Collin County vs Denton County Property Tax
Comparing the northern DFW suburbs - Plano / Frisco / McKinney (Collin County) vs Denton / Lewisville / Flower Mound (Denton County)? On the representative stacks, Collin County's combined rate is lower - about 1.71% vs about 1.99%, or roughly $5,375 vs $6,263 a year on a $400,000 home. But there is a twist: across all homeowners, Denton County's typical effective rate is actually lower (about 1.43% vs about 1.58%). Which county is "cheaper" depends on the city and school district you land in.
Data current as of July 2026. Representative 2025 stacks (City of Plano / Plano ISD; City of Denton / Denton ISD); effective rates are Census ACS estimates. Full detail on the Collin County and Denton County pages.
Key Takeaways
- Lower headline rate: Collin. The representative combined rate is about 1.71% in Collin (Plano) vs about 1.99% in Denton - roughly $888 a year less on a $400,000 home.
- Lower effective rate: Denton. Across all parcels the county-median effective rate is about 1.43% in Denton vs about 1.58% in Collin, and Denton's median dollar bill is lower too.
- Why Collin's headline is low: its county rate ($0.149343) is one of the lowest in Texas (flat 33 years), Plano ISD is lower than Denton ISD, and Collin grants big local homestead exemptions (Plano 20%, Collin College 20%, County 5%).
- Why Denton's effective is low: the county median blends in lower-rate suburbs (Frisco, Flower Mound, Lewisville) and no county-wide hospital or college district, while Collin's median is lifted by high-value Plano, Frisco, and Prosper.
- Same everywhere else: both are 8.25% sales tax, both have no annual car tax and no state income tax. The difference is property tax only.
Side by Side: Collin vs Denton
| Measure | Collin County | Denton County |
|---|---|---|
| Metro / anchor cities | Dallas-Fort Worth - Plano, Frisco, McKinney | Dallas-Fort Worth - Denton, Lewisville, Flower Mound |
| Combined rate (representative) | ~1.71% | ~1.99% |
| Typical effective rate (ACS) | ~1.58% | ~1.43% |
| County's own rate /$100 | $0.149343 (flat 33 yrs) | $0.185938 |
| Representative city /$100 | Plano $0.4376 | Denton $0.595420 |
| Representative school district /$100 | Plano ISD $1.03955 | Denton ISD $1.2069 |
| County-wide hospital / college | Collin College $0.08122 (no hospital) | None |
| Est. tax on a $400,000 home* | $5,375 | $6,263 |
| Sales tax | 8.25% | 8.25% |
| Annual car tax | None | None |
| Local homestead (beyond state $140k) | County 5% / Collin College 20% / Plano 20% | County 1% (min $5,000) |
| Due / protest | Jan 31 / May 15 | Jan 31 / May 15 |
*Example applies the $140,000 school-district homestead exemption to a $400,000 home against each county's representative stack (City of Plano / Plano ISD; City of Denton / Denton ISD), before local-option city/county exemptions and any special district. Rates from each county's adopted 2025 records; effective rates are Census ACS estimates. Your exact bill depends on your city, school district, and special districts. See the Collin County and Denton County pages for full sources.
Which County Is Actually Cheaper?
On the same home in Plano vs the City of Denton, Collin is a bit cheaper - about $888 less a year on a $400,000 home in this representative comparison. Collin's edge comes from an unusually low county rate ($0.149343, held flat for 33 years), a lower Plano ISD rate than Denton ISD, and generous local homestead exemptions (Plano and Collin College each grant 20%).
But the typical homeowner tells a different story. Across all parcels, Denton County's median effective rate (about 1.43%) is lower than Collin's (about 1.58%), and Denton's median dollar bill is lower too. Two reasons:
- Denton's median blends in lower-rate suburbs. Frisco, Flower Mound, Lewisville, and Highland Village pull the county-wide effective rate down, and Denton has no county-wide hospital or college district.
