First-Time Buyer Neighborhoods by City
Best Neighborhoods for First-Time Home Buyers in Dallas
Updated October 31, 2026
Reviewed by:
Head of Growth at TurboHome
Agent, Texas · Texas Realtor® License #674075
Chalfont Place, Upper Greenville and Bertrand are the best neighborhoods for first-time home buyers in Dallas right now, based on 9,258 Dallas home sales that closed between November 1, 2025 and October 30, 2026. We scored 192 Dallas neighborhoods on median price, how often homes sell above asking, days on market and sales volume. Chalfont Place leads with a median sale price of $170,000 against a citywide median of $457,500, 87.5% of sales closing below the original list price and a median 56 days on market. Citywide, 15% of Dallas homes sold above asking and the median home went pending in 32 days.
TurboHome Market Analysis · Dallas, Texas · Sales closed from November 1, 2025 to October 30, 2026
Key findings
- Chalfont Place ranks first for Dallas first-time buyers with a score of 91.8 out of 100: a $170,000 median sale price (63% below the citywide $457,500), 6.3% of sales closing above asking and a median 56 days on market.
- The most negotiable neighborhood on the list is Willow Falls, where 0% of sales closed above asking and 92.3% closed below their original list price, versus 15% and 76% citywide.
- The lowest entry price is in Richland Park: a quarter of homes there sold for $55,000 or less (median $75,000, typically 2 bedrooms and 931 square feet).
- Bertrand had the most sales of any neighborhood in the top 8 (90 closings), so it offers the most chances to buy; Richland Park gave buyers the most time, with homes sitting a median 79 days before going under contract.
- Citywide, the Dallas median sale price rose 5.2% year over year to $457,500 (from $435,000 in the prior 12 months), with homes going pending in a median 32 days.
The 8 best neighborhoods for first-time buyers in Dallas, ranked
Scores run from 0 to 100 and are relative to the 192 Dallas neighborhoods with at least 12 sales in the past 12 months. A higher score means a lower price, fewer bidding wars, more time to decide and more homes to choose from.
| Rank | Neighborhood | First-time buyer score | Median sale price | Entry price (25th pct) | Sold above asking | Closed below original list | Median days on market | Sales (12 mo) | Condo and townhome share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chalfont Place | 91.8 | $170,000 | $146,500 | 6.3% | 87.5% | 56 | 64 | 88% |
| 2 | Upper Greenville | 88.2 | $230,000 | $190,000 | 7.1% | 87.1% | 62 | 70 | 100% |
| 3 | Bertrand | 85.3 | $215,000 | $113,661 | 8.9% | 78.9% | 45.5 | 90 | 0% |
| 4 | Richland Park | 82.9 | $75,000 | $55,000 | 10.3% | 93.1% | 79 | 29 | 69% |
| 5 | Vickery Meadows | 80.6 | $205,000 | $102,500 | 13.8% | 77% | 42 | 87 | 57% |
| 6 | Willow Falls | 79.9 | $189,900 | $170,000 | 0% | 92.3% | 60 | 13 | 92% |
| 7 | Bachman | 79.1 | $295,000 | $178,750 | 6% | 84% | 45.5 | 50 | 28% |
| 8 | Main Street District | 78.8 | $259,900 | $230,000 | 4.8% | 71.4% | 60.5 | 21 | 100% |
Where Dallas first-time buyers have the most negotiating room
Nationally, 20.8% of active listings took a price cut in September 2026, the highest September share Realtor.com has recorded. In Dallas, 76% of homes that sold in the past year closed below their original list price and 15% closed above asking. These five neighborhoods from the ranking gave buyers the most room:
| Neighborhood | Sold above asking | Closed below original list | Median sale-to-list ratio | Median days on market |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Willow Falls | 0% | 92.3% | 95.8% | 60 |
| Main Street District | 4.8% | 71.4% | 97.8% | 60.5 |
| Bachman | 6% | 84% | 97.7% | 45.5 |
| Chalfont Place | 6.3% | 87.5% | 97.4% | 56 |
| Upper Greenville | 7.1% | 87.1% | 97.2% | 62 |
A sale-to-list ratio under 100% means the typical home closed below its final asking price. In Willow Falls, the median buyer paid 95.8% of the last list price, and 92.3% of buyers paid less than the price the home was first listed at. These are the neighborhoods where asking for closing cost credits, a rate buydown or repairs is realistic.
