South of Dallas, Ellis balances commuter growth with prairie roots

Ellis County is home to approximately 223,000 residents across sixteen cities and towns, anchored by the county seat of Waxahachie and the cement-producing hub of Midlothian. Median home values range from around $180,000 in Ennis to over $290,000 in Midlothian, with the county average settling near $268,000. Multiple independent school districts serve the area, including Waxahachie ISD, Midlothian ISD, and Red Oak ISD, with several campuses earning high marks from the Texas Education Agency. The county's economy is driven by manufacturing—particularly cement production—which employs over 10,000 workers at an average annual wage exceeding $80,000, supplemented by retail, healthcare, and construction sectors serving the rapidly growing residential base.

Cities Compared

Home values vary significantly across Ellis County, from around $180,000 in Ennis and the rural southern towns to over $290,000 in Midlothian and northern Waxahachie. Red Oak and Ovilla occupy the middle ground at $250,000 to $260,000, while the county's smallest communities offer properties under $150,000 for buyers willing to accept longer commutes and fewer amenities.

Demographics

The county's population of nearly 223,000 reflects rapid suburban growth, with a median age of 37.2 and a homeownership rate of 76 percent among the highest in the Dallas region. The population is 50.3 percent White, 28.2 percent Hispanic, and 16.9 percent Black, with the demographic composition shifting as families relocate from Dallas and its inner suburbs seeking more affordable housing.

Economy

Manufacturing dominates Ellis County's employment landscape with over 10,000 jobs concentrated in cement production, food processing, and light manufacturing, offering average annual wages above $80,000. Retail trade and food service employ another 14,000 workers, while construction, healthcare, and transportation sectors support the county's rapid residential growth and expanding infrastructure needs.

Schools

Ellis County students are served by multiple independent school districts, with Waxahachie ISD, Midlothian ISD, and Red Oak ISD serving the largest populations. Several elementary and middle schools across these districts have earned high ratings from the Texas Education Agency, though performance varies significantly between the county's affluent suburban areas and its rural communities.

Cost of Living

Ellis County offers a cost of living below the Dallas metroplex average, with median home values around $268,000 and median household income near $90,000. Texas has no state income tax, though property tax rates vary by city and school district, with the manufacturing base in cities like Midlothian helping to keep rates competitive despite rapid infrastructure expansion.

About Ellis County

Ellis County occupies the transition zone where the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex bleeds into the rural heart of Texas. Thirty miles south of downtown Dallas, this county of nearly 223,000 residents stretches across the Blackland Prairie, that ribbon of dark, fertile soil that once made this cotton country and now supports one of the fastest-growing suburban frontiers in the state. Interstate 35E slices through the western third of the county, carrying commuters between the metroplex and the Hill Country, while Interstate 45 defines the eastern boundary, funneling traffic toward Houston. Between these corridors lies a landscape in flux—subdivisions encroaching on cattle pastures, cement plants humming alongside historic town squares, and bedroom communities swelling with families priced out of Dallas proper.

Waxahachie, the county seat, anchors the geographic and cultural center. Its Victorian downtown, clustered around the 1895 Romanesque Revival courthouse, represents the Ellis County that was: a cotton and railroad hub where fortunes were made on the backs of sharecroppers and the arrival of the Houston and Texas Central Railroad. Today that downtown serves as backdrop for film crews and weekend tourists, while the real growth happens along the Highway 287 corridor to the north, where national retailers and master-planned communities sprawl toward Red Oak and Ovilla. Waxahachie's population has nearly doubled since 2000, transforming it from sleepy county seat to a city of over 40,000 that still clings to its small-town identity even as subdivisions consume the surrounding farmland.

Midlothian occupies the county's western flank, straddling the line between Ellis and Tarrant counties. This is cement country—the limestone deposits here have made Midlothian one of the largest cement-producing regions in the United States, with plants operated by TXI, Holcim, and Ash Grove dominating the industrial landscape. The cement industry employs thousands and shapes the local economy in ways both visible and invisible: the perpetual haze on the horizon, the heavy truck traffic on Farm Road 663, the property tax base that keeps rates relatively manageable despite rapid residential growth. Midlothian's population has exploded to over 35,000, driven by families seeking newer homes at lower prices than they'd find in Arlington or Grand Prairie, just fifteen miles north. The city has absorbed this growth with typical suburban infrastructure—big-box retail along Highway 287, sprawling elementary schools, and subdivisions named for the ranches they replaced.

