Head to head

Little Elm vs Shady Shores

288 data points per city, side by side, straight from the source.

Little Elm
Denton Co. · $394K
79
B+ · Very Good
Shady Shores
Denton Co. · $575K
86
A- · Great

Little Elm or Shady Shores?

Little Elm scores 79 and Shady Shores scores 86 on the Realust Score (out of 100). Little Elm comes out ahead on affordability and growth. Shady Shores comes out ahead on prosperity, schools, safety and commute. The median home is $394K in Little Elm and $575K in Shady Shores.

More matchupsLittle Elm vs FriscoLittle Elm vs The ColonyLittle Elm vs LewisvilleLittle Elm vs DentonShady Shores vs CorinthShady Shores vs DentonShady Shores vs Lewisville

Realust Score Little ElmShady Shores
Prosperity 78 95
Schools 78 80
Safety 84 94
Lifestyle 83 83
Market 75 75
Affordability 87 84
Commute 56 58
Growth 78 57
What's comingLittle ElmShady Shores
Projects on the way40
Under construction40
Biggest projects—
Opened in the last year10
All Little Elm projects →All Shady Shores projects →

Informational only: planned projects don't affect any city's Realust Score. Counts exclude countywide bonds and tax votes. See everything on the North Texas map →

HousingLittle ElmShady Shores
Median Home Price$393,657$574,990
Price Per Sq Ft$186$229
Starter Home Price$439,915$270,000
Premium Home Price$679,723$1,199,000
Sale To List Ratio97.1%98.8%
% Single Family98%70%
Est Monthly Mortgage$2,180$2,907
Median Rent (1BR)$1,309$1,603
Median Rent (2BR)$1,931$1,969
Median Rent (3BR)$3,466$2,473
Rent Yoy Change-0.3%—
Rental Vacancy Rate0.8%0%
Housing Affordability Score5.36.7
Avg Sq Ft2,732 sq ft2,915 sq ft
Avg Beds43.6
Avg HOA Fee$63$110
% With HOA19.5%13.3%
% With Pool1.5%0%
Avg Lot Size6,681 sq ft33,594 sq ft
Avg Year Built20191995
Avg Baths3.23.2
Avg Baths Full2.72.6
% Townhome0%0%
% Condo0%0%
% With Garage99.5%60%
% New Construction81%36.7%
% Price Reduced14.5%3.3%
% Foreclosure0%0%
% Pending0%3.3%
% Contingent0%0%
Avg Price Reduction$11,849$41,508
% Single Story33.5%30%
% With Fireplace22%30%
% With Central Air17%33.3%
% Waterfront4.5%26.7%
Avg Garage Size2.12.4
Price Per Bedroom$124,838$158,879
Price Per Bathroom$160,196$181,576
Avg Home Age731
Realtor Median Days on Market74 days116 days
Realtor Median Price$436,495$639,500
Realtor Price Per Sq Ft$186$229
Realtor Median Rent$2,031—
Inventory Active34957
Inventory Total49291
Inventory Pending14334
% Under Contract29.1%37.4%
New Listings Monthly9220
Inventory Change (month)-0.3%4%
Price Change (1 yr)-5.7%—
Price 1yr Ago$417,588$785,250
Price Change (5 yr)4.8%—
Price 5yr Ago$375,793$550,000
Monthly Sales Volume453
Rent 1yr Ago$2,311—
Rent 5yr Change23.3%—
Rent 5yr Ago$1,868—
Momentum 20205747
Momentum 20216351
Momentum 20227049
Momentum 20236754
Momentum 20247259
Momentum 20256747
Momentum (1 yr)-1.1-17.6
Momentum (5 yr)24.7-0.9
EconomyLittle ElmShady Shores
Median Household Income$119,219$159,375
Avg Household Income$138,057$178,373
Per Capita Income$48,310$63,037
% Income Under $25K5.9%4.7%
% Income $25K–$50K7.8%2.3%
% Income $50K–$75K12.3%9.4%
% Income $75K–$100K16.2%17%
% Income $100K–$150K23.4%10.4%
% Income $150K Plus34.4%56%
Poverty Rate9%2.8%
Unemployment Rate6.6%3.4%
Job Growth 1yr3%3.4%
Jobs Score7.38
