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Plano vs Allen

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

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Plano, TXA regional job hubTexas · 290,594 people
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Allen, TXKnown for its schoolsTexas · 110,265 people
Swap order
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.

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

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

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

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

Where they are

Plano and Allen share a border

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

PlanoAllenPlanoAllen
Plano ↔ Allen5.8 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.

Plano$3,180/mo
Typical home $493K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.44% · or rent about $1,841/mo · Housing →
Allen$3,230/mo
Typical home $485K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.69% · or rent about $1,932/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
PlanoAllen
Snow a year3″3″
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)59th60th
Outdoors & history
PlanoAllen
Trails49 mi12 mi
Conserved land10.3%6.5%
Settled18731953
National Register places31
Community
PlanoAllen
Library hours a week66 hrs61 hrs
Colleges in town1—
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.

PlanoAllen
People
Population 290,594Highest 110,265Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +9.9%Lowest TX: +15.9% +24.2%Highest TX: +15.9%
Median age 39.6±0.6Highest 11% above TX 38.4±0.9Lowest 8% 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 20.9%±0.7Lowest TX: 25% 25.4%±1.6Highest TX: 25%
Age 65+ 14.7%±0.5Highest TX: 13.4% 11.4%±0.9Lowest TX: 13.4%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 60.5%Highest TX: 33.8% 57.5%Lowest TX: 33.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 5.8%±0.4Lowest TX: 6.2% 6.8%±0.9Highest 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 $112,253±$3kLowest 43% above TX $130,901±$8kHighest 67% above TX
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $465,900±$5kHighest 64% above TX $464,100±$8kLowest 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 $1,841±$24Lowest 31% above TX $1,932±$59Highest 38% above TX
Property taxmedian, yearly $6,700Lowest 58% above TX $7,844Highest 85% above TX
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 43.5%±2.3Lowest TX: 51.7% 53.9%±5.7Highest TX: 51.7%
Below poverty line 6.8%Highest TX: 13.8% 6.1%Lowest TX: 13.8%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 56.9%Lowest TX: 62.6% 69.4%Highest TX: 62.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1993Lowest 1 yr newer than TX 2003Highest 11 yrs newer than TX
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 25 minLowest 5% below TX 28 minHighest 5% above TX
Work from home 27.5%±1Highest TX: 14.4% 26.7%±1.8Lowest 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 22.8%Highest 10.7%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 10.8 miLowest 13.3 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.78Highest 0.70Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Dallas (21%)Dallas (20%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Allen16% work in Plano
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 10.3%Highest 6.5%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 49.2 miHighest 11.5 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.7 miHighest 0.4 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 68Highest 44Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 126Highest 118Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #96 of 583 in TX#52 of 583 in TX
School district PREMIER HIGH SCHOOLS · HARMONY PUBLIC SCHOOLS - NORTH TEXASALLEN ISD · PLANO ISD
High school in town Plano East Sr. H SAllen H S
Students per teacherat that high school 16.7Lowest 19.8Highest
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.

Plano neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Plano’s Town Square.

Allen neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Allen’s Town Square.

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Bordering Plano

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Parker5,999 people · $860K homes
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Richardson118,731 people · $431K homes
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Carrollton133,740 people · $381K homes
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Hebron253 people · $479K homes

Towns like Plano

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McKinney210,600 people · $472K homes
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Frisco219,304 people · $642K homes
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Round Rock127,786 people · $419K homes
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Lewisville131,080 people · $379K 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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