The eastern half of Ellis County tells a different story. Ennis, founded in 1887 as the northern terminus of the Houston and Texas Central Railroad, remains the county's third-largest city with a population hovering around 20,000. Czech and Slovak immigrants settled here in the late nineteenth century, and their legacy persists in the National Polka Festival held each May and the kolache shops that dot the downtown. Ennis has struggled to find its footing in the modern economy—it lacks the cement plants that sustain Midlothian and sits too far from Interstate 35E to capture the spillover growth from Dallas. The result is a city that feels frozen in time, its historic downtown intact but underutilized, its population growing slowly if at all, its median home values trailing the county average by tens of thousands of dollars.

South and west of Waxahachie, Ellis County remains stubbornly rural. Towns like Italy, Milford, and Maypearl count their populations in hundreds rather than thousands. Italy, named by a railroad surveyor who thought the landscape resembled the Italian countryside, is famous primarily as the birthplace of Western swing musician Bob Wills. Cattle ranches and hay farms dominate the landscape, interrupted occasionally by the kind of small-town infrastructure that barely registers on regional planning maps: a volunteer fire department, a consolidated school district, a grain elevator alongside the railroad tracks. These communities exist in a different economic reality than the northern tier of the county—property values remain low, commutes to Dallas are untenable, and the local job market revolves around agriculture, construction, and the service economy that supports a sparse population.

The county's growth trajectory is written in its demographics. The population has surged by more than 60 percent since 2000, driven almost entirely by families relocating from Dallas and its inner suburbs. The median age of 37.2 reflects this influx of young families, as does the homeownership rate of 76 percent—among the highest in the Dallas region. Ellis County offers what Dallas County increasingly cannot: single-family homes on quarter-acre lots, highly rated school districts with manageable enrollment, and a cost of living that allows dual-income households to build equity rather than simply service rent. The trade-off is the commute—residents of Red Oak, Ovilla, and Waxahachie routinely spend an hour or more each way driving to jobs in Dallas, Arlington, or Plano, a calculation that makes sense when it means owning a four-bedroom house for less than $300,000.

Manufacturing dominates the employment landscape, accounting for more than 10,000 jobs at an average annual wage exceeding $80,000. The cement plants in Midlothian form the backbone of this sector, but the county has also attracted distribution centers, food processing facilities, and light manufacturing operations drawn by cheap land and proximity to Interstate 35E. Retail and food service employ another 14,000 workers, reflecting the county's role as a bedroom community—residents may work in Dallas, but they shop and eat locally, supporting the Targets and Chick-fil-As that line every major commercial corridor. Healthcare employs nearly 6,000, a number that will grow as the population ages and the need for local medical infrastructure intensifies.

Ellis County was carved from Navarro County in 1849 and named for Richard Ellis, the president of the convention that signed the Texas Declaration of Independence. The county's early history unfolded along Chambers Creek, named for Thomas Jefferson Chambers, who received the first land grant in the area from the Mexican government in 1834. Edward H. Tarrant, a veteran of the War of 1812 and commander of Texas frontier troops, built his plantation home and the county's first mill along this creek in 1845, establishing a settlement pattern that would persist for decades: farms and ranches clustered along waterways, connected by rutted roads and the occasional ferry crossing. The arrival of the railroads in the 1870s and 1880s shifted the population centers to Waxahachie and Ennis, transforming Ellis County from a frontier agricultural region into a cotton empire. By 1900, the county was among the top cotton producers in the state, a distinction built on the labor of tenant farmers and sharecroppers, both Black and white, who worked land they would never own.

Today the cotton fields are mostly gone, replaced by subdivisions with names like Sonterra and Waterford. The county's identity is in transition, caught between its rural past and its suburban future, between the preservationists who want to protect the Victorian architecture of Waxahachie and the developers who see only underutilized land. The outcome of that tension will determine what Ellis County becomes over the next two decades—whether it evolves into a true extension of the Dallas metroplex, indistinguishable from Collin or Denton counties to the north, or whether it manages to retain some vestige of the agricultural character that defined it for a century and a half.

From County Seat to Cement Plants: Ellis County's Cities

Waxahachie, the county seat and largest city with a population exceeding 40,000, occupies the geographic and administrative heart of Ellis County. The city's Victorian downtown, anchored by the 1895 Ellis County Courthouse—a Romanesque Revival masterpiece with a soaring clock tower—draws weekend tourists and film crews, but the real story of Waxahachie is written in the subdivisions spreading north and east from the historic core. Families relocating from Dallas find newer construction at prices that would buy a teardown in Richardson or Garland, with highly rated schools in the Waxahachie Independent School District and a commute to downtown Dallas that runs about forty-five minutes in ideal conditions. Median home values hover around $280,000, with significant variation between the historic neighborhoods near downtown, where bungalows and Victorians trade in the $200,000 range, and the master-planned communities on the northern edge, where four-bedroom homes in subdivisions like Sonterra push toward $350,000. The city has managed to preserve its small-town identity despite rapid growth, with Friday night football at Lumpkins Stadium still serving as the social anchor and the downtown square hosting farmers markets and community events that draw residents from across the county.

