Harvest vs Canyon Falls 2026: How MUD, FWSD and PID Taxes Change What You Can Afford

Photo: Ryan Stephens via Pexels (Fort Worth, Texas)

If you are comparing Harvest vs Canyon Falls, the sticker price is only half the story. These two master-planned communities sit a few minutes apart in southern Denton County, around Northlake, Argyle and Flower Mound. Both carry special-district taxes that can add hundreds of dollars a month to your house payment. In November 2026, with the 30-year mortgage rate at 7.18%, that extra cost changes how much house you can comfortably buy.

This guide from OnDemand Realty walks through the adopted 2026 tax rates (with 2025 for comparison) for every taxing unit that touches Harvest and Canyon Falls. It explains the difference between a MUD, an FWSD and a PID, and shows sample tax bills and payment math at real price points. It also covers what Texas law requires sellers to disclose, and gives you a step-by-step way to check any address before you write an offer.

Key Takeaways

• The address matters more than the community name. Based on adopted 2026 rates from the Denton County Tax Office, Canyon Falls combinations run from about 1.73% (Town of Flower Mound section) to about 2.42% (Canyon Falls WCID No. 2 in Northlake). Harvest runs from about 1.94% to about 2.48%. All figures are calculated, before exemptions.
• Harvest has no active PID. The Town of Northlake says the Harvest Public Improvement District was dissolved at the October 10, 2024 council meeting. Harvest homes instead sit in Belmont FWSD No. 1 ($0.53) or Belmont FWSD No. 2 ($0.98) per $100 of value.
• Canyon Falls is split. Some sections are inside the Town of Flower Mound with no water district line. Others sit in Canyon Falls MUD No. 1 ($0.73 for 2026) or Canyon Falls WCID No. 2 ($0.63 for 2026).
• On a $650,000 home, the gap can top $400 a month. Going from the lowest to the highest combined rate in this guide adds about $4,893 a year, or $408 a month. That is calculated, before exemptions.
• That gap equals roughly $60,000 of loan. At Freddie Mac's 7.18% average 30-year rate (week of November 5, 2026), $408 a month covers principal and interest on a loan of about $60,000. This is illustrative.
• Two school districts are in play. Parts of both communities are in Argyle ISD (TEA 2026 rating: A, score 92) and parts are in Northwest ISD (2026 rating: B, score 82). The school line is the largest piece of every tax bill.
• Texas law requires written notice. Sellers must give buyers a district notice under Texas Water Code Section 49.452 for MUDs and water districts, and a PID assessment notice under Texas Property Code Section 5.014.

Harvest and Canyon Falls at a Glance

Both are large, amenity-heavy, master-planned neighborhoods in southern Denton County. Here is what their developers publish.

Sources: Harvest builders, Harvest FAQ, Canyon Falls homebuilders, Canyon Falls FAQ.

Amenities in Harvest

Hillwood's amenities page lists the Harvest Farm and Harvest Lake. It also lists the Fit Barn, an indoor and outdoor fitness facility with a pool, volleyball court and basketball court. Harvest has two resort-style pools (The Splash and The Splash II) and The Hall event space. There is also Farmhouse Coffee, a dog park, an event lawn, hike-and-bike trails, and two newer parks, Barn Park and Mini Town Park. Hillwood's HOA page says dues vary by location, are billed twice a year and include Frontier internet.

Amenities in Canyon Falls

The developer's amenities page and FAQ describe the Canyon Falls Club, which has a fitness center, clubhouse, splash pad and infinity pool. There is also the smaller Westbridge Pool and a historic Hay Barn with a Porch area and the Pooch Park dog park. Residents get catch-and-release fishing ponds and about 10 miles of paved trails plus roughly 4 miles of natural trails through the 200-acre preserve.

MUD vs FWSD vs WCID vs PID: What Is the Difference?

Buyers hear "MUD" for all of these, but the differences matter when you budget and when you read the seller's disclosures.

The simple version: MUDs, FWSDs and WCIDs are water districts. They usually sell bonds to pay for water, sewer, drainage and sometimes roads, then levy a property tax to repay that debt and run the system. Belmont FWSD No. 1 is a good example. Its 2026 rate of $0.53 is made up of $0.1025 for operations, $0.1475 for utility debt and $0.28 for road debt. The rate moves with the district's debt payments and its growing tax base, which is why several of these rates have fallen over the last few years.

