Living in Cedar Hill, Texas
Cedar Hill
Joe Pool Lake, a state park and the highest ground in Dallas County.
What it's like
The short version
Cedar Hill sits about 16 miles southwest of downtown Dallas, mostly in Dallas County with a small section in Ellis County. At 880 feet it is the highest elevation in the county, with limestone bluffs, cedar forests and Cedar Hill State Park on Joe Pool Lake.
What's for sale
Homes in ZIP 75104 sold at a median near $335,000 in the three months ending July 2026. A council goal is to keep 25% of the city's land as open space, and more than 4,000 acres along the hill corridor form one of the largest planned preserves in North Texas. The council has approved an 84-home development.
What it does well
Strong here
- Parks and trails●●●
52 neighborhood and community parks and greenbelts on about 3,770 acres, with more than 60 miles of trails. - Lake days●●●
7,500-acre Joe Pool Lake offers boating, fishing, swimming and kayaking. - A real downtown●●○
Historic Downtown has restaurants, shops and events, and the city backs it with infrastructure work and economic development help. - Established neighborhoods●●○
The city was founded in 1846.
The honest part
What to know first
- Walk Score rates the city 19.
- The combined 2025 rate runs about 2.30 per $100 on a Dallas County address with Cedar Hill ISD.
- Joe Pool Marina at Cedar Hill State Park is permanently closed.
Not its strength: walkable, transit options, quiet, small-town pace, vibrant, big-city energy, new construction, luxury homes.
Not rated yet: restaurants, nightlife, shopping, golf, land and acreage, horses welcome. That means I haven't confirmed it either way, not that it isn't here.
Get outside
- Cedar Hill State Park
A gravel swimming beach, two four-lane boat ramps, lighted fishing jetties and 350 developed campsites on Joe Pool Lake. - DORBA Trail
Bike and hiking trails across 1,200 acres of the state park. It closes when wet. - Dogwood Canyon Audubon Center
More than 200 acres of forest with three miles of hiking trails and scenic overlooks. - Cedar Mountain Preserve
A 110-acre preserve owned by Dallas County and run by the city. - Lester Lorch Park
82 acres with a five-acre lake, the county's first open space preserve. - Penn Farm Agricultural History Center
A preserved farm, worked for over a century, open daily for self-guided tours.
Taxes
2025 combined rate per $100, Dallas County address with Cedar Hill ISD: city 0.636449, Dallas County 0.215500, Parkland Hospital 0.212000, Dallas College 0.106575, Cedar Hill ISD 1.127900, Dallas County School Equalization 0.000000. Homestead not applied.
Cedar Hill ISD serves most of the city, with Duncanville ISD and Midlothian ISD in smaller parts. On a Dallas County address, Duncanville ISD at 1.105700 brings the total to 2.276224. About 830 people live in the Ellis County part, where county units differ, so check the unit list on the address.
School facts
- Cedar Hill ISD: TEA rating C, 2026
- Duncanville ISD: TEA rating C, 2025
- Midlothian ISD: TEA rating B, 2026
Take it with you
Want this on paper?
Get the printable Cedar Hill report sent to your email.
Sources
- 2026 NCTCOG Population Estimates
- Dallas County Tax Office: 2025 Tax Rates
- Texas Tribune Schools Explorer: Cedar Hill ISD
- Wikipedia: Cedar Hill, Texas
- City of Cedar Hill: Parks and Trails
- Texas Parks and Wildlife: Cedar Hill State Park
- City of Cedar Hill: Nature and Open Space
- City of Cedar Hill: Historic Downtown
- Walk Score: Cedar Hill
- Dallas Express: Local city sees downtown transformation
- STAR Transit: About
- Citizen Portal: Cedar Hill Council Approves 84 Home Development (Aug 12, 2025)
- Texas Tribune Schools Explorer: Midlothian ISD
- Duncanville ISD Board Document: 2025 District Accountability Score
- Redfin: Cedar Hill ZIP 75104 Market