SchoolsLittle ElmShady Shores
Primary School DistrictLittle Elm ISDLake Dallas ISD
Overall District Rating55.5
State Ranking Percentile52.0359.42
# Elementary Schools63
# Middle Schools21
# High Schools11
Student Teacher Ratio15:113.9:1
Graduation Rate94.7%99.7%
Niche Schools Score6.77.3
SAT/ACT Participation Rate96.6%50.8%
SAT/ACT College Ready %12.1%23.1%
SAT/ACT TSI Ready %21.7%34%
Dropout Rate4.3%0%
Graduating Class Size623291
SafetyLittle ElmShady Shores
Overall Crime Rate5.7 per 1K2.9 per 1K
Violent Crime Rate1.7 per 1K0.5 per 1K
Assault Rate73.2 per 100K0 per 100K
Robbery Rate20.7 per 100K0 per 100K
Property Crime Rate4.1 per 1K2.5 per 1K
Burglary Rate43 per 100K0 per 100K
Theft Rate319.9 per 100K0 per 100K
Vehicle Theft Rate60.5 per 100K0 per 100K
Safety GradeB—
Safety Score2.66—
Murder Rate5.5 per 100K1.9 per 100K
Rape Rate36.6 per 100K0 per 100K
Crime SourcePolice departmentCounty estimate
Crime Agency—Denton County Sheriff's Office
Crime Note—No city police department. Denton County Sheriff's Office covers the town; rates are the sheriff's 2025 FBI figures for its whole service area.
LifestyleLittle ElmShady Shores
# Movie Theaters21
# Libraries122
# Museums00
Nightlife Score64
Family Friendly Score7.37.3
Health Fitness Score6.77.3
Outdoor Activities Score4.74.7
Commute Score44.7
Weather Score6.76.7
Diversity Score85.3
Area FeelRuralRural
# Restaurants60+60+
# Parks60+60+
# Gyms2034
# Grocery Stores88
# Coffee Shops5746
# Hospitals1015
# Bars2821
# Pharmacies3024
# Dentists60+60+
TransportationLittle ElmShady Shores
Avg Commute Time35 min28 min
% Drive Alone66.7%70.5%
% Carpool7.4%6.2%
% Public Transit0.1%0%
% Work From Home24.7%20.7%
Walkability Score182
Walk Score RatingCar-DependentCar-Dependent
Bike Score3025
Distance Downtown Dallas32.4 mi33.8 mi
Distance DFW Airport22.7 mi21.8 mi
Drive Time DFW Airport29 min26 min
Distance Love Field29.1 mi30.4 mi
EV Stations920
EV Level2 Ports2422
EV Dc Fast Ports036
EV NetworksChargePoint Network, Blink Network, LOOPChargePoint Network, MERCEDES_BENZ, Blink Network
Walk Score Max594
Walk % Walkable70
Walk Score Points128
Walk Score Updated2026-10-272026-10-27
DemographicsLittle ElmShady Shores
Population54,8202,922
Population Density2,957.9933.6
Population Growth 5yr19.3%2.8%
Median Age35.446.9
% Under 1828%18.9%
% Age 18–247.3%11.6%
% Age 25–3413.8%6.3%
% Age 35–4417.6%11.3%
% Age 45–5416.8%13.4%
% Age 55–649%19.6%
% Age 65+7.5%18.9%
Avg Household Size2.93
% Family Households78.1%86.6%
% Homeownership70.1%92.9%
% HS Graduate Or Higher93.7%97%
% Bachelor's Or Higher44.2%50.3%
% Graduate Degree16.3%16.5%
% White44.5%77.7%
% Black21.6%1%
% Asian11%1.8%
% South Asian6.9%1.8%
% Hispanic Latino19.8%17.2%
% Native American2.2%0.2%
% Pacific Islander0%0%
% Two Or More Races14.9%14.1%
% Other Race5.9%5.1%
% Foreign Born19.5%9.8%
% Moved Last Year13.6%12.5%
% Renters29.9%7.1%
Diversity Score85.3
% Same House 1yr86.4%87.5%
% From Out Of State2.1%0%
% From Different County6%4.2%
% From Abroad1.1%0%
% Families With Kids50.1%25.8%
% Married Couples58.3%82.5%
% Single Parent12%0%
% Living Alone17.3%8.7%
% Seniors Living Alone4.6%3.9%
% With Broadband98.3%98.9%
% With Computer99.8%98.9%
% Male51.4%52.7%
% Female48.6%47.3%
Total Households18,883974