McKinney vs Plano, TX: Which Should You Choose?

I get the McKinney vs Plano question a lot, usually from people relocating for a job in Plano or Frisco who aren't sure whether it's worth driving a little farther north. The two cities sit next to each other in Collin County, they're both large, and they're both safe and well run. The differences come down to age, growth, commute, schools, and what kind of house you want.

The short version: Plano is the established, built out job center with light rail and older housing stock. McKinney is still growing, has more new construction, a real historic downtown, and slightly higher incomes, but it's farther from most of the big corporate campuses. Prices and property tax rates are closer than most people expect.

Below I compare them category by category with current numbers and the sources I pulled them from. If you're new to McKinney, my guide to moving to McKinney covers the basics, so I won't repeat it here.

McKinney vs Plano at a Glance

Two notes on that table. First, the Redfin figures are for different months because that's what each Redfin page showed when I checked on October 28, 2026. Second, the school ratings are for different years, so treat them as a rough comparison, not a head to head.

1. Home Prices and Housing Stock

McKinney

McKinney's median sale price was $511,000 for the period Redfin reported (August 2026), down 3.5% from a year earlier, at about $202 per square foot. The bigger story is the mix. McKinney still has a lot of new construction, especially on the north side. The city's 2024 Annual Development Report counted 2,310 single family permits that year, a record, with Painted Tree and Trinity Falls leading. You can buy a brand new home in McKinney without much effort, and builders are still competing with incentives.

You also get range. There are 1880s and 1890s Victorians near the downtown square, 1990s and 2000s brick homes in Stonebridge Ranch and Eldorado Heights, and new master planned communities up north. See my guide to McKinney home styles for what each era looks like.

Plano

Plano's median was $499,762 for the three months ending September 2026 (Redfin), down 3.0% year over year, at $212 per square foot. Plano is largely built out, so most of what you'll buy is resale. Homes sell a bit faster (43 median days on market vs 49). Plano's price per square foot is higher than McKinney's even though the medians are similar, which usually means you get a little less house for the money, in exchange for a more central location.

Bottom line on housing

If you want new construction or a newer home with a big lot, McKinney has far more supply. If you want an established neighborhood with mature trees close to the corporate corridors, Plano has more of it. Browse McKinney homes for sale, Plano homes for sale, or new construction to see the difference in inventory.

2. Property Taxes

This is where people are usually surprised. The total base rates are almost the same.

On a $500,000 home, before any exemptions, that's roughly $8,557 a year in McKinney and roughly $8,515 in Plano. Plano offers a 20% city homestead exemption, which helps Plano owners on the city portion. I could not confirm Plano's final 2026 city and school rates, so verify them on your tax statement.

The bigger tax risk in McKinney is not the city rate. It's the McKinney address that isn't in the City of McKinney at all. Trinity Falls pays a MUD instead of the city rate, and Simpson Crossing and Eastridge have McKinney mailing addresses but sit in Lowry Crossing and Princeton, with PID assessments on top. I break this down in McKinney property taxes, PIDs, and MUDs.

3. Schools

McKinney

McKinney ISD earned a B (87) for 2025 to 2026, and all three of its high schools were rated A. The catch: a big chunk of McKinney isn't in McKinney ISD. Most of Craig Ranch is in Frisco ISD, its east side is in Allen ISD, and much of northwest McKinney (Tucker Hill, the newer Westridge sections, Aster Park, Highland Lakes) is in Prosper ISD. Always check the address.

McKinney ISD is also shifting with growth. In November 2025 the board voted to close and repurpose three southwest elementary schools because enrollment is growing in the north and northeast while southwest campuses have open seats.

Plano

Plano ISD received a B (82) for 2024 to 2025. Plano ISD is dealing with declining enrollment. The board approved closing four campuses in 2024, and a district demographer said in January 2026 that enrollment fell by 2,712 students in 2025 to 2026 and could drop below 40,000 by 2029 to 2030. Declining enrollment doesn't make a district worse, but it does mean more boundary changes and closures are possible.

For a deeper look, see my McKinney schools guide or the school search.

4. Jobs and Commute

Plano

Plano is a major employment center. The city's 2020 financial report (the most recent top employer list I could verify) listed JPMorgan Chase at 4,934 employees, Capital One at 4,537, Bank of America at 4,500, and Toyota Motor North America at 3,815, along with NTT Data, Liberty Mutual, Ericsson, and others. Those numbers are from 2020 and have changed since. Plano residents average a 25.4 minute commute, per Census data.

McKinney

McKinney has its own employers: Raytheon (over 3,000 local employees when it announced its last expansion in 2019), Globe Life (over 2,000 McKinney jobs as of February 2025), and Prysmian's Encore Wire (about 1,750 at its McKinney campus as of April 2026). But most McKinney residents who work in corporate jobs drive south. The average commute is 27.8 minutes. I cover McKinney's job base in McKinney economy and top employers.

From west McKinney near SH 121 and Lake Forest Dr, Google Maps showed about 20 minutes to Legacy West on a weekday afternoon in October 2026. From the east side, it's more like 35 minutes. Where you live inside McKinney matters more than the city name.

5. Transit and Airports

Plano is a DART member city with light rail. The DART Silver Line opened October 25, 2025, with Plano stations at 12th Street and Shiloh Road, connecting to DFW Airport. Plano had scheduled a May 2026 vote on leaving DART but canceled it on February 23, 2026 after reaching a deal with the agency.

McKinney isn't a DART city, so plan on driving. What McKinney does have is its own commercial airport coming online. Avelo Airlines is scheduled to start flights from McKinney National