A PID works differently. The city levies an assessment for specific improvements and spreads it across properties under a service and assessment plan. For example, the Town of Northlake's special districts page lists The Highlands PID at $1,300.11 per acre for fiscal year 2026. That is a per-acre charge, not a tax rate.

PID Payoff Options

If a home you are considering does carry a PID assessment, ask about the payoff early.

1. Request the payoff amount from the city, county or the PID administrator named in the notice. The required notice under Texas Property Code Section 5.014 states that the assessment "may be paid in full at any time." If it is not paid in full, it is due in annual installments that vary with interest and costs.
2. Decide who pays. A seller can pay the balance at closing, a buyer can pay it, or the buyer can assume the annual installments. This is negotiable and should be written into the contract.
3. Compare the math. Paying off a PID costs cash up front but removes a yearly charge. Your lender can tell you whether paying it off or keeping the installments works better for your budget and loan terms.

You cannot pay off a MUD, FWSD or WCID tax. It is a tax rate that applies every year the district has bonds outstanding or levies an operating tax.

Adopted 2025 and 2026 Tax Rates for Every Taxing Unit

These are the adopted rates per $100 of taxable value from the Denton County Tax Office Truth-in-Taxation page, which is where the bills are calculated. Tax year 2026 bills go out this fall and generally become delinquent after January 31, 2027.

Two notes on the rates:

• Some official pages are out of date. The Town of Northlake's special districts page still lists Belmont FWSD No. 1 at $0.73 and Canyon Falls WCID No. 2 at $0.695, which are older rates. Use the county tax office's adopted rates or the district's own website.
• School rates dropped again. Argyle ISD went from 1.1727 to 1.1558 and Northwest ISD from 1.0841 to 1.0638. Canyon Falls WCID No. 2 is the one line in this guide that went up, from $0.61 to $0.63.

Side-by-Side Combined Tax Rates

Each row below is a real combination of taxing units that exists in the county's 2025 zone data. We have applied the adopted 2026 rates to each one. All combined rates are calculated and are shown before exemptions.

The Harvest combinations above have no city tax line. In those sections, the county's zone data shows the Belmont district and the two emergency services districts in place of a town tax. Hillwood's HOA page confirms that Harvest is located within two fresh water supply districts. Combinations come from the DFW Tax Map zone table for Denton County, which is built from county rates. We checked each rate against the county tax office.

Example Annual Tax Bills at Three Price Points

All figures below are calculated using the adopted 2026 combined rates, assuming taxable value equals the price, before any exemptions. Your actual bill depends on the appraisal district's value and the exemptions you qualify for.

What exemptions do to these numbers. According to the Texas Comptroller, school districts must exempt $140,000 of a qualifying residence homestead's value. Homeowners 65 or older get an additional $60,000. On a $650,000 homestead in Argyle ISD, the $140,000 school exemption alone cuts the bill by about $1,618 a year, or about $1,489 in Northwest ISD (calculated). Other taxing units may offer their own exemptions, and a new homestead exemption usually takes effect the year after you file. Check your exact exemptions with the Denton Central Appraisal District.

How PID and MUD Costs Change Your Monthly Payment and Affordability

This is where the tax rate turns into buying power. The example below is illustrative only. It assumes a $650,000 purchase with 20% down, a $520,000 loan and Freddie Mac's Primary Mortgage Market Survey average 30-year fixed rate of 7.18% for the week of November 5, 2026. It excludes insurance, HOA dues and mortgage insurance, and assumes no exemptions.

The Gaps, in Plain Numbers (Calculated)

• Inside Canyon Falls: from 1.7265% to 2.4242% is a difference of about $4,535 a year, or $378 a month, on a $650,000 home.
• Inside Harvest: from 1.9372% to 2.4792% is about $3,523 a year, or $294 a month.
• Across both communities: from the lowest to the highest combination is about $4,893 a year, or $408 a month. Over 10 years at today's rates and value, that adds up to roughly $48,900.

What That Does to Your Price Range (Illustrative)

Say your comfortable budget for principal, interest and property tax is $4,900 a month, with 20% down at 7.18%:

• At the 1.7265% combination, that budget supports a price of about $714,000.
• At the 2.4242% combination, about $659,000.
• At the 2.4792% combination, about $655,000.

That is a swing of roughly $59,000 in purchase price for the same monthly payment, just from the tax line. Put another way, the $408 monthly gap would cover principal and interest on about $60,000 of additional loan at 7.18%. This is why we always run the payment on the exact parcel before we talk price.

For more ways to manage the payment, see our guide to the seller-paid 2/1 buydown.

