Established · In town
Downtown Howe
The streets around Haning Street, where City Hall sits and where the Founders Day and Howe-lloween festivals set up. Older homes, mature trees and the shortest drive to the campuses and US-75.
Howe ISD
Community guide · Grayson County
Living in Howe, TX
A small US-75 town with its own school district, a downtown that still throws a street festival, and the Texas Instruments and GlobalWafers plants about four miles north.
By Shayla Eadler, REALTOR® · TREC #0747934 · Based in Van Alstyne · Updated
- Population
- 3,686Census July 2025 estimate · 2020 base: 3,609
- County
- GraysonSherman–Denison metro
- School district
- Howe ISDTEA rating B (2025 ratings)
- Downtown Dallas
- ~55 miabout 62 min, no traffic
- Property tax
- ≈ 2.17%tax year 2025, in city limits
- TI & GlobalWafers
- ~4 miHowe EDC · Sherman is 12 min
Howe, Texas
Is Howe, TX a good place to live?
Yes — living in Howe, TX suits buyers who want a true small town, a small school district and a quick run up US-75 to the Sherman chip plants or down to McKinney. The trade-off is taxes: the 2025 in-city rate is about 2.17%, and big-city shopping is a drive away.
Howe sits where US-75, SH-5 and FM 902 meet, with Sherman right on its northern edge and Van Alstyne about six miles south. Inside city limits it’s still a town of under 4,000 people — the Census estimated 3,686 in July 2025 — so the pace is slow, the downtown is walkable, and City Hall is on Haning Street, the same block that closes for Founders Day every May. Step a mile or two outside town and you’re into farm roads and ag land, which is why acreage near Howe is easier to find than it is closer to McKinney.
What’s changing is everything around it. The new Texas Instruments and GlobalWafers fabs are about four miles north, Howe ISD passed a bond in 2025 to keep up with growth, and new homes keep going up at the edges of town. If you’re looking at Howe TX homes for sale, I’ll help you sort out the in-town streets from the newer subdivisions and the acreage outside city limits.
Jobs, growth and what’s coming
Jobs are the big story. Texas Instruments began production at its first Sherman fab (SM1) on December 17, 2025, on a site with room for up to four fabs and up to 3,000 jobs. GlobalWafers opened its Sherman wafer plant in May 2025. Howe’s economic development corporation markets the town as sitting about four miles south of that “Silicon Prairie” investment.
Schools are planning for it too. In May 2025, Howe ISD voters approved a $32 million bond with 64% of the vote, funding a second phase at Summit Hill Elementary (more classrooms and a gym), a new high school roof, campus upgrades and land for future schools. Before the vote, the superintendent told KXII the district expected Howe to more than double within ten years, with about 11,000 new homes planned in the area. That’s a projection, not a count — inside city limits, the Census shows population roughly flat since 2020.
The honest version
Pros and cons of living in Howe
Every town has trade-offs. Here’s what I tell my own clients before they buy.
Pros
- Closest town to the chip plantsAbout four miles from the TI and GlobalWafers investments in Sherman, and 12 minutes to downtown Sherman without traffic.
- Real small-town downtownFounders Day each May and Howe-lloween each October still close Haning Street, and City Hall is right downtown.
- Small school districtHowe ISD has about 1,300 students, 12.6 students per teacher and a 98.8% four-year graduation rate (class of 2023).
- Homes priced below Collin CountyGrayson CAD put the 2025 median homestead market value inside Howe city limits at $248,447.
- Room to spread outMost of Howe ISD is ag land, so acreage and country homes are within a few minutes of US-75.
Cons
- Higher in-town tax rateAbout 2.17% combined for 2025 inside city limits, after the school rate rose following the 2025 bond.
- Long drive to Dallas and DFWAbout an hour to downtown Dallas and 70 minutes to DFW without traffic; rush hour on US-75 adds more.
- Limited shopping and diningBig-box stores, hospitals and most restaurants are a drive away in Sherman, Denison or McKinney.
- Growth pressure aheadPlanned homes and plant jobs mean more traffic on US-75 and fuller campuses while new schools catch up.
- Mixed campus ratingsThe district rated B for 2024–25, but Summit Hill Elementary and Howe Intermediate both rated C.
For sale now
Howe, TX homes for sale & home prices
Howe’s housing is a mix of older in-town homes, newer builder streets and rural acreage. For tax year 2025, Grayson CAD put the median homestead market value at $248,447 inside city limits and $309,691 across Howe ISD.
New construction in HoweHowe homes under $350KAcreage near Howe5+ acres in the Howe areaLand for sale near Howe
Featured listings in and around Howe
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The kinds of homes you’ll find in Howe
In-town homes near downtown
Older, established homes on the streets around Haning Street and the schools. Expect mature trees, a mix of ages and styles, and an easy walk or short drive to City Hall, the campuses and the festival block.
