Frisco, Texas
Planning for Frisco households, where the numbers run larger.
More than a third of Frisco households earn over $200,000 a year, nearly three times the rate in the city of Dallas, and the median home is worth about $642,000. That combination brings a specific set of planning decisions: property tax, equity compensation, relocation, and retirement income in a state with no income tax.
The situation
A young, high-earning city, still mid-move
Frisco grew into a city of about 219,000 people in two decades, and much of that growth arrived by relocation: corporate moves to the Plano–Frisco corridor, families from California and the Northeast, and professionals following employers north of Dallas. The city straddles two counties, Collin and Denton, so even basic questions like which property-tax rates apply depend on the side of the city you live on.
The household balance sheet here tends to share a shape: a large, appreciated home, a workplace retirement plan, often some company stock or RSUs, and a tax picture that changed the day you became a Texas resident. Each piece is manageable alone. The planning is in how they interact.
Why it’s complex
Five local decisions that compound
Property tax is the state tax you pay
With no state income tax, property tax does the work. In 2025 the City of Frisco levies $0.4255 per $100, Frisco ISD $1.0194, and the county $0.1493 (Collin) or $0.1859 (Denton).
The homestead exemption is now $140,000
Texas raised the school-district homestead exemption to $140,000 in 2025, with $60,000 more at 65 or disabled, plus a school-tax ceiling that can follow you to a new Texas home.
Your old state may still be watching
California presumes residency after more than nine months in the state and weighs your ties, not just your address. Equity comp earned there can remain California-sourced after you move.
Sequencing income across accountsNo income tax changes the Roth math
A Roth conversion in Texas is taxed federally only. For households who moved from a high-tax state, the years before required distributions can be an unusually efficient conversion window.
Read the guideCommunity property and the double step-up
Texas is a community-property state. At the first spouse’s death, both halves of appreciated community assets can receive a new cost basis, a planning fact many relocating couples don’t know they now have.
Read the guideSources: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimates; Texas Comptroller, homestead exemptions; Tex. Const. art. VIII, §24-a; Texas Comptroller 2025 city, ISD and county rate reports.
Our approach
One plan that accounts for where you live now
We model the household under Texas rules from day one: property tax and the homestead exemption, the absence of a state income tax, community property, and any lingering tie to the state you came from. A worked example: on a home at Frisco’s median value, the $140,000 exemption lowers the school-taxable value to $502,100; at Frisco ISD’s 2025 rate that is about $5,118 a year for the school portion alone ($502,100 × $1.0194 / $100).
Close the old state cleanly
Document the move against the ties your former state audits, identify income that may stay sourced there, and file the Texas homestead exemption for your new home.
Coordinate equity and savings
RSU and ESPP decisions, concentrated-stock exposure, and workplace plans, sized against a tax picture that is now federal-only at the state level.
Use the Texas window
Roth conversions in the low-bracket years, Social Security timing, the over-65 homestead and school-tax ceiling, and a withdrawal order built around property tax as your largest recurring state-level cost.
The work
What you’ll work through with us
- A relocation checklist against your former state’s residency factors
- Homestead exemption filing and the over-65 school-tax ceiling
- RSU, stock option, and ESPP planning, including concentrated positions
- Roth conversion sizing in a no-income-tax state
- Retirement income and Social Security timing
- Community-property titling and beneficiary review with your estate attorney
- Investment management built around after-tax outcomes
- Coordination with your CPA
Planning is led by Theo Halbardier, CFP®, CIMA®, CAIA®, the firm’s founder. We are fee-only: no commissions, no product sales. About Theo
Questions
Common questions from Frisco households
Do you have an office in Frisco?
We work with Frisco households by video and, by arrangement, in person. We do not maintain a public office location.
Does moving to Texas end my California or New York tax obligations?
Not automatically. California looks at the strength of your ties, and New York at domicile factors such as home, business, time, and family. Income sourced to your former state, such as some equity compensation, can remain taxable there. A documented move matters; residency determinations belong with a tax professional.
How much does the homestead exemption save?
The school-district exemption removes $140,000 of your home’s appraised value from school taxation, and $200,000 at 65 or older or if disabled. At Frisco ISD’s 2025 rate of $1.0194 per $100, the base exemption alone is worth roughly $1,427 a year. City and county exemptions are separate.
Does it matter which side of Frisco I live on?
For property tax, yes. Frisco sits in both Collin and Denton counties, and the 2025 county rates differ ($0.1493 versus $0.1859 per $100). School-district boundaries also vary by address, so confirm yours on your appraisal notice.
Should we do Roth conversions now that we live in Texas?
It deserves a serious look. Conversions here face federal tax only, which can make the years before required distributions efficient ones. The answer depends on your brackets, Medicare premium thresholds two years out, and where you expect to live in retirement.
How are you paid?
We are fee-only. Our clients pay us directly; we do not earn commissions on products.
Reviewed by Theo Halbardier, CFP® · Updated September 2026 · Figures current for 2026
Tell us where you are.
The first conversation is 30 minutes. Bring your questions; no preparation needed.
We work with individuals and families across Frisco and throughout Texas, meeting by video or in person by arrangement.
Meet with usWe do not maintain a public office at this location; Frisco is part of the area we serve. Figures reflect law and published rates as of September 2026 and may change.