Home Prices in Harvest and Canyon Falls (October 2026)

Tax rates only make sense next to prices. Here is the most recent neighborhood-level data from Realtor.com for Harvest and Realtor.com for Canyon Falls, as of October 2026.

A note on that Canyon Falls median sold price: neighborhood sold prices move a lot from month to month when only a handful of homes close. The listing price and price per square foot are steadier guides. For wider context, Redfin's Flower Mound housing market page shows a citywide median sale price of $643,000 for the three months ending September 2026. That was up 3.7% from a year earlier, at $248 per square foot and 37 days on market.

What it means for you: Canyon Falls generally lists at a higher price point, but its Flower Mound sections also carry the lowest combined tax rate in this comparison. Harvest is usually less expensive to buy into, but most sections carry an FWSD line, and the FWSD No. 2 sections have the highest combined rate here. Comparing on monthly payment, not price, is the only fair way to line them up.

Schools: Argyle ISD vs Northwest ISD

The school district line is the biggest single piece of every bill in both communities, and it also drives demand. According to the Texas Education Agency's 2026 accountability ratings, as reported by the Cross Timbers Gazette:

Northwest ISD's tax rate is about 9 cents lower per $100. On a $650,000 home that is about $598 a year before exemptions (calculated). Ratings for individual campuses vary, so look up the exact schools for an address on the state's Texas School Report Cards for Argyle ISD and Northwest ISD. Then confirm attendance zones with the district, because boundaries can change as both communities grow.

What Texas Law Requires Sellers to Disclose

Texas has two separate notice rules, one for water districts and one for PIDs.

MUD, FWSD and WCID Notice: Texas Water Code Section 49.452

Under Texas Water Code Section 49.452, a person selling property located in a district must give the buyer a written notice about the district's taxes and bonds. The notice must be given before the buyer signs a binding contract, either separately or as an addendum or paragraph of the contract.

• If the contract is signed without the notice, the buyer is entitled to terminate the contract.
• If the seller provides the notice at or before closing and the buyer closes anyway, the buyer is presumed to have waived that termination right.
• At closing, a separate copy of the notice with current information is signed by both parties and recorded in the county deed records.

PID Notice: Texas Property Code Section 5.014 (Local Government Code Chapter 372)

PIDs are created under Chapter 372 of the Local Government Code. The seller's disclosure requirement itself lives in the Property Code. Under Texas Property Code Section 5.014, a seller of property in a PID created under Local Government Code Chapter 372, Subchapter A, must give the buyer a written "Notice of Obligation to Pay Improvement District Assessment."

• Section 5.0141 says the notice must be given before the contract is signed. If it is not, the buyer can terminate within seven days of receiving it. That right applies when the city or county has filed its service plan with the county clerk under Local Government Code Section 372.013.
• Section 5.0143 requires a separate copy of the notice to be signed, acknowledged and recorded at closing.

The practical takeaway is that a buyer should see these notices before signing. If you are not sure whether an address is in a district, assume it might be and check, using the steps below.

How to Check a Home's PID or MUD Before You Buy

Use this checklist for any address in Harvest, Canyon Falls or any other master-planned community.

1. Look up the parcel at Denton CAD. Search the address on the Denton Central Appraisal District site and note every taxing unit listed for the property: county, city or town, school district, ESDs and any MUD, FWSD, WCID or PID.
2. Match each unit to its adopted rate. Use the Denton County Tax Office Truth-in-Taxation page for the current adopted rates and add them up. Do not rely on a community-wide range, a builder flyer or an old town webpage.
3. Pull the last tax bill. Ask for the seller's most recent statement, or look it up through the county tax office. Check for any assessment lines (a PID would appear here) and for exemptions the new owner will lose.
4. Read the district's own site. Belmont FWSD No. 1 and No. 2, Canyon Falls MUD No. 1 and Canyon Falls WCID No. 2 post tax rates, budgets and meeting notices. Check whether more bonds are planned.
5. Ask for the statutory notices before you sign. Request the Water Code Section 49.452 district notice, and the Property Code Section 5.014 PID notice if one applies.
6. Confirm the school district by address. Both communities include Argyle ISD and Northwest ISD sections, and the difference changes both your tax rate and your schools.
7. Have your lender escrow on the right number. Ask your lender to estimate taxes from the full combined rate on your expected purchase value, not the seller's lower homestead-exempt bill. That avoids a surprise escrow shortage in year two.
8. Review the title commitment. Your title company will list recorded district notices and assessments. Read that section before your option period ends.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Harvest have a PID or a MUD?

