UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 5
ANNUAL STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP
( ) Check box if no longer subject to Section 16.
Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instructions 1(b).
( ) Form 3 Holdings Reported
( ) Form 4 Transactions Reported
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person
   Eller, Timothy R.
   2728 N. Harwood
   Dallas, TX  75201
   USA
2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
   Centex Corporation
   CTX
3. IRS or Social Security Number of Reporting Person (Voluntary)
   
4. Statement for Month/Year
   03/31/97
5. If Amendment, Date of Original (Month/Year)
   
6. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable)
   ( ) Director  ( ) 10% Owner  ( ) Officer (give title below) (X) Other
   (specify below)
Director, President, CEO & COO of Centex Real Estate Corporation, subsidiary of 
Centex Corporation
   
7. Individual or Joint/Group Reporting (Check Applicable Line)
   (X) Form filed by One Reporting Person
   ( ) Form filed by More than One Reporting Person


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 Table I -- Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned                                                 |
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1. Title of Security         |2.    |3.  |4.Securities Acquired (A)         |5.Amount of        |6.Dir |7.Nature of Indirect       |
                             |Transaction|  or Disposed of (D)              |  Securities       |ect   |  Beneficial Ownership     |
                             |Date  |Code|                                  |  Beneficially     |(D)or |                           |
                             |      |    |                  | A/|           |  Owned at         |Indir |                           |
                             |      |    |    Amount        | D |    Price  |  End of Year      |ect(I)|                           |
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Common Stock, par value $0.25|____(1|J(1)|89(2)             |A  |____(1)    |2,699(2)           |I     |Centex Corp Profit Sharing |
 per share                   |)     |    |                  |   |           |                   |      |Plan                       |
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 Table II -- Derivative Securitites Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned                                                   |
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1.Title of Derivative   |2.Con   |3.   |4.  |5.Number of De |6.Date Exer|7.Title and Amount  |8.Price|9.Number    |10.|11.Nature of|
  Security              |version |Transaction rivative Secu |cisable and|  of Underlying     |of Deri|of Deriva   |Dir|Indirect    |
                        |or Exer |Date |Code| rities Acqui  |Expiration |  Securities        |vative |tive        |ect|Beneficial  |
                        |cise Pr |     |    | red(A) or Dis |Date(Month/|                    |Secu   |Securities  |(D)|Ownership   |
                        |ice  of |     |    | posed of(D)   |Day/Year)  |                    |rity   |Benefi      |or |            |
                        |Deriva  |     |    |               |Date |Expir|                    |       |ficially    |Ind|            |
                        |tive    |     |    |           | A/|Exer-|ation|   Title and Number |       |Owned at    |ire|            |
                        |Secu    |     |    |           | D |cisa-|Date |   of Shares        |       |End of      |ct |            |
                        |rity    |     |    |  Amount   |   |ble  |     |                    |       |Year        |(I)|            |
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Explanation of Responses:
(1) These shares were acquired during the fiscal year ending March 31, 1997 
under the Centex Corporation Profit 
Sharing Plan at prices ranging from $25.25 per share to $42.00 per share in 
transactions that were exempt from 
Section 16(b) but required to be reported by virtue of old Rule 16a-8(b). The 
information is provided as of March 
31, 1997, and is based upon the most recently available plan 
information.
(2) Share numbers are rounded to the nearest whole 
share.
SIGNATURE OF REPORTING PERSON
\s\ Timothy R. Eller
DATE
May 12, 1997