University Park, Westover Hills, and Highland Park — all in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro — lead Texas in home price appreciation over the 12 months ending May 2026, with typical home values rising by $120,000 to $154,000 in a single year, according to Zillow Home Value Index data compiled by Stacker. The pattern reveals a bifurcated Texas market: premium enclaves continuing to appreciate while the broader mid-market has stalled or softened.
What the Data Shows
Stacker ranked 50 Texas cities and towns by dollar change in the Zillow Home Values Index for all homes. The top three are all DFW communities — and all sit well above $2 million in typical home value.
| Texas City | Metro | Typical Home Value | 1-Year Growth | 5-Year Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University Park | Dallas-Fort Worth | $2,481,465 | +$154,394 (+6.6%) | +$999,259 (+67.4%) |
| Westover Hills | Dallas-Fort Worth | $2,648,340 | +$141,885 (+5.7%) | +$953,123 (+56.2%) |
| Highland Park | Dallas-Fort Worth | $2,980,735 | +$120,647 (+4.2%) | +$1,266,884 (+73.9%) |
| West Lake Hills | Austin-Round Rock | $2,093,317 | +$81,930 (+4.1%) | +$422,834 (+25.3%) |
| Westlake | Dallas-Fort Worth | $3,147,489 | +$32,891 (+1.1%) | +$1,136,613 (+56.5%) |
| Tahoka | Lubbock area | $176,551 | +$33,463 (+23.4%) | +$3,148 (+1.8%) |
| Junction | Non-metro | $341,999 | +$42,232 (+14.1%) | +$68,227 (+24.9%) |
The top three cities — University Park, Westover Hills, and Highland Park — are among the most expensive enclaves in all of Texas. Five-year appreciation in Highland Park has added $1.27 million to the typical home value, a 73.9 percent increase. Westover Hills is up 56.2 percent over five years; University Park is up 67.4 percent.
Smaller markets with high percentage growth — Tahoka at 23.4 percent and Junction at 14.1 percent — reflect a different dynamic: lower absolute prices mean smaller supply, and any new demand creates outsized percentage moves. But the dollar amounts are modest compared to the DFW enclave appreciation.
Why It Matters
The top-line data tells a story of a two-speed Texas real estate market. Ultra-premium DFW enclaves — Highland Park, University Park, Westover Hills — continued appreciating in 2025-2026 at a pace well above inflation. These markets are supply-constrained by geography and zoning, not by financing costs. Buyers in that bracket are less rate-sensitive and more likely to transact in cash or with substantial down payments.
The broader DFW mid-market — $300,000 to $600,000, where the majority of transactions occur — is a different picture. New home builders in that bracket are cutting prices (average DFW new home at $460,000 in May 2026, down $10,000 year over year). Resale days on market are elevated. The buyer pool is rate-sensitive and constrained by affordability.
The divergence matters for homeowners because equity position is local. A homeowner in Highland Park or University Park has accumulated exceptional equity and faces a fundamentally different decision than a homeowner in a mid-market DFW suburb.
What This Means for DFW Homeowners
In premium enclaves (University Park, Highland Park, Westover Hills): The 5-year equity gains are generational. Homeowners sitting on $1 million or more in appreciation have significant optionality — sell to lock in gains, extract equity for investment, or hold in a supply-constrained market that keeps rewarding long-term ownership.
In the DFW mid-market: The story is more nuanced. Values haven't crashed, but appreciation has stopped and in some segments reversed. The homeowner who bought in 2022 at the peak, at 6-7 percent financing, with Texas property taxes adding 2-2.5 percent annually, is in a materially different position than someone who bought in 2018-2019.
For mid-market DFW homeowners considering a sale — whether driven by financial stress, divorce, inherited property, or a need to right-size — the relevant question is not what the premium enclave market is doing. It's what the $350K-$550K buyer pool looks like right now, what competing new construction is priced at, and what equity remains after carrying costs.
University Park leads Texas in dollar-denominated home price growth — up $154,394 in 12 months to a typical value of $2,481,465. — Zillow Home Value Index via Stacker, May 2026
The Bottom Line
Texas home price appreciation is concentrated in ultra-premium enclaves and select smaller markets. The DFW mid-market is flat to slightly negative year over year. For homeowners in either segment, knowing which market you're in matters before making any decision about selling, refinancing, or holding.
Related: DFW New Home Prices Falling — 148 Days on Market → · 268 U.S. Cities Now Have $1M Starter Homes → · What Is a Fair Cash Offer? →
Source: Stacker — Cities with Fastest-Growing Home Prices in Texas · Zillow Home Value Index, 12 months ending May 2026