Newer builder homes
Grayson CAD counted 344 parcels of residential inventory — homes and lots held by builders — inside Howe city limits for 2025. That’s where most of the new construction in Howe shows up. Ask me about HOA, MUD and PID details for each street.
Acreage and country homes
Most of Howe ISD is rural. Of roughly 46,500 acres in the district, about 41,700 are under agricultural (open-space) valuation, so homes on an acre or more and small-ranch properties come up regularly outside city limits.
Be the first to know
Get new Howe listings before everyone else
I’ll send new listings, price drops and my Coming Soon homes in Howe — with my honest notes on each one.
Jobs nearby
Living in Howe near Texas Instruments and GlobalWafers
If you’ve taken a job at one of the new Sherman semiconductor plants, Howe is the closest small town to the south. The Howe EDC puts the town about four miles from the TI and GlobalWafers investments, and downtown Sherman is about 9 miles and 12 minutes up US-75 without traffic.
That makes Howe a practical choice for anyone who wants a short drive to the plants but a quieter place to come home to. It also means more buyers are looking here than a few years ago, so well-priced homes near US-75 don’t sit long. I’ll map your exact drive to your gate before you write an offer.
The Sherman job picture
- Texas Instruments SM1 began production on Dec 17, 2025, on a site with room for up to four fabs
- TI’s Sherman site is planned for up to 3,000 jobs
- GlobalWafers opened its Sherman wafer plant in May 2025
- Downtown Sherman: about 9 miles, 12 minutes
- Downtown McKinney: about 23 miles, 30 minutes
Before you buy new
New construction, MUD and PID taxes around Howe, TX
Much of the new construction in Grayson County is being built inside special districts. A municipal utility district (MUD) adds its own tax rate on top of the city, county, college and school rates, and a public improvement district (PID) usually adds a yearly assessment. Grayson CAD added four new MUDs and four new PIDs for tax year 2025 alone.
The table shows every MUD Grayson CAD listed for 2025, including Noble Ridge (0.80) and Sunset Ranch (1.20). I haven’t pinned down where each district sits relative to Howe, so don’t assume a home is or isn’t in one. Before you write an offer on new construction near Howe, I’ll pull the full tax stack for that exact lot.
| District | Created | 2025 rate per $100 |
|---|---|---|
| Van Alstyne MUD #1 | 2020 | 1.00 |
| Grayson County MUD #8 | 2022 | 1.00 |
| Heritage Ranch MUD #1 | 2022 | 0.60 |
| Grayson County MUD #9 | 2023 | 1.00 |
| Grayson County MUD #3A | 2024 | 1.00 |
| Sunset Ranch MUD | 2025 | 1.20 |
| Noble Ridge MUD | 2025 | 0.80 |
| Grayson/Gunter Crossing MUD | 2025 | 1.00 |
| Van Alstyne MUD #3 | 2025 | 1.00 |
Source: Grayson CAD 2025 tax rate summary. PIDs (Belair, three Cottonwood districts, Bridges Phase 2A) charge flat fees instead of a rate.
Where to live
Best neighborhoods in Howe
Howe is small enough that most buyers choose by setting — downtown, a newer builder street or land outside town — so here’s how I break it down.
Newer homes · Near the elementary
Summit Hill Parkway area
The area around Summit Hill Parkway, home to Summit Hill Elementary, which the 2025 bond is expanding with more classrooms and a gym. A good starting point if you want newer homes close to a campus.
Howe ISD
New construction · In town
New builder streets in city limits
Grayson CAD counted 344 builder-held homes and lots inside Howe city limits for 2025. These get city water and the city tax rate. Ask me which streets carry an HOA, MUD or PID.
Howe ISD
Acreage · Outside city limits
Country homes off FM 902 and SH-5
Homes on larger lots along the farm roads around town. Outside city limits you skip the city tax, but check water source, septic and road frontage before you fall for the view.
Usually Howe ISD — confirm by address
Land · Ag valuation
Rural land in Howe ISD
About 41,700 acres in Howe ISD carry an agricultural valuation. If you want to build or keep livestock, this is where land and small-ranch listings come from — and where keeping ag valuation matters.
Howe ISD or a neighboring district
Subdivision names are a starting point. Lot sizes, HOA rules and school zoning vary street by street — I’ll confirm all of it for any home you’re considering.
Cost of living
Howe property taxes & cost of living
For tax year 2025, the combined rate inside Howe city limits and Howe ISD is about $2.17 per $100 of value. The school rate rose from 1.045 to 1.234 after the 2025 bond, while the City of Howe cut its rate from 0.534279 to 0.484477. Outside city limits but still in Howe ISD, drop the city line and the stack is about 1.69.
The school portion is where the homestead exemption does the most work. Grayson CAD’s 2025 certified totals show the median homestead exemption in Howe ISD at $140,000, so a typical homestead is taxed for school on far less than its market value.