Harvest's PID is gone. The Town of Northlake says the Harvest Public Improvement District was dissolved on October 10, 2024. Harvest homes are in one of two fresh water supply districts, Belmont FWSD No. 1 ($0.53 per $100 for 2026) or Belmont FWSD No. 2 ($0.98). They work like a MUD and are taxed on your home's value.

Does Canyon Falls have a MUD?

Some sections do. Canyon Falls sections inside the Town of Flower Mound show no water district line in the county's zone data. Unincorporated sections are in Canyon Falls MUD No. 1 ($0.73 for 2026), and Northlake sections are in Canyon Falls WCID No. 2 ($0.63 for 2026). Always check the specific parcel.

Which has lower property taxes, Harvest or Canyon Falls?

It depends on the section. The lowest combination in this guide is Canyon Falls in Flower Mound with Argyle ISD, at about 1.73% for 2026. The highest is Harvest in Belmont FWSD No. 2 with Argyle ISD, at about 2.48%. Harvest's FWSD No. 1 sections, at about 1.94% to 2.03%, come in below the Canyon Falls MUD and WCID sections. All figures are calculated and shown before exemptions.

How much do MUD and PID taxes change what I can afford?

On a $650,000 home, the gap between the lowest and highest combined rates here is about $408 a month (calculated). At Freddie Mac's 7.18% average rate for the week of November 5, 2026, that $408 a month covers principal and interest on about $60,000 of loan. The illustrative example above shows the same monthly budget buying about $55,000 to $59,000 less house in the highest-rate sections.

Can I pay off a MUD tax like a PID?

No. A MUD, FWSD or WCID levies a tax rate every year, so there is no balance to pay off. A PID assessment is different. Under the Texas Property Code notice, it may be paid in full at any time. Ask the city or PID administrator for a payoff quote.

Will these district tax rates go down over time?

They can, but nothing guarantees it. Belmont FWSD No. 1 fell from $0.73 in 2023 to $0.53 in 2025 and 2026. Canyon Falls MUD No. 1 fell from $0.9291 in 2022 to $0.73 in 2026. But Canyon Falls WCID No. 2 rose from $0.61 to $0.63 this year. Rates depend on each district's debt payments, new bonds and how fast home values grow.

Related OnDemand Realty Articles

• Denton, Texas Real Estate Market Update: October 2026
• Our Favorite 10 Home Builders in Dallas–Fort Worth (2026)
• Seller-Paid 2/1 Buydown: Worth It? Pros, Cons and Math
• Why Buyers and Sellers Should Track the MBA Mortgage Applications Index

Sources

• Denton County Tax Office, Truth-in-Taxation adopted rates, tax years 2025 and 2026, accessed November 8, 2026
• DFW Tax Map, Denton County zone combinations, tax year 2025, accessed November 8, 2026
• Town of Northlake, Special Districts, accessed November 8, 2026
• Belmont FWSD No. 1, Financial Information, and Belmont FWSD No. 2, Financial Information
• Canyon Falls MUD No. 1, district website, and Canyon Falls WCID No. 2, district website
• Freddie Mac, Primary Mortgage Market Survey, week of November 5, 2026
• Realtor.com, Harvest and Canyon Falls market pages, October 2026
• Redfin, Flower Mound housing market, three months ending September 2026
• Texas Comptroller, Property Tax Exemptions
• Texas Water Code Section 49.452 and Texas Property Code Chapter 5
• Cross Timbers Gazette, 2026 TEA accountability ratings, August 18, 2026
• Hillwood Communities, Harvest, and Newland, Canyon Falls developer websites, accessed November 8, 2026

Compare Harvest and Canyon Falls With OnDemand Realty

Choosing between Harvest and Canyon Falls comes down to the exact street, school district and tax line, not just the community name. The OnDemand Realty team can pull the parcel-level tax picture and run the monthly payment on any home you are considering. We will also make sure you see every required notice before you sign. Start your search and connect with our team at www.ondemanddfw.com.

Disclaimer: This article is for general information only and is not tax, legal or financial advice. Tax rates are set every year by each taxing unit and can change. All combined rates, tax bills and payment figures are calculated or illustrative, shown before exemptions unless noted, and may not match your actual bill. Verify every rate, exemption and district for a specific property with the Denton Central Appraisal District and the Denton County Tax Office, and consult a qualified tax professional, attorney or lender before making decisions. Market data comes from third-party sources and may be revised.