- Collin's median is lifted by high-demand cities. Plano, Frisco, and Prosper carry high values and strong school-district rates, so the average Collin bill runs higher even though the county's own rate is tiny.
Bottom line: pick the comparison that matches your search. Same house in Plano vs the City of Denton, Collin wins on the property-tax line. Comparing typical homeowners county-wide, Denton's effective rate is lower. The city and school district you choose matter more than the county line.
Compare your actual numbers. Use the Texas county tax comparison calculator to enter a specific home value and see the estimated bill in Collin, Denton, and the other covered counties side by side.
Choosing Between the Northern DFW Suburbs
Collin and Denton counties sit side by side north of Dallas and Fort Worth, and buyers often weigh Plano/Frisco (Collin) against Lewisville/Flower Mound/Denton. Property tax is one input; home price, schools, commute, and whether a parcel sits in a municipal utility district (MUD) or public improvement district (PID) move total cost more than the county line does. Frisco famously straddles both counties, so two nearly identical Frisco homes can sit in different counties and different ISDs - always check the exact parcel.
Next Steps
- See each county in full: Collin County property tax and Denton County property tax - each has the taxing-unit stack, an exemption-aware estimator, and official sources.
- Compare a specific home value with the Texas county tax comparison calculator.
- See all Texas counties ranked on the Texas property tax rates by county page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is property tax lower in Collin County or Denton County?
It depends on how you measure. On the representative City of Plano vs City of Denton stacks, Collin County's combined rate is lower (about 1.71% vs about 1.99%), roughly $5,375 vs $6,263 a year on a $400,000 home. But across all parcels, Denton County's typical effective rate is actually lower (about 1.43% vs about 1.58%) and its median dollar bill is lower too. So on the same home in Plano vs the City of Denton, Collin is a bit cheaper; but the average Denton homeowner pays a lower effective rate.
Why does Collin County have such a low county rate?
Collin County's own rate is about $0.149343 per $100 - one of the lowest county rates in Texas, held flat for a 33rd consecutive year. Collin County also grants generous local-option homestead exemptions (County 5%, Collin College 20%, City of Plano 20%). Denton County's own rate is a bit higher at about $0.185938, but neither county carries a county-wide hospital district; Collin has a small community-college district (Collin College) that Denton does not.
Why is Denton County's effective rate lower if its combined rate is higher?
The combined rate here uses the City of Denton / Denton ISD stack, which is on the higher side for the county. But Denton County's overall median blends in many lower-rate suburbs (Frisco, Flower Mound, Lewisville, Highland Village), and the 10% appraisal cap holds down long-held homesteads, so the county-median effective rate (about 1.43%) comes out below Collin's (about 1.58%). Collin's median is lifted by high-value, high-demand cities like Plano, Frisco, and Prosper.
Do Collin and Denton County have the same sales tax and car tax?
Yes. Combined sales tax is 8.25% in both (6.25% Texas state plus a 2.0% local portion), and neither county levies an annual vehicle property tax - Texas has no annual car tax and no state income tax. The counties differ only in property tax.
Sources
-
Collin County - 2025 tax rates
County, Collin College, City of Plano, and Plano ISD adopted 2025 rates and exemptions; full source list on the county page.
Collin County property tax -
Denton County - 2025 tax rates
County, City of Denton, and Denton ISD adopted 2025 rates; full source list on the county page.
Denton County property tax -
U.S. Census Bureau - American Community Survey (ACS)
Typical effective rate estimates (median real estate taxes / median home value). Estimates, not adopted rates.
data.census.gov - last verified July 2026
Data current as of July 2026. Combined rates are representative nominal stacks at adopted 2025 rates; effective rates are Census ACS estimates. Rates change yearly. Verify current figures on each county page and with the county appraisal district before making financial decisions.
More Comparisons
- Texas property tax rates by county (all 10 ranked)
- All comparison tables
- Texas property tax & sales tax by county (hub, grouped by metro)