- Texas school homestead exemption: $140,000, plus another $60,000 if you’re 65+ or disabled (since the November 2025 election).
- The City of Howe offers a local over-65 exemption and a tax ceiling for 65+ and disabled homeowners; I didn’t find a general city homestead exemption in the 2025 certified totals.
- Some new subdivisions in Grayson County sit in a MUD (0.60–1.20 for 2025) or a PID with a flat yearly fee. Check before you buy.
- Land under agricultural valuation is taxed on its productive value, not market value — ask me how a sale or a new homesite affects it.
Schools
Howe schools
Howe ISD is a small district — 1,282 students in 2023–24 across four campuses — with about 12.6 students per teacher. In the 2025 TEA ratings (school year 2024–25, released August 2025), the district earned a B. Howe High and Howe Middle earned B ratings, and Summit Hill Elementary and Howe Intermediate earned C ratings. Howe High’s four-year graduation rate was 98.8% for the class of 2023, against 90.3% statewide.
Growth is the reason for the 2025 bond: $32 million, approved May 3, 2025 with 64% of the vote, for Summit Hill Elementary Phase 2, a new high school roof, campus upgrades, pickup lanes and land for future schools. The Howe ISD boundary doesn’t follow city limits, and nearby rural addresses can fall in Van Alstyne, Sherman, Tom Bean or Gunter ISD, so I check the district for every address.
Getting around
Commute from Howe: drive times & highways
US-75 runs right through Howe, with exits at Blythe Road/Farmington Road, Haning Street (Spur 381) and SH-5/FM 902. SH-289 (Preston Road) runs north–south to the west through Gunter.
Downtown Sherman
12 min≈ 9 mi
via US-75 N
Van Alstyne
10 min≈ 6 mi
via US-75 S
Downtown McKinney
30 min≈ 23 mi
via US-75 S
Legacy West (Plano)
45 min≈ 38 mi
via US-75 S
The Star (Frisco)
45 min≈ 39 mi
via US-75 S
Downtown Dallas
60 min≈ 55 mi
via US-75 S
DFW Airport
70 min≈ 59 mi
via US-75 S
Lake Texoma (Eisenhower SP)
30 min≈ 24 mi
via US-75 N
Typical drive times without heavy traffic. Rush hour on US-75 and the Tollway can add 15–30 minutes.
Road projects to know about
- Collin County Outer Loop Segment 3C (Custer Road to US-75, 8.9 miles) opened Nov 7, 2025.
- Dallas North Tollway Phase 4A (US-380 to FM 428 through Prosper and Celina, about 6 miles) is targeted for late 2027.
- Longer term, NTTA plans show future Tollway phases continuing into Grayson County, with an interchange planned at FM 121 near Gunter. No dates have been set.
Local favorites
Things to do in Howe
Howe’s fun is small-town and seasonal, and the lakes and refuge to the north are close enough for an afternoon.
Founders Day Festival
Howe’s big spring street festival in downtown, held every May since 1986 and run by the Howe Area Chamber, with food vendors, carnival rides, a kid train, a DJ and local makers.
Downtown Howe-lloween
A free evening of trick-or-treating, food and vendors downtown. The 9th annual is Monday, October 26, 2026, from 6 to 8:30 p.m.
Downtown Howe
Haning Street is the heart of town: City Hall, local shops and Don’s Smokehouse sit on the same blocks that close for the festivals.
Howe Bulldogs
Howe High School’s teams are the Bulldogs. In a four-campus district, home games and school events are a big part of the local calendar — check the Howe ISD site for schedules.
Lake Texoma
About 30 minutes north to Eisenhower State Park. The lake covers about 89,000 acres, with marinas, state parks and dozens of Corps of Engineers parks for boating and fishing.
Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge
An 11,320-acre refuge on Lake Texoma’s Big Mineral Arm, about 40 minutes away. Trails, an auto tour, fishing and some of North Texas’s best winter bird-watching.
Ray Roberts and Lavon lakes
Two more options for a day on the water: Ray Roberts (Isle du Bois unit) is about 55 minutes west and Lavon Lake about 50 minutes south.
Howe’s railroad history
Howe began as a rail switch called “Summit,” named for its height between the Red River and the Gulf. It took the name Howe in 1876 and incorporated in 1884.
Before you move
Moving to Howe, TX: what to know
Here are the practical details I walk every Howe buyer through before closing.
- Water & sewer
- Inside city limits, water is billed by City of Howe Utilities — a $150 deposit and $20 connection fee, with bills due on the 10th. Outside town, confirm the water source and septic for each property.
- Electric
- Grayson-Collin Electric Cooperative has served Grayson and Collin counties since 1937. The provider depends on the address, so I confirm it for each home.