Midlothian, with a population approaching 36,000, defines the county's western boundary and its industrial character. The cement plants that dominate the landscape here—operated by TXI, Holcim, and Ash Grove—employ thousands and generate the tax revenue that keeps municipal services funded despite breakneck residential growth. Midlothian has transformed from a rural outpost to a full-fledged suburb over the past two decades, absorbing families priced out of Arlington and Grand Prairie with the promise of newer homes, larger lots, and schools that haven't yet reached capacity. The Midlothian Independent School District serves the city and surrounding areas, with elementary schools that consistently earn high marks from the Texas Education Agency. Housing stock skews newer, with most homes built after 2000, and median values cluster around $290,000. The trade-off for this affordability is the cement dust that occasionally settles over the city and the industrial traffic that clogs Farm Road 663, but for families prioritizing square footage and school quality over urban amenities, Midlothian delivers. The city has developed its own commercial infrastructure along Highway 287, with national retailers and restaurant chains eliminating the need to drive to Dallas for basic shopping.

Red Oak, straddling the Ellis-Dallas county line with a population near 13,000, functions as a bedroom community for families working in the southern Dallas suburbs. The city's proximity to Interstate 35E and Highway 67 makes commutes to Duncanville, Cedar Hill, and even downtown Dallas manageable, while home values that average around $250,000 offer a discount compared to similar properties just a few miles north. Red Oak Independent School District serves the city, with a single high school that draws students from across the district's attendance zone. The city's housing stock is a mix of older ranch-style homes from the 1970s and 1980s and newer subdivisions built in the 2000s and 2010s, offering options for buyers at different price points. Red Oak lacks the historic charm of Waxahachie or the industrial base of Midlothian, but it compensates with proximity—residents can reach Dallas in twenty minutes outside rush hour, a commute that becomes untenable from the county's more distant cities.

Ennis, the county's third-largest city with a population around 20,000, occupies the eastern portion of Ellis County along Interstate 45. Founded in 1887 as a railroad terminus, Ennis retains a distinct Czech and Slovak heritage, celebrated annually at the National Polka Festival and visible in the kolache shops that line the downtown. The city's economy has struggled in recent decades, lacking the cement industry that sustains Midlothian and sitting too far from the Dallas job market to capture significant spillover growth. Median home values in Ennis trail the county average, hovering around $180,000, making it one of the most affordable cities in the region for buyers willing to accept a longer commute or find employment locally. Ennis Independent School District serves the city, with schools that perform adequately but lack the resources and ratings of districts in the county's wealthier cities. For buyers prioritizing affordability and small-town character over proximity to Dallas, Ennis offers genuine value, with historic homes near downtown available for under $150,000 and newer construction on the city's outskirts rarely exceeding $250,000.

Ovilla, a small city of roughly 4,000 residents tucked into the northeastern corner of Ellis County, functions as an exurban outpost for families seeking rural character with reasonable access to Dallas. The city's location along Farm Road 664, just south of Red Oak, places it within commuting distance of the southern Dallas suburbs while preserving an agricultural feel that has largely vanished from the county's larger cities. Ovilla's housing stock consists primarily of single-family homes on larger lots, with median values around $260,000. The city is served by multiple school districts depending on location, including Red Oak ISD and Ovilla Christian School, giving families options for public and private education. Growth has been modest compared to Waxahachie or Midlothian, with residents valuing the city's resistance to the kind of wholesale subdivision development that has transformed other parts of the county.

Ferris, Palmer, and Pecan Hill form a cluster of small towns in the northern part of the county, each with populations under 3,000. These communities serve as affordable alternatives to the county's larger cities, with median home values in the $170,000 to $220,000 range and a slower pace of development that appeals to buyers seeking land and privacy. Ferris, the largest of the three with about 2,500 residents, sits along Highway 34 and offers basic municipal services and a small downtown. Palmer and Pecan Hill are even smaller, functioning more as census-designated places than true municipalities, with limited commercial infrastructure and residents who commute to Waxahachie, Red Oak, or Dallas for work and shopping.

