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Plano vs Round Rock

183 miles apart. The biggest differences: growth since 2010 (+9.7 pts in Round Rock) and bachelor’s degree+ (+15.7 pts in Plano).

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Plano, TXA regional job hubTexas · 290,594 people
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Round Rock, TXAn outdoors townTexas · 127,786 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.

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 →
Round RockAn outdoors town
Outdoors#54 most trails in TX45 miles of trails across 40 parks and preserves HealthHealthier than 77%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates Housing$398K typical home33% above the TX typical home All about Round Rock →
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.

Growth since 2010+9.7 pts
Round Rock has grown faster since 2010
Round Rock +19.6%Plano +9.9%
Bachelor’s degree++15.7 pts
More adults in Plano have a degree
Plano 60.5%Round Rock 44.8%
Size2.3×
Plano is the bigger place
Plano 290,594Round Rock 127,786
Street grid+49%
Plano has the more walkable street grid
Plano 126Round Rock 84.5
Household income+13%
Households in Plano earn more
Plano $112,253Round Rock $99,287
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $580 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 →
Round Rock$2,600/mo
Typical home $398K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.53% · or rent about $1,763/mo · Housing →

The difference: $580 a month, about $7,000 a year, between Plano and Round Rock.

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.

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.

Safety
B−PlanoSafer than 47% of U.S. towns C+Round RockSafer than 40% of U.S. towns
Schools
A−PlanoBetter than 79% of districts in the state A−Round RockBetter than 78% of districts in the state
Health
APlanoHealthier than 91% of U.S. towns A−Round RockHealthier than 77% of U.S. towns
17Plano
8Round Rock

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

Most new homesHousing · 535 towns #328#122 Rent easiest to affordCost of living · 180 towns #23#78 Most walkableOutdoors · 653 towns #38#171 Lowest depressionHealth · 652 towns #18#148 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 652 towns #69#195 Fastest growingGrowth · 640 towns #293#185 Most activeHealth · 652 towns #64#168 Most trailsOutdoors · 405 towns #116#54

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
PlanoRound Rock
Snow a year3″0″
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)59th35th
Outdoors & history
PlanoRound Rock
Trails49 mi45 mi
Conserved land10.3%9.1%
Settled18731851
National Register places34
Community
PlanoRound Rock
Library hours a week66 hrs68 hrs
Colleges in town12
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

183 miles apart

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

PlanoTXRound RockTX
Plano ↔ Round Rock183 miles apart
Who commutes between them
472 Round Rock residents work in Plano (0.8% of its workers)
Work & commute in Round Rock →
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.

PlanoRound Rock
People
Population 290,594Highest 127,786Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +9.9%Lowest TX: +15.9% +19.6%Highest TX: +15.9%
Median age 39.6±0.6Highest 11% above TX 36.2±0.9Lowest about the TX average
Kids under 18 20.9%±0.7Lowest TX: 25% 23.5%±1.2Highest TX: 25%
Age 65+ 14.7%±0.5Highest TX: 13.4% 11.2%±0.7Lowest TX: 13.4%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 60.5%Highest TX: 33.8% 44.8%Lowest TX: 33.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 5.8%±0.4Lowest TX: 6.2% 6.1%±0.7Highest TX: 6.2%
Round Rock 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±$3kHighest 43% above TX $99,287±$4kLowest 27% above TX
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $465,900±$5kHighest 64% above TX $418,600±$12kLowest 47% above TX
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,841±$24Highest 31% above TX $1,763±$38Lowest 26% above TX
Property taxmedian, yearly $6,700Highest 58% above TX $6,424Lowest 52% above TX
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 43.5%±2.3Lowest TX: 51.7% 50.8%±3.9Highest TX: 51.7%
Below poverty line 6.8%Lowest TX: 13.8% 7.8%Highest TX: 13.8%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 56.9%Highest TX: 62.6% 55.5%Lowest TX: 62.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1993Lowest 1 yr newer than TX 2002Highest 10 yrs newer than TX
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 25 minHighest 5% below TX 25 minLowest 7% below TX
Work from home 27.5%±1Highest TX: 14.4% 24.8%±1.7Lowest TX: 14.4%
Plano and Round Rock are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 22.8%Highest 17.8%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 10.8 miLowest 12.8 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.78Highest 1.33Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Dallas (21%)Austin (41%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Round Rock1% work in Plano
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 10.3%Highest 9.1%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 49.2 miHighest 44.8 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.7 miLowest 1.2 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 68Highest 40Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 126Highest 84.5Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #96 of 583 in TX#148 of 583 in TX
School district PREMIER HIGH SCHOOLS · HARMONY PUBLIC SCHOOLS - NORTH TEXASIDEA PUBLIC SCHOOLS · ROUND ROCK ISD
High school in town Plano East Sr. H SRound Rock H S
Students per teacherat that high school 16.7Lowest 17.9Highest
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.

Round Rock neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Round Rock’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Bordering Plano

+ Compare
Allen110,265 people · $464K homes
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Parker5,999 people · $860K homes
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Richardson118,731 people · $431K homes
C
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Carrollton133,740 people · $381K 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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Lewisville131,080 people · $379K homes
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Pearland127,514 people · $356K 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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