raise a family. Students living in Coppell
attend school in Coppell Independent
School District, Carrollton/Farmers
Branch Independent School District or
Lewisville School District.
City leaders saw the growth potential
years ago. Rather than succumb to the
temptation of overbuilding, they worked
out a plan for the future and laid the
groundwork for a progressive community
that stresses quality of life. As a result,
one-third of the city was set aside for
residential development and, with a nod
to the need for a commercial tax base,
another third was set aside for
commercial use, which is experiencing a
flood of corporate relocations. The final
third was set aside for parks, jogging
trails, playgrounds and the Riverchase
golf course.
DESOTO
Population: 51, 102
School District: DeSoto, Cedar Hill,
Dallas, Duncanville, Lancaster
Chamber of Commerce:
972-224-3565;
www.ci.desoto.tx.us
Median Home Price: $141,480
Scenic and unhurried, DeSoto offers an
attractive “quality of life” package.
Located 14 miles south of Dallas off I- 20
and I- 35, this community is peacefully
sheltered from big city congestion and
offers a friendly, pleasant small town
atmosphere.
Sometimes referred to as the Hill Country
of North Texas, the National Civic
League All-American City Award named
DeSoto an All-American City Award
Finalist in 2006. One of the oldest
settlements in North Texas, present-day
DeSoto is rich in diversity, with friendly
neighborhoods, a great school system,
parks, close-by restaurants and shopping
to serve more than 50,000 residents.
DeSoto boasts beautiful open spaces
throughout the city with a network of
parks, recreational areas, athletic fields
and jogging trails. The city also boasts a
low crime rate and has a versatile, highly
effective, community-policing unit that
meets with homeowners, businesses and
crime watch groups to better understand
and solve problems affecting its residents.
The Town Center municipal complex is
home to city government, the public library,
civic center, recreation center, chamber of
commerce and visitor information center,
and the newly completed Corner Theater.
Thorntree Country Club offers exclusive
family club activities and golf, and nearby
Joe Pool Lake provides a variety of water-related activities.
A leader in innovative teaching
techniques, the DeSoto Independent
School District offers a broad curriculum
that includes vocational training. Nearby
colleges include Cedar Valley College
and Mountain View College, as well as
the University of Texas at Arlington.
DUNCANVILLE
Population: 39,501
School District: Duncanville
Chamber of Commerce:
972-780-4990;
www.ci. duncanville.tx.us
Median Home Value: $112,625
Accessible from I- 20, Highway 67 and I-
35, Duncanville is only minutes from
downtown Dallas and just 20 minutes
from Fort Worth. Duncanville is home to
friendly neighborhoods; affordable
housing; quality schools and athletic
programs. In short, Duncanville offers the
right amount of small town quality with
perfect accessibility to big city
employment and entertainment.
Long known for its quality education
system, the Duncanville Independent
School District consists of nine elementary
schools, three intermediate schools, two
junior highs and a high school. City
parks, miles of walking trails, golf
courses, an Olympic size swimming pool
and nearby Joe Pool Lake makes
Duncanville a paradise for outdoor
enthusiasts.
Duncanville also has several state of the
art community and recreational facilities.
Many residents spend hours at the
Duncanville Library and Recreation
Center, a new, integrated learning and
athletics center located on Main Street
while others head over to the Dr Pepper
StarCenter, a world-class, 95,000
square foot double ice rink complex
where they can take ice skating lessons,
hockey lessons or simply take advantage
of open skating year round. In addition to
everything Duncanville has to offer, the
city is just minutes from Texas Stadium,
American Airlines Center, Lone Star Park,
The Ballpark in Arlington, Six Flags
Amusement Park and the Mesquite
Rodeo.
FARMERS BRANCH
Population: 29,368
School Districts: Carrollton/Farmers
Branch and Dallas
Chamber of Commerce:
972-243-8966;
www.ci. farmers-branch.tx.us
Median Home Value: $144,775
Its farming days might be long gone,
but Farmers Branch remains a thriving
community with its location in the heart
of the Dallas area. The community is
less than 15 minutes away from the
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport;
Dallas Love Field, home of Southwest
Airlines; and Addison Airport, one of
the largest corporate airfields in the
United States. Its location also makes it
a natural choice for the more than
3,000 companies settled here.
