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Allen vs Plano

Next-door neighbors. The biggest differences: trails (4.3× in Plano) and growth since 2010 (+14.3 pts in Allen).

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Allen, TXKnown for its schoolsTexas · 110,265 people
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Plano, TXA regional job hubTexas · 290,594 people
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Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

AllenKnown for its schools
Schools#52 for schools in TXof 583 towns Outdoors#48 most walkable in TX12 miles of trails across 44 parks and preserves HealthHealthier than 92%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates All about Allen →
PlanoA regional job hub
Work254,390 jobsbased in Plano, a regional job hub Outdoors#38 most walkable in TX49 miles of trails across 68 parks and preserves HealthHealthier than 91%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates All about Plano →
The biggest differences

Where they part ways

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Trails4.3×
Plano has more miles of trail
Plano 49.2 miAllen 11.5 mi
Growth since 2010+14.3 pts
Allen has grown faster since 2010
Allen +24.2%Plano +9.9%
Jobs per worker2.5×
Plano is more of a job hub
Plano 1.78Allen 0.70
Size2.6×
Plano is the bigger place
Plano 290,594Allen 110,265
Homeowners+12.5 pts renters
Plano has more renters
Allen 69.4%Plano 56.9%
Work in town+12.1 pts
More of Plano’s workers stay in town
Plano 22.8%Allen 10.7%
★ What stands out · Report cards

Plano places higher on 14 of 26 TX lists

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every Texas ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Safety
B+AllenSafer than 70% of U.S. towns B−PlanoSafer than 47% of U.S. towns
Schools
AAllenBetter than 92% of districts in the state A−PlanoBetter than 79% of districts in the state
Health
AAllenHealthier than 92% of U.S. towns APlanoHealthier than 91% of U.S. towns
11Allen
14Plano

Lists won, of 26 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Rent easiest to affordCost of living · 180 towns #117#23 Most-used librariesLibraries · 183 towns #74#10 Highest graduation rateSchools · 584 towns #41#212 Most new homesHousing · 535 towns #190#328 SafestSafety · 470 towns #91#206 Fastest growingGrowth · 640 towns #156#293 Most trailsOutdoors · 405 towns #194#116 Shortest commuteGetting around · 653 towns #418#331

Left end = #1 in Texas. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Allen’s rankings →

Where they are

Allen and Plano share a border

And the people who already live in one and work in the other.

AllenPlanoAllenPlano
Allen ↔ Plano5.8 miles apart · They share a border
Who commutes between them
8,581 Allen residents work in Plano (15.6% of its workers)
Work & commute in Allen →
Monthly cost

A typical home costs about the same each month

A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Allen$3,230/mo
Typical home $485K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.69% · or rent about $1,932/mo · Housing →
Plano$3,180/mo
Typical home $493K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.44% · or rent about $1,841/mo · Housing →

The difference: $50 a month, about $600 a year, between Allen and Plano.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons
AllenPlano
Snow a year3″3″
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)60th59th
Outdoors & history
AllenPlano
Trails12 mi49 mi
Conserved land6.5%10.3%
Settled19531873
National Register places13
Community
AllenPlano
Library hours a week61 hrs66 hrs
Colleges in town—1
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

AllenPlano
People
Population 110,265Lowest 290,594Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +24.2%Highest TX: +15.9% +9.9%Lowest TX: +15.9%
Median age 38.4±0.9Lowest 8% above TX 39.6±0.6Highest 11% above TX
Plano and Allen are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 25.4%±1.6Highest TX: 25% 20.9%±0.7Lowest TX: 25%
Age 65+ 11.4%±0.9Lowest TX: 13.4% 14.7%±0.5Highest TX: 13.4%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 57.5%Lowest TX: 33.8% 60.5%Highest TX: 33.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 6.8%±0.9Highest TX: 6.2% 5.8%±0.4Lowest TX: 6.2%
Allen and Plano are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $130,901±$8kHighest 67% above TX $112,253±$3kLowest 43% above TX
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $464,100±$8kLowest 64% above TX $465,900±$5kHighest 64% above TX
Plano and Allen are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,932±$59Highest 38% above TX $1,841±$24Lowest 31% above TX
Property taxmedian, yearly $7,844Highest 85% above TX $6,700Lowest 58% above TX
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 53.9%±5.7Highest TX: 51.7% 43.5%±2.3Lowest TX: 51.7%
Below poverty line 6.1%Lowest TX: 13.8% 6.8%Highest TX: 13.8%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 69.4%Highest TX: 62.6% 56.9%Lowest TX: 62.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 2003Highest 11 yrs newer than TX 1993Lowest 1 yr newer than TX
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 28 minHighest 5% above TX 25 minLowest 5% below TX
Work from home 26.7%±1.8Lowest TX: 14.4% 27.5%±1Highest TX: 14.4%
Plano and Allen are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 10.7%Lowest 22.8%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 13.3 miHighest 10.8 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.70Lowest 1.78Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Dallas (20%)Dallas (21%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others 16% work in PlanoFew work in Allen
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 6.5%Lowest 10.3%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 11.5 miLowest 49.2 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.4 miLowest 0.7 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 44Lowest 68Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 118Lowest 126Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #52 of 583 in TX#96 of 583 in TX
School district ALLEN ISD · PLANO ISDPREMIER HIGH SCHOOLS · HARMONY PUBLIC SCHOOLS - NORTH TEXAS
High school in town Allen H SPlano East Sr. H S
Students per teacherat that high school 19.8Highest 16.7Lowest
Texas average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024
Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Allen neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Allen’s Town Square.

Plano neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Plano’s Town Square.

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Bordering Allen

L
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Lucas8,351 people · $942K homes
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Fairview10,783 people · $597K homes
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Parker5,999 people · $860K homes
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McKinney210,600 people · $472K homes

Towns like Allen

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Cedar Park78,301 people · $514K homes
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Leander74,067 people · $506K homes
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League City116,215 people · $360K homes
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Pearland127,514 people · $356K homes

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

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