Park Cities · Neighborhood Guide
The Definitive Park Cities Guide: Highland Park, University Park & 75205 / 75225 Explained
Two adjacent municipalities, one school district, the most resilient luxury submarket in Texas. The full guide.
The TXRE Group
Founder, The TXRE Group · Brokered by eXp Realty
The 'Park Cities' is shorthand for two adjacent independent municipalities surrounded by the City of Dallas: Highland Park and University Park. Together they occupy roughly 6.5 square miles, share the Highland Park Independent School District, and form the most resilient luxury housing market in Texas — the lowest peak-to-trough drawdown of any North Texas submarket I track.
I have closed buyers and sellers across both cities. They share a school district, a tax base philosophy, and a buyer pool, but they are very different products. This is the guide I wish every Park Cities buyer had on the plane to Love Field.
Chapter 01
Highland Park (75205) — the prestige core
Highland Park is the older, smaller, and historically more expensive of the two cities. It was master-planned in 1907 by Wilbur David Cook (also responsible for Beverly Hills) and that legacy shows in the curved streets, mature canopy, and the placement of Highland Park Village — the country's first planned shopping center, anchored by Hermès, Chanel, and Tom Ford.
Lakeside Drive, Beverly Drive, Armstrong Parkway, and the streets ringing HP Village dominate the upper end. Median closed price is $2.4M; trophy sales above $20M happen most years.
Chapter 02
University Park (mostly 75225) — family-driven, deeper inventory
University Park surrounds Southern Methodist University and offers a meaningfully deeper pool of $1.5M–$3M family homes than Highland Park. Streets near Snider Plaza, Caruth Park, and Williams Park are the most actively traded. The product mix skews newer because of more aggressive 1990s–2010s tear-down activity.
| Metric | Highland Park (75205) | University Park (75225) |
|---|---|---|
| Median closed price | $2.4M | ~$1.7M |
| Price per SF | ~$865 | ~$620 |
| Average DOM | 28 days | 31 days |
| Walkability anchor | Highland Park Village | Snider Plaza, SMU |
| School district | Highland Park ISD | Highland Park ISD |
Chapter 03
Why the Park Cities outperform in downturns
Three structural reasons drive Park Cities outperformance through every cycle I have data for:
- Extreme supply constraint — almost no buildable land remains; new units come exclusively from tear-downs.
- School-district inelastic demand — Highland Park ISD buyers are not comparison-shopping suburban districts.
- A deep cash buyer pool — financing volatility hits other Dallas submarkets first.
“When credit conditions tighten, the Park Cities barely flinch. The buyer pool is wealthy, school-anchored, and largely cash. That is why 75205 and 75225 always lead the recovery.”
— The TXRE Group Research Desk
Frequently asked
Questions buyers ask us
Are Highland Park and University Park the same thing?+
No. They are two separate municipalities — 'the Park Cities' — that share Highland Park ISD. Highland Park is generally older, denser, and more expensive. University Park is family-driven and surrounds SMU.
What ZIP codes are in the Park Cities?+
Primarily 75205 and 75225. 75205 is mostly Highland Park; 75225 is mostly University Park; the boundary streets occasionally overlap.
What is the median home price in the Park Cities?+
Highland Park's median is $2.4M; University Park's median is approximately $1.7M. Both have averaged 3–4% YoY appreciation over the past 24 months.
Can I send my children to Highland Park ISD if I live in University Park?+
Yes. Both Highland Park and University Park are served by Highland Park Independent School District. Elementary feeder zones differ within the district.
Are there condos in the Park Cities?+
Limited. The Park Cities are zoned overwhelmingly single-family. A small condo and townhome inventory exists along Mockingbird Lane and the Preston Road corridor.
About the author
The TXRE Group
Founder, The TXRE Group · Brokered by eXp Realty. Our advisors represent buyers and sellers across Dallas — Highland Park, Preston Hollow, University Park, Bluffview — and Houston, from The Heights to Sugar Land and Katy.
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