The county's smallest towns—Italy, Milford, Maypearl, Bardwell, Garrett, Oak Leaf, Bristol, and Alma—exist on the margins of the regional economy. Italy, with a population around 2,000, is the largest and most established, with a historic downtown and a school district that serves the surrounding rural area. These towns offer the lowest housing costs in the county, with older homes frequently available for under $100,000, but they require a tolerance for isolation and long commutes. They represent the Ellis County that predates the suburban boom, sustained by agriculture, small-scale ranching, and the kind of informal economy that doesn't show up in employment statistics. For buyers seeking acreage, privacy, and a genuinely rural lifestyle within an hour of Dallas, these towns deliver, but they lack the schools, amenities, and resale potential of the county's growth centers.

Identifiers

GEOID

48139

State FIPS

48

County FIPS

139

Statistics

Neighborhoods

14

Population

131,863

Geography

Type

polygon

Area

2,466 km²

Data Source

Primary Source

tiger

Census Reference

QuickFacts

Frequently Asked Questions About Ellis County

What is Ellis known for?

Ellis County is known as the transition zone where Dallas sprawl meets the Blackland Prairie, a landscape defined by rapid suburban growth, historic small towns, and one of the largest cement-producing regions in the United States. Waxahachie, the county seat, draws visitors with its Victorian downtown and the stunning 1895 Ellis County Courthouse, a Romanesque Revival landmark that anchors the historic square. Midlothian has built its identity around cement manufacturing, with plants operated by TXI, Holcim, and Ash Grove employing thousands and shaping both the economy and the physical landscape. Ennis celebrates its Czech and Slovak heritage with the annual National Polka Festival and kolache shops that preserve the culinary traditions of nineteenth-century immigrants. The county's agricultural past persists in the rural southern towns like Italy, Milford, and Maypearl, where cattle ranches and hay farms still dominate the landscape. Ellis County has become a destination for families priced out of Dallas proper, offering newer homes, highly rated schools, and a cost of living that allows homeownership on middle-class incomes, all within commuting distance of the metroplex job market.

What cities are in Ellis County?

Ellis County comprises sixteen cities and towns ranging from suburban hubs to rural outposts. Waxahachie, the county seat with over 40,000 residents, blends Victorian architecture with sprawling subdivisions and serves as the administrative and cultural center. Midlothian, approaching 36,000 residents, is defined by cement manufacturing and rapid residential growth along the Highway 287 corridor. Red Oak, with about 13,000 residents, functions as a bedroom community straddling the Ellis-Dallas county line. Ennis, the county's third-largest city at roughly 20,000 residents, retains its Czech and Slovak heritage and offers the most affordable housing among the major cities. Ovilla, with about 4,000 residents, preserves a rural character despite proximity to Dallas. Ferris, Palmer, and Pecan Hill are small towns in the northern part of the county with populations under 3,000, offering affordable alternatives to the larger cities. Italy, Milford, Maypearl, Bardwell, Garrett, Oak Leaf, Bristol, and Alma are the county's smallest communities, with populations measured in hundreds rather than thousands, sustained by agriculture and small-scale ranching in the rural southern and western portions of the county.

Is Ellis County growing?

Ellis County is one of the fastest-growing counties in Texas, with population surging by more than 60 percent since 2000 to reach approximately 223,000 residents. Growth is concentrated in the northern tier cities—Waxahachie, Midlothian, Red Oak, and Ovilla—which have absorbed thousands of families relocating from Dallas and its inner suburbs. Waxahachie's population has nearly doubled over two decades, while Midlothian has exploded from a small town to a city of 36,000. This growth is driven by affordability, with median home values around $268,000 compared to $350,000 or more in many Dallas suburbs, and by school quality, with districts like Waxahachie ISD and Midlothian ISD earning high marks. Development follows the major transportation corridors, particularly Interstate 35E and Highway 287, with subdivisions consuming former farmland at a rapid pace. The southern and eastern portions of the county, including Ennis and the rural towns, have experienced modest growth or stagnation, lacking the infrastructure and proximity to Dallas that drives development in the north.

What is the cost of living in Ellis?

Ellis County offers a cost of living below the Dallas metroplex average, driven primarily by housing affordability. Median home values cluster around $268,000, with significant variation by city—from around $180,000 in Ennis to over $290,000 in Midlothian. Texas has no state income tax, which benefits all residents, though property taxes vary by municipality and school district, with rates typically ranging from 2.0 to 2.5 percent of assessed value depending on location. The manufacturing base in cities like Midlothian provides tax revenue that helps keep rates competitive despite rapid infrastructure expansion. Median household income of nearly $90,000 is slightly above the state average, reflecting the influx of dual-income families commuting to Dallas-area jobs. Median rent of approximately $1,487 per month is lower than in Dallas County but higher than in more rural Texas counties. The homeownership rate of 76 percent is among the highest in the region, indicating that housing costs remain manageable for middle-class families. Groceries, utilities, and transportation costs align closely with state averages, with the primary trade-off being commute times—residents often drive an hour or more each way to Dallas jobs, adding fuel and vehicle maintenance expenses.

