Yes, new construction under $500,000 exists in Denton County right now. Our monthly snapshot puts the county's median new-home list price near $480,000, and on their own websites D.R. Horton and First Texas Homes currently advertise Denton entry-level communities from the high $270s to the mid $350s. The inventory concentrates in Denton and Justin, while Argyle, Northlake, and most of Flower Mound start well above $500K. Builder incentives of $15,000 to $40,000 on standing inventory can move the effective price further, but the advertised starting price is the number to shop first.
Everything below was reviewed October 26, 2026 against the builders' own websites and our published county snapshot. Prices change, incentives expire, and availability turns fast at the entry tier, so the sources section is the verification path, and the live search at the bottom is how you catch new listings first.
Does under-$500K new construction actually exist in Denton County?
Yes, and it is not an outlier. Our Denton County market snapshot shows roughly 1,900 new homes for sale in the county with a median list price near $480,000 and about 50 days on market, which puts a $500K new build at or below the county's midpoint, not at the bottom of the barrel.
On the builders' own websites as of October 26, 2026, D.R. Horton advertises four Denton communities from $277,990 to $349,990, and First Texas Homes lists its Denton Meadows community from the $280,000s. Under $500K is a live, actively built price band in Denton County.
Where is the sub-$500K new construction concentrated?
The clearest way to see the split is side by side: what builders advertise under $500K in each city, next to the city average from our published snapshot.
| City | What builders advertise under $500K | City average (snapshot) |
|---|---|---|
| Denton | D.R. Horton: Eagle Creek from $349,990, Audra Oaks from $334,990, Monarch at the Meadows from $279,990, Hickory Grove from $277,990. First Texas Homes: The Meadows from $289,950, Parkside from $384,950 | ~$543K |
| Justin | Highland Homes' Treeline community from the $400s | ~$486K |
| Argyle | Harvest by Hillwood advertises move-in-ready from under $400,000, mostly two-story attached homes of about 1,500 to 1,700 square feet | ~$723K |
| Northlake | No meaningful sub-$500K single-family entry points in our review; most advertised inventory starts far higher | ~$742K |
| Flower Mound | Coventry Homes' Furst Ranch starts from about $590,000, the closest sub-$500K-adjacent entry we found | ~$1.65M |
The pattern is clear: Denton and Justin carry the sub-$500K single-family inventory, Harvest in Argyle covers the low end with attached product, and Northlake and Flower Mound live in a different price conversation. City averages are averages, not floors. Denton averages near $543K because its published mix includes higher product, even while its entry-level communities sit in the $280s to $350s.
What does $500,000 actually buy in a Denton County new build?
On the advertisers' own numbers, $500K today buys a brand-new single-family home at the entry tier in Denton or Justin. First Texas Homes lists its Denton Meadows plans from $289,950 at 1,403 to 3,105 square feet, and Parkside from $384,950 at 1,570 to 3,105 square feet, both as advertised on the builder's site. D.R. Horton's Denton communities span from $277,990 to $349,990 by community.
The same money buys less further north and west in the study area: attached entry product at Harvest in Argyle, and effectively nothing new under $500K in Northlake or Flower Mound. And no advertised price is the finished number: lot premiums, design center minimums, and the tax district all sit on top of the base, which is exactly why the true cost guide is the right read before you compare price sheets.
How much do builder incentives matter at this price point?
A lot, because the same credit is a bigger share of the price. DFW builders are competing with rate buydowns and closing-cost credits that commonly run $15,000 to $40,000 on finished standing inventory, and $20,000 is about 5 percent of a $400,000 home.
The fine print decides whether the incentive helps your monthly number. Most stacks require the builder's preferred lender, a buydown only pays off if you hold the loan long enough to earn the points back, and the advertised list price is not the incentive-adjusted price. Run the math with the incentive calculator and read the incentives guide before you sign. And keep the two offer types straight: the buydown vs. price reduction guide works that comparison on identical loan terms.
How do you shop the under-$500K band without wasting weekends?
Start from one price-filtered live search instead of builder-by-builder tabs. The NewBuildNTX search pulls current North Texas new-construction inventory into a single view with ZIP and price filters, and saved searches alert you when a new sub-$500K home lists, which matters because entry-tier inventory turns fastest.
- Filter by price and ZIP first, then set an alert. New entry-level releases get picked over quickly.
- Verify the advertised price in writing. Ask for base price, lot premium, design center minimum, and the incentive stack on one sheet before you compare communities.
- Watch the tax district. Two homes at the same price can differ by hundreds of dollars a month depending on MUD, PID, and city rates; the property tax guide shows where the line items come from.
- Register your agent before your first model-home visit. Walk in alone and the builder records you as self-sourced; many then refuse to pay your agent's commission.