Living in Cleburne, Texas

Cleburne

County seat with a railroad past, a working downtown, lakes and open land nearby.

CountyJohnson

Population38,926Jan 1, 2026 (NCTCOG estimate)

Typical home value$267,726Zillow Home Value Index, surrounding area, Sep 2026

Combined tax rate2.2637%before exemptions

Downtown Fort Worth28 mistraight line

DFW Airport43 mistraight line

What it's like

The short version

Cleburne is the Johnson County seat, about 36 square miles at the south end of Chisholm Trail Parkway, the toll road into downtown Fort Worth. The old core is a National Register downtown around the courthouse with its railroad history still on display. New subdivisions and industrial sites are filling in the edges, and rural parcels start close to town.

What's for sale

Older homes near downtown, including a Victorian listed with an 1881 build date, plus in-town subdivisions and newer builder communities such as Burgess Meadows, Trail Creek, Legado, Lankford Farms, Courtland Place and Belle Meadows. On one sample listing page, new construction mostly ran about $300,000 to $345,000, with acreage and larger homes up to about $590,000 and rural parcels from about 1 to 24 acres. HAR showed an average price of $363,383 and an average size of about 1,957 square feet in May 2026. The Retreat is a gated golf community.

What it does well

Strong here

Quiet, small-town pace●●●
A courthouse-square county seat with a lighted Christmas parade, rodeo and local theatre.
Parks and trails●●●
A state park with nearly 13 miles of trails, plus Hulen Park and a large sports complex.
Land and acreage●●●
Rural parcels of about 1 to 24 acres showed up on a single sample listing page.
Horses welcome●●●
The Sheriff's Posse grounds have indoor and outdoor arenas and a PRCA rodeo dating to 1953.
A real downtown●●○
A National Register downtown with the courthouse, museums, a theatre and shops, but a modest dining scene.
Lake days●●○
Lake Pat Cleburne and 116-acre no-wake Cedar Lake, with the Lake Pat boat ramp being rebuilt.
Golf●●○
An 18-hole city course on Lake Pat Cleburne, plus The Retreat, a gated golf community.
New construction●●○
Several builder communities are active, many around $300,000 to $345,000.
Established neighborhoods●●○
Older homes and a historic downtown core, with railroad-era history dating to the 1890s.

The honest part

What to know first

Combined 2025 rate of about 2.26 per $100 before exemptions, led by a Cleburne ISD rate of 1.2119.
The fast route to Fort Worth is a toll road about 27 miles long, and it is a work zone until the widening opens, expected late 2028.
Water is a planning issue. The city relies on Lake Pat Cleburne, keeps a year-round twice-a-week irrigation schedule, and built a reuse system because of limited supply.
Growth here includes heavy industry. Recent items include a 1.7 million square foot Amazon building and a concrete plant proposal on Windmill Rd.
Barnett Shale gas drilling left a mark on the area, so check nearby wells and mineral rights on rural land.

Not its strength: walkable, transit options, vibrant, big-city energy, restaurants, nightlife, shopping, luxury homes.

Explore it yourself

See what's around

See this search in Google Maps

Get outside

Cleburne State Park
Spring-fed 116-acre Cedar Lake with no-wake boating, swimming, nearly 13 miles of trails and a 6-mile mountain bike loop. $6 daily entry.
Lake Pat Cleburne
City lake on the Nolan River, bordered by Lakeshore Park, where a boat ramp, loop trails and boardwalks are planned.
Hulen Park
19.8-acre city park with lighted courts, WPA-era bleachers, steam locomotive 3417 and a skatepark that opened June 11, 2026.
Splash Station
City water park in Hulen Park with two pools and a splash pad, open Memorial Day to Labor Day weekend.
John Warren Sports Complex
Seven lighted ball fields, twenty soccer fields and two football fields.
Cleburne Golf Links
18-hole, 7,068-yard city course on Lake Pat Cleburne, opened in 2009.

Eat and drink

The Grille at Cleburne Golf Links
Course restaurant open to non-golfers.
Texas Wild Distilling
Local distillery that hosted a comedy night in October 2026.
Dillon Depot Creamery and Antiques
Creamery and antique shop that hosts community events, at 302 N Anglin St.

Shop and errands

Dillon Depot Creamery and Antiques
Antiques and ice cream under one roof near downtown.
Cleburne Farmers Market
Market at the JN Long Cultural Arts Complex, with a fall event on Nov 14, 2026.
Walmart
Big-box store on the W Henderson St retail corridor at 1616 W Henderson.

On the calendar

Whistle Stop Christmas Lighting Nov 23, 2026; parade Dec 4, 2026
Hulen Park lights, tree lighting and a lighted parade.
Pioneer Days Nov 13-14, 2026
23rd annual event at 101 Chisholm Trail, home of the Chisholm Trail Outdoor Museum.
Johnson County Sheriff's Posse Rodeo June. Check the current dates.
PRCA rodeo first held in 1953.
Tour de Goatneck Last Saturday of July
Bike ride through the Johnson and Somervell county hills, 1,250-plus riders.
Plaza Theatre Company, A Christmas Carol Opens Nov 20, 2026
Holiday run at the 305 S Anglin St theatre.

What's coming

Chisholm Trail Parkway widening adds two mainlanes across about 13 miles from FM 1187 to US 67. Under construction, expected to open late 2028.
Amazon facility of about 1.7 million square feet off Chisholm Trail Parkway at Industrial Drive. Ground broken; roadway support easements approved. No opening date yet.
Lakeshore Park rebuild with loop trails, boardwalks, restrooms and boat ramp, funded by 4B sales tax bonds. No construction dates listed.
Hulen Park trails, restrooms, parking and a Buffalo Creek pedestrian bridge. Under way as of April 2026.
Stewart Park planned with fishing pier, disc golf, dog park and kayak launch. Design follows Lakeshore Park.
TIRZ 1A expansion of 1,688 acres approved for industrial and commercial use, and a city ordinance now requires special permits for data centers.

Taxes

2025 rates per $100, Cleburne ISD address inside city limits: City 0.612548 + Johnson County 0.339276 + County Lateral Road 0.050000 + Cleburne ISD 1.211900 + Hill College 0.050000. No homestead exemption applied.

Johnson County's appraisal district also lists a few special districts (Cresson Crossroads MUD #2, CR 915 MUD, Wright Farm MMD), so check any address outside the core city. A property outside city limits drops the city rate. Confirm rates on the specific parcel.

School facts

Cleburne ISD: TEA rating C, 2026

Do your own homework

Take it with you

Want this on paper?

Get the printable Cleburne report sent to your email.

Sources