Land for Sale in Dallas, TX
Dallas is the center of North Texas, with 1,304,379 residents in the 2020 census. Inside the city, land is mostly lots and redevelopment parcels governed by the City of Dallas Development Code, while acreage is found in the counties around it. This guide explains how land rules differ between the city and the unincorporated areas, and what to check before you buy.
Dallas at a glance
- Dallas 2020 population: 1,304,379; county seat of Dallas County.
- Zoning inside the city is set by the City of Dallas Development Code, and the city publishes its zoning, long-range planning and permitting information.
- Permitting runs through the city's DallasNow system.
- Texas counties generally have no zoning authority, so land outside a city is governed by deed restrictions and subdivision covenants rather than county zoning.
- Texas land with an agricultural, timber or wildlife appraisal carries rollback taxes for the previous three years when the use changes.
The Dallas land market
Inside Dallas, buyers look at infill lots, redevelopment parcels and small tracts, where the questions are zoning, utilities and access. People who want acreage usually look outside the city limits, in the counties around Dallas, where parcels are larger and cheaper per acre but zoning, utilities and road access differ. Compare a Dallas lot with land farther out only after you know which rules apply to each.
Zoning and permitting in the city
The City of Dallas regulates land use inside its limits through the Dallas Development Code, and the city publishes its zoning, long-range planning and permitting information, including the DallasNow permitting system and the city's zoning reform work. Before you buy a lot, get the parcel's zoning district in writing and check whether the use you want is allowed, whether a rezoning or a variance would be needed, and what permits a building project would require.
Land outside the city: deed restrictions and ag tax rules
Texas counties generally have no zoning authority, so land outside a city is governed mostly by deed restrictions, subdivision covenants and whatever the platting and utility rules require. Read the recorded restrictions before you rely on a use.
If the land is appraised for agriculture, timber or wildlife management, the owner who changes its use owes a rollback tax for each of the previous three years in which the land got the lower appraisal, which is the gap between the taxes on the agricultural value and the taxes at market value (Texas Comptroller). Ask the county appraisal district whether the parcel has a special appraisal and what the buyer's plan would trigger.
Before you buy land in or near Dallas
- The parcel's zoning district from the City of Dallas, or the recorded deed restrictions outside a city.
- Whether the land has an agricultural appraisal and what a change of use would cost.
- Recorded legal access, utilities and a survey.
- Flood zone status from the FEMA map for the parcel.
- Which county and appraisal district the parcel is in.
How to verify legal access to landLand due diligence checklist
Frequently asked questions
Does Dallas County have zoning for land outside the city?
Texas counties generally have no zoning authority, so land outside a city is governed by deed restrictions and subdivision covenants. Inside Dallas, the Dallas Development Code sets zoning.
What are Texas rollback taxes?
When land with an agricultural, timber or wildlife appraisal changes use, the owner who changes it owes the tax difference for each of the previous three years in which the land got the lower appraisal.
How many people live in Dallas?
1,304,379 in the 2020 census.