How are the schools in Ellis?

Ellis County students are served by multiple independent school districts, with quality and resources varying significantly across the county. Waxahachie Independent School District is the largest, serving the county seat and surrounding areas with elementary schools that consistently earn high ratings from the Texas Education Agency. Midlothian Independent School District serves the western part of the county, with newer facilities and strong academic performance driven by the city's affluent residential growth. Red Oak ISD serves the northeastern corner of the county, offering solid academics and a single high school that draws students from across the district. Ennis ISD serves the eastern portion of the county, with adequate performance but fewer resources than the wealthier northern districts. Italy ISD, Avalon ISD, and other small rural districts serve the county's southern communities, with limited course offerings and extracurricular options due to small enrollment. Private school options are limited compared to the Dallas area, though Ovilla Christian School serves families seeking religious education. Overall, families relocating to Ellis County from Dallas frequently cite school quality as a primary draw, particularly in Waxahachie and Midlothian, where newer facilities and manageable class sizes offer advantages over crowded urban districts.

What is the job market like in Ellis?

Ellis County's job market is dominated by manufacturing, which employs over 10,000 workers at an average annual wage exceeding $80,000, primarily in cement production at plants operated by TXI, Holcim, and Ash Grove in Midlothian. Retail trade and food service employ another 14,000 workers, reflecting the county's role as a bedroom community with local shopping and dining infrastructure. Construction employs more than 5,000 workers, driven by the residential building boom that has transformed the northern tier cities. Healthcare and social assistance employ nearly 6,000, with Baylor Scott & White Medical Center in Waxahachie serving as a major employer. Transportation and warehousing employ over 4,000, with distribution centers attracted by cheap land and proximity to Interstate 35E. However, the majority of Ellis County residents commute to jobs in Dallas, Arlington, Grand Prairie, and other metroplex cities, with local employment opportunities limited compared to the residential population. The unemployment rate tracks closely with state and national averages, and the job market for white-collar professionals—particularly in technology, finance, and professional services—requires a commute to Dallas or its northern suburbs.

Is Ellis good for families?

Ellis County is well-suited for families seeking affordable housing, quality schools, and a suburban or small-town lifestyle within commuting distance of Dallas. The homeownership rate of 76 percent is among the highest in the region, with median home values around $268,000 allowing families to purchase single-family homes on quarter-acre lots. School districts in Waxahachie and Midlothian earn high marks, with newer facilities and manageable enrollment that contrast favorably with crowded urban districts. Parks and recreation infrastructure is expanding to keep pace with growth, though it lags behind more established suburbs—Waxahachie offers several city parks and sports complexes, while Midlothian has invested in trails and community centers. Crime rates are generally lower than in Dallas County, particularly in the smaller towns and rural areas, though property crime has increased in the rapidly growing cities. The county's family-friendly character is reinforced by strong community institutions—Friday night football, church networks, and civic organizations that provide social infrastructure. The primary challenge for families is the commute, with many parents spending two or more hours daily on the road, and the limited availability of childcare and after-school programs compared to more urban areas.

How does Ellis compare to nearby areas?

Ellis County offers a distinct profile compared to adjacent counties. To the north, Dallas County is far more urban, diverse, and expensive, with median home values exceeding $350,000 and a cost of living that prices out many middle-class families. To the west, Johnson County is more rural and politically conservative, with smaller cities and an economy still heavily reliant on agriculture and ranching. To the east, Navarro County is significantly more rural and economically distressed, with lower incomes and home values but also longer commutes to major job centers. To the south, Hill County is almost entirely rural, with tiny towns and an agricultural economy that offers little for commuters. Ellis County occupies the sweet spot for families seeking suburban affordability with reasonable access to Dallas—it's cheaper than Dallas and Collin counties, more developed than Johnson and Navarro counties, and close enough to the metroplex to make commuting feasible. The trade-off is a landscape in flux, with rapid development erasing agricultural character and infrastructure struggling to keep pace with growth, creating the kind of growing pains—traffic congestion, crowded schools, strained municipal services—that more established suburbs resolved decades ago.

Find Your Place in Ellis County

Whether you're drawn to Waxahachie's historic charm, Midlothian's newer subdivisions, or the affordability of Ennis and the rural towns, Ellis County offers options for every budget and lifestyle. Connect with a Texas Ally advisor who knows the nuances of each city and can match you with the right community for your family.