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Compare towns

McKinney vs Plano

11 miles apart. The biggest differences: growth since 2010 (+39.1 pts in McKinney) and jobs per worker (2.8× in Plano).

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McKinney, TXA history townTexas · 210,600 people
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Plano, TXA regional job hubTexas · 290,594 people
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.

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.

★ What stands out · Report cards

Plano places higher on 17 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.

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.

McKinney$3,130/mo
Typical home $472K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.65% · or rent about $1,901/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 Plano and McKinney.

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
McKinneyPlano
Snow a year3″3″
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)52nd59th
Outdoors & history
McKinneyPlano
Conserved land6.5%10.3%
Settled18481873
National Register places573
Community
McKinneyPlano
Library hours a week70 hrs66 hrs
Colleges in town11
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.

Where they are

11 miles apart

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

McKinneyPlanoMcKinneyPlano
McKinney ↔ Plano11 miles apart
Who commutes between them
14,370 McKinney residents work in Plano (14% of its workers)
3,803 Plano residents work in McKinney (2.7% of its workers)
Work & commute in McKinney →
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.

McKinneyPlano
People
Population 210,600Lowest 290,594Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +49%Highest TX: +15.9% +9.9%Lowest TX: +15.9%
Median age 36.9±0.5Lowest 4% above TX 39.6±0.6Highest 11% above TX
Kids under 18 26.2%±1Highest TX: 25% 20.9%±0.7Lowest TX: 25%
Age 65+ 10.3%±0.5Lowest TX: 13.4% 14.7%±0.5Highest TX: 13.4%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 54.1%Lowest TX: 33.8% 60.5%Highest TX: 33.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 6.2%±0.5Highest TX: 6.2% 5.8%±0.4Lowest TX: 6.2%
McKinney and Plano are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $124,215±$5kHighest 58% above TX $112,253±$3kLowest 43% above TX
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $471,800±$6kHighest 66% above TX $465,900±$5kLowest 64% above TX
McKinney and Plano are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,901±$45Highest 35% above TX $1,841±$24Lowest 31% above TX
McKinney and Plano are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $7,791Highest 84% above TX $6,700Lowest 58% above TX
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 48.4%±3.9Highest TX: 51.7% 43.5%±2.3Lowest TX: 51.7%
McKinney and Plano are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 5.7%Lowest TX: 13.8% 6.8%Highest TX: 13.8%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 63.8%Highest TX: 62.6% 56.9%Lowest TX: 62.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 2007Highest 15 yrs newer than TX 1993Lowest 1 yr newer than TX
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 28 minHighest 4% above TX 25 minLowest 5% below TX
Work from home 24.5%±1.3Lowest TX: 14.4% 27.5%±1Highest TX: 14.4%
Work in townworking residents 13.4%Lowest 22.8%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 17.3 miHighest 10.8 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.63Lowest 1.78Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Dallas (16%)Dallas (21%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others 14% work in Plano3% work in McKinney
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 6.5%Lowest 10.3%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 59.2 miHighest 49.2 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.9 miHighest 0.7 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 78Highest 68Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 95.2Lowest 126Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #70 of 583 in TX#96 of 583 in TX
School district ALLEN ISD · ANNA ISDPREMIER HIGH SCHOOLS · HARMONY PUBLIC SCHOOLS - NORTH TEXAS
High school in town McKinney H SPlano East Sr. H S
Students per teacherat that high school 14.7Lowest 16.7Highest
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.

McKinney neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to McKinney’s Town Square.

Plano neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Plano’s Town Square.

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Bordering McKinney

Towns like McKinney

Not sure which town to add? Find your place ranks Texas towns on what matters to you.Find your place →

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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