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Texas rules that apply in Denton

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Sources

Texas · All states · Federal guides