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Plano vs Richardson

Next-door neighbors. The biggest differences: trails (2.4× in Plano) and growth since 2010 (+10.5 pts in Richardson).

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Plano, TXA regional job hubTexas · 290,594 people
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Richardson, TXA college townTexas · 118,731 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 →
RichardsonA college town
College town4 collegesThe University of Texas at Dallas Outdoors#25 most walkable in TX20 miles of trails across 40 parks and preserves Work127,010 jobsbased in Richardson, a regional job hub All about Richardson →
The biggest differences

Where they differ most

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

Trails2.4×
Plano has more miles of trail
Plano 49.2 miRichardson 20.2 mi
Growth since 2010+10.5 pts
Richardson has grown faster since 2010
Richardson +20.4%Plano +9.9%
Size2.4×
Plano is the bigger place
Plano 290,594Richardson 118,731
Median age5.7 yrs
Plano skews older
Plano 39.6Richardson 33.9
Household income+14%
Households in Plano earn more
Plano $112,253Richardson $98,111
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $330 more a month in Plano

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 →
Richardson$2,850/mo
Typical home $439K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.50% · or rent about $1,857/mo · Housing →

The difference: $330 a month, about $3,900 a year, between Plano and Richardson.

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.

Where they are

Plano and Richardson share a border

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

PlanoRichardsonPlanoRichardson
Plano ↔ Richardson5.9 miles apart · They share a border
Who commutes between them
9,768 Plano residents work in Richardson (6.8% of its workers)
6,113 Richardson residents work in Plano (10.8% of its workers)
Work & commute in Plano →
Report cards

Plano places higher on 15 of 25 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 C+RichardsonSafer than 41% of U.S. towns
Schools
A−PlanoBetter than 79% of districts in the state B+RichardsonBetter than 67% of districts in the state
Health
APlanoHealthier than 91% of U.S. towns ARichardsonHealthier than 86% of U.S. towns
15Plano
9Richardson

Lists won, of 25 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Most-used librariesLibraries · 183 towns #10#102 Rent easiest to affordCost of living · 180 towns #23#71 Lowest depressionHealth · 652 towns #18#148 Fastest growingGrowth · 640 towns #293#178 Most library borrowingLibraries · 183 towns #8#37 Best schoolsSchools · 583 towns #96#184 Most activeHealth · 652 towns #64#141 Shortest commuteGetting around · 653 towns #331#262

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

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
PlanoRichardson
Snow a year3″2″
January low—38°F
July high—97°F
Growing season (days)—272d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)59th58th
Outdoors & history
PlanoRichardson
Trails49 mi20 mi
Conserved land10.3%7.7%
Settled18731840
National Register places3—
Community
PlanoRichardson
Library hours a week66 hrs66 hrs
Colleges in town14
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.

PlanoRichardson
People
Population 290,594Highest 118,731Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +9.9%Lowest TX: +15.9% +20.4%Highest TX: +15.9%
Median age 39.6±0.6Highest 11% above TX 33.9±0.6Lowest 5% below TX
Kids under 18 20.9%±0.7Highest TX: 25% 20.2%±1.2Lowest TX: 25%
Plano and Richardson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 14.7%±0.5Highest TX: 13.4% 13%±0.7Lowest TX: 13.4%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 60.5%Highest TX: 33.8% 57%Lowest TX: 33.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 5.8%±0.4Lowest TX: 6.2% 11.8%±0.9Highest TX: 6.2%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $112,253±$3kHighest 43% above TX $98,111±$4kLowest 25% above TX
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $465,900±$5kHighest 64% above TX $431,400±$7kLowest 52% above TX
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,841±$24Lowest 31% above TX $1,857±$37Highest 32% above TX
Richardson and Plano are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $6,700Highest 58% above TX $6,482Lowest 53% above TX
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 43.5%±2.3Lowest TX: 51.7% 50.2%±4Highest TX: 51.7%
Below poverty line 6.8%Lowest TX: 13.8% 9.7%Highest TX: 13.8%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 56.9%Highest TX: 62.6% 50.7%Lowest TX: 62.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1993Highest 1 yr newer than TX 1986Lowest 6 yrs older than TX
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 25 minHighest 5% below TX 24 minLowest 12% below TX
Work from home 27.5%±1Highest TX: 14.4% 24.9%±1.9Lowest TX: 14.4%
Plano and Richardson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 22.8%Highest 15.6%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 10.8 miHighest 10.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.78Lowest 2.24Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Dallas (21%)Dallas (29%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others 7% work in Richardson11% work in Plano
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 10.3%Highest 7.7%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 49.2 miHighest 20.2 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.7 mi 0.7 mi
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 68Highest 40Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 126Lowest 134Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #96 of 583 in TX#184 of 583 in TX
School district PREMIER HIGH SCHOOLS · HARMONY PUBLIC SCHOOLS - NORTH TEXASBASIS TEXAS · CEDAR HILL ISD
High school in town Plano East Sr. H SRichardson H S
Students per teacherat that high school 16.7Highest 13.8Lowest
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.

Richardson neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Richardson’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Plano and Richardson

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Bordering Plano

+ Compare
Allen110,265 people · $464K homes
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Parker5,999 people · $860K homes
C
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Carrollton133,740 people · $381K homes
H
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Hebron253 people · $479K homes

Towns like Plano

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McKinney210,600 people · $472K homes
F
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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
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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