- Trash
- The city contracts with Frontier Waste. Curbside pickup is Fridays at 7 a.m., and bulk items go out the second Saturday of each month.
- City limits vs. ETJ
- Inside city limits you pay the City of Howe rate (0.484477 for 2025) and get city services. Outside, there’s no city tax line, but services, water and building rules differ.
- Your homestead exemption
- File with the Grayson Central Appraisal District once you own and live in the home. It cuts the school taxable value by $140,000.
- Local tip
- Sign up for the city’s CodeRED alerts, and plan around Haning Street closures on festival days — it shuts down by early afternoon for Founders Day.
FAQ
Howe FAQ
Quick answers to the questions I hear most from people moving to Howe.
Is Howe, TX a good place to live?
Howe is a good fit if you want a small town with its own school district and a short drive to work in Sherman or McKinney. It’s about four miles from the new TI and GlobalWafers plants and 30 minutes from downtown McKinney. The trade-offs are a 2025 in-city tax rate of about 2.17% and a longer drive to Dallas.
What is the property tax rate in Howe, TX?
For tax year 2025, the combined rate inside Howe city limits is about $2.17 per $100 of value: Howe ISD 1.234, City of Howe 0.484477, Grayson County 0.3051 and Grayson College 0.14598. Outside city limits in Howe ISD it’s about 1.69. Homes in a MUD or PID pay more, and the school homestead exemption is $140,000.
What school district is Howe, TX in?
Howe is served by Howe ISD, home of the Bulldogs, with four campuses: Summit Hill Elementary, Howe Intermediate, Howe Middle and Howe High. The district earned a B in the 2025 TEA ratings. Some rural addresses near Howe fall in Van Alstyne, Sherman, Tom Bean or Gunter ISD, so I confirm the district for every home.
How far is Howe, TX from Dallas?
Downtown Dallas is about 55 miles south on US-75 — roughly an hour without traffic, longer at rush hour. Downtown McKinney is about 23 miles (30 minutes), Legacy West in Plano about 38 miles (45 minutes) and DFW Airport about 59 miles (70 minutes).
How close is Howe to Texas Instruments in Sherman?
Very close. The Howe economic development corporation puts Howe about four miles south of the TI and GlobalWafers investments, and downtown Sherman is about 12 minutes up US-75. TI’s first Sherman fab began production in December 2025, and GlobalWafers opened its plant in May 2025.
Does Howe, TX have MUD or PID taxes?
Some newer Grayson County subdivisions do. Grayson CAD listed nine MUDs for 2025, at rates from 0.60 to 1.20, including Noble Ridge at 0.80, plus several flat-fee PIDs. Not every new street near Howe is in one, so I pull the full tax stack for any new-construction home before you write an offer.
Is Howe, TX growing?
Inside city limits growth has been modest — the Census estimate went from 3,609 in 2020 to 3,686 in 2025. The area around it is moving faster: Howe ISD passed a $32 million bond in 2025, and the superintendent expects about 11,000 new homes in the coming decade as the Sherman plants ramp up.
Are there homes with acreage near Howe?
Yes. About 41,700 of Howe ISD’s roughly 46,500 acres are under agricultural valuation, so country homes, small ranches and raw land come up regularly outside city limits. Check water source, septic, road frontage and whether ag valuation will carry over before you buy.
Compare nearby towns
Towns near Howe
Grayson CountyVan AlstyneSix miles south on US-75, with a lower 2025 school rate (1.1748 vs. 1.234).Read the Van Alstyne guide 
Grayson CountyShermanNine miles north: the county seat, with the TI and GlobalWafers plants and hospitals.Read the Sherman guide 
Collin CountyAnnaCollin County’s fast grower — 35,245 people in 2025 and closer to McKinney.Read the Anna guide 
Grayson CountyGunterThe Preston Road town to the west, where the Tollway is headed.Read the Gunter guide Sources & data notes
Facts on this page were checked against public sources in October 2026. Tax rates, school ratings and road plans change — confirm anything important for your decision.
- U.S. Census Bureau, city population estimates, Vintage 2025
- Grayson CAD, tax rates per $100 valuation, 2020–2025
- Grayson CAD, 2025 certified totals: Howe ISD
- Grayson CAD, 2025 certified totals: City of Howe
- Texas Tribune Schools Explorer: Howe ISD (TEA data)
- TEA: 2025 A–F accountability ratings release
- KXII: the $32 million Howe ISD bond (April 2025)
- City of Howe: utilities
- City of Howe: history
- Howe Economic Development Corporation
- Howe Area Chamber: Founders Day Festival
- Howe Area Chamber: Downtown Howe-lloween
- Wikipedia: Howe, Texas
Ready when you are
Thinking about Howe?
I’ll show you around — the neighborhoods, the schools and the places locals love — and put together homes in Howe that fit your budget.