Lowest entry prices in Dallas
The entry price is the 25th percentile sale price: one in four homes in the neighborhood sold for this amount or less. It is a better guide to what a first-time buyer can actually get than the median.
| Neighborhood | Entry price (25th pct) | Median sale price | Median bedrooms | Median square feet | Median price per sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richland Park | $55,000 | $75,000 | 2 | 931 | $89 |
| Vickery Meadows | $102,500 | $205,000 | 2 | 1,344 | $170 |
| Bertrand | $113,661 | $215,000 | 3 | 1,438 | $156 |
| Chalfont Place | $146,500 | $170,000 | 2 | 1,110 | $176 |
| Willow Falls | $170,000 | $189,900 | 2 | 1,148 | $169 |
What a starter home costs per month in Dallas
At the Freddie Mac average 30-year fixed rate of 7.24% (week of October 29, 2026) with 10% down, here is the estimated principal and interest payment on the median home in the three top-ranked Dallas neighborhoods. Property taxes, insurance, mortgage insurance and any HOA dues come on top.
| Neighborhood | Median sale price | 10% down payment | Loan amount | Est. monthly principal and interest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chalfont Place | $170,000 | $17,000 | $153,000 | $1,043 |
| Upper Greenville | $230,000 | $23,000 | $207,000 | $1,411 |
| Bertrand | $215,000 | $21,500 | $193,500 | $1,319 |
| Citywide median | $457,500 | $45,750 | $411,750 | $2,806 |
Buying the median home in Chalfont Place instead of the median Dallas home saves about $1,763 a month in principal and interest and $28,750 on a 10% down payment. FHA buyers putting 3.5% down would need $5,950 for the down payment on the median home in Chalfont Place.
Local notes for Dallas first-time buyers
Dallas has the widest first-time buyer price range of any city in this ranking. Chalfont Place and Vickery Meadows (northeast Dallas off Skillman and Park Lane) and Upper Greenville are condo-heavy districts with medians of $170,000 to $230,000, and Upper Greenville was 100% attached with 87% of sales closing below original list. Richland Park's $75,000 median reflects older condo complexes near Richland College; many of these buildings are not warrantable for conventional loans, so confirm financing before you tour. Bertrand in southern Dallas was the largest single family pool at 90 sales and a $215,000 median. Bachman (near Love Field and Bachman Lake) had a $295,000 median with 84% of sales below original list, and the Main Street District offers downtown high-rise condos at a $259,900 median. Dallas's citywide median rose 5.2% to $457,500, and Redfin reported seller concessions in 53.3% of Dallas sales in August 2026, the highest of any major metro.
Texas first-time buyer programs
Two statewide programs cover most Texas first-time buyers. The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs runs My First Texas Home, a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage with down payment and closing cost assistance of up to 5% of the loan amount as a zero-interest deferred second lien. The Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation runs Home Sweet Texas (for buyers under county income limits) and Homes for Texas Heroes (teachers, first responders, veterans and other public servants), each with up to 5% assistance as a grant or a forgivable second lien. Both require a 620 or higher credit score and a homebuyer education course. See tdhca.texas.gov and tsahc.org for current income and purchase price limits. Because Texas has no state income tax, property tax rates are high; budget 1.8% to 2.5% of the purchase price per year depending on the county, school district and any MUD or PID assessments.
