Texas is the master of master-planned communities (MPCs). These communities attract singles, families, and retirees with their variety of amenities, from splash pads to 5-star golf courses, and may offer a bigger bang for your budget as their value per-square-foot often beats nearby popular urban neighborhoods. Take a look at what these 10 top-selling Texas MPCs, based on MLS data from the last 12 months, have to offer homebuyers.   

1. The Woodlands

Median Home Sale Price: $383,000

The community sign and a statue of a deer outside The Woodlands community in Texas
The Woodlands is one of the most popular MPCs in the country.

The Woodlands is regularly featured on “best places to live” lists, which is no surprise because this incorporated city just 30 miles north of Downtown Houston is home to Fortune 500 companies, Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, luxury shopping, and top-rated restaurants. It’s a destination, not just a commuter hub. 

Greenspace is expertly integrated into the nine different villages that make up the 28,000-acre development. While apartments, condos, and townhomes are plentiful, single-family homes on large lots make up the bulk of the housing stock, where prices range from the high $100s to mid $7 million.

2. Kingwood

Median Home Sale Price: $258,000

The pool and water slide area of the Kingwood community in Texas
Homeowners in Kingwood enjoy many acres of natural space.

A rapidly growing community since its founding in 1971, Kingwood is like living in your own personal arboretum with 500 acres of nature preserves and parks featuring a 75-mile Greenbelt Trail system, which gives residents access to schools, shopping, and dining from their front door. Top golfers will want to join the Clubs of Kingwood, one of the largest country clubs in the world, for access to its two challenging 18-hole golf courses. 

New construction in the area includes Royal Brook by Tri Pointe Homes, where homes range from 1,174 to 4,556 square feet with a median sale price of $323,502.

3. Cinco Ranch

Median Home Sale Price: $360,000

A bridge in the Cinco Ranch community in Texas
Cinco Ranch regularly makes lists of the best-selling MPCs.

In a city with many top master-planned communities, Cinco Ranch stands out. A family-focused community and convenience attract residents to this Katy MPC, which has earned recognition from RCLCO as one of the top-selling MPCs of the decade. Although divided into two homeowner associations, Cinco I and Cinco II, all residents share the resort-style amenities. In addition to top-rated schools, parents enjoy the diversity their children experience with classmates from all over the world. Known for its affordability, first-time buyers can find homes priced starting in the low $200s.

4. Sienna

Median Home Sale Price: $355,000

The outside sign and clubhouse of the Sienna community in Texas
Sienna provides its residents many parks and unique amenities.

Sienna’s century-old live oaks are a reminder of the land’s historic ties to the early days of Texas. Today, the trees provide shade for 100+ acres of parks, hiking and biking trails, and landscaped lawns. Unique amenities like Sienna Stables, Camp Sienna (a 160-acre sports park), and five waterparks—ranging from a spa-like retreat to a big splash adventure—means residents can skip the approximately 30-mile drive to Houston for entertainment. 

Mediterranean style dominates the designs available from the carefully selected homebuilders, which offer both move-in ready and custom home options. Floor plans range from 1,204 to 9,561 square feet and have from two to eight bedrooms to accommodate any household size.

5. Stone Oak

Median Home Sale Price: $330,000

Located just 25 miles north of Downtown San Antonio, Stone Oak is one the city’s oldest MPCs. Residents enjoy a laid-back Texas Hill Country vibe with pools, parks, and over 30 acres of greenbelt, which includes small caves. With over two dozen subdivisions, homebuyers can find a variety of floor plans and architectural styles starting in the low $200s.

6. Stonebridge Ranch

Median Home Sale Price: $412,400 

An aerial view of a large clubhouse in the Stonebridge Ranch community in Texas
Stonebridge Ranch is the largest community in North Texas on over 5,000 acres of land.

Built on what was once farm and ranch land in McKinney, Stonebridge Ranch is the largest MPC in North Texas. Seventy-four distinct villages occupy over 5,000 acres of land featuring a beach and tennis club, pickleball courts, an aquatic center, and lakes fully stocked for catch-and-release fishing.  

Home prices for the resort lifestyle offered here range from the mid $200s to just under $1.7 million. While prospective homebuyers have their choice of design—from Tudor to Craftsman—adding a pergola or play set requires strict adherence to the MPC’s modification guidelines.

7. Bridgeland

Median Home Sale Price: $367,245 

A park with a seating area in the Bridgeland community in Texas
Bridgeland in Cypress offers residents many parks and trails.

Bridgeland holds the honor of representing Texas as the sole MPC in the state to rank on RCLCO’s list of the top 10 selling MPCs of 2020. Located in Cypress, this MPC also touts its natural beauty with 250 miles of trails, connecting greenbelts, and a series of parks for each community. 

There are a variety of top-rated home builders within the community, like Beazer Homes, which built the Harmony Grove townhome community in Bridgeland.  Home prices start in the high $200s and rise to $1.4 million for a five-bedroom home inspired by Prairie School-style architecture.

8. Alamo Ranch

Median Home Sale Price: $289,900

A pool and poolhouse in the Alamo Ranch community in Texas
Alamo Ranch ranks as San Antonio's largest MPC.

San Antonio’s largest MPC, Alamo Ranch, is the second MPC from Alamo City to make it on the top 10 list. Only 20 minutes from its namesake landmark, the community’s landscape reflects the surrounding Hill Country landscape over its 3,000 acres.  

Single-family homes range from the low $200s to high $400s, but all offer access to an aquatic center, running trails, a clubhouse, and playgrounds.  Alamo Ranch’s Community Association keeps neighbors connected with community garage sales, visits from Santa, and margarita delivery trucks.

9. Cross Creek Ranch

Median Home Sale Price: $392,020

The indoor entrance area of the Cross Creek Ranch community in Texas
Cross Creek Ranch is known for its many outdoor amenities.

Cross Creek Ranch, located west of Houston in Fulshear, is a MPC designed by Johnson Development, who also developed Sienna, which is also on this list.  While the 3,200-acre community is known for its outdoor amenities like recreational lakes for kayaking and sailboat rides, the Adventure Island Waterpark is the centerpiece with a 140-foot water slide, wading pool, and dedicated lap lanes.    

Prices start in the low $200s and go up to just over $1 million, along with HOA fees that can go up to $2,700.  Bonterra, the MPC’s 55+ community, provides residents with their own clubhouse, pool, and lifestyle director.  

10. WestRidge

Median Home Sale Price: $322,500

WestRidge, close to the suburban outposts of Frisco and Plano, and approximately 30 miles north of Downtown Dallas, features seven neighborhoods as well as the WestRidge Golf Course. Real estate in WestRidge includes condominiums, townhomes, and single-family residences. However, most of the homes sit on quarter-acre lots with prices ranging from the mid $200s to mid $300s.