Methodology
TurboHome analyzed 9,258 Dallas, Texas home sales recorded in the MLS with a close date between November 1, 2025 and October 30, 2026 and a sale price between $50,000 and $20 million. Single family homes, condominiums, townhouses, stock cooperatives and tenancy-in-common units are included; land, mobile and manufactured homes, multifamily and timeshares are excluded. Sales were grouped by the MLS neighborhood field at the standard level, and 192 Dallas neighborhoods with at least 12 closings qualified for scoring. The first-time buyer score weights four factors: median sale price (40%, lower is better), share of sales closing above the final list price (25%, lower is better), median days on market (15%, longer is better because it gives buyers time for inspections and negotiation) and number of sales (20%, more is better because it means more chances to buy). Each factor is converted to a percentile rank within the city and combined into a 0 to 100 score; the table shows the top 8. Entry price is the 25th percentile sale price. Closed below original list compares the sale price with the first list price, so it captures both price cuts and negotiated discounts. Monthly payment estimates use the Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey 30-year fixed average of 7.24% for the week of October 29, 2026 (freddiemac.com/pmms), a 10% down payment and principal and interest only. The national price-cut benchmark is from the Realtor.com September 2026 Monthly Housing Trends Report, which found 20.8% of active listings had a price reduction, the highest September share on record (RISMedia summary). Neighborhood boundaries follow the MLS, not city planning maps, so some names differ from local usage. Age-restricted communities are included in the data and flagged in the text. Prior-year comparisons use the same method for November 1, 2024 to October 31, 2025.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best neighborhoods for first-time home buyers in Dallas?
Based on 9,258 sales that closed between November 1, 2025 and October 30, 2026, the top three Dallas neighborhoods for first-time buyers are Chalfont Place (median $170,000), Upper Greenville ($230,000) and Bertrand ($215,000). Each combines a below-city-median price with a lower share of sales closing above asking and enough sales volume to give buyers real choice.
What is the cheapest neighborhood to buy a home in Dallas?
Among the 8 ranked neighborhoods, Richland Park had both the lowest median sale price, $75,000, and the lowest entry price, with a quarter of homes selling for $55,000 or less. The citywide Dallas median was $457,500.
Where in Dallas do homes sell below asking price?
Willow Falls had the lowest share of sales closing above asking (0%) and 92.3% of its sales closed below the original list price, with a median 60 days on market. Citywide, 76% of Dallas sales closed below original list.
How much do I need for a down payment on a starter home in Dallas?
On the median home in Chalfont Place at $170,000, a 3.5% FHA down payment is $5,950, 5% is $8,500 and 10% is $17,000. Texas buyers who meet income limits can cover part of that through TDHCA's My First Texas Home and TSAHC's Home Sweet Texas programs. Plan on another 2% to 3% of the price for closing costs.
Is now a good time for a first-time buyer in Dallas?
Mortgage rates averaged 7.24% in late October 2026, so payments are high, but buyers have more leverage than in recent years: 76% of Dallas homes sold below their original list price in the past 12 months and the median home took 32 days to go pending. In Chalfont Place, homes sat a median 56 days and 87.5% closed below original list, which gives a first-time buyer time to inspect and negotiate.
Related TurboHome guides
- Best first-time buyer neighborhoods in every TurboHome market
- HOA fees in Dallas
- Income needed to buy a home in Dallas
- How long it takes to close on a house in Dallas
- TurboHome buyer rebate in Texas
Buy your first home in Dallas with a flat-fee agent
About the Author
Vinura Abeysundara
Vinura Abeysundara is a real estate and growth professional with experience scaling homebuying platforms across Canada and the United States. Formerly Head of Growth at Zown, he now works with TurboHome and writes about homebuyer savings, flat-fee real estate, commissions, and technology in real estate.
View Vinura on LinkedInAbout Jake Shuler
Agent, Texas
Jake Shuler is a Texas REALTOR® with more than 10 years of real estate experience and over 200 successful transactions. As an agent at TurboHome, he helps buyers navigate the Texas housing market and writes about homebuying, negotiations, local market trends, and ways buyers can save throughout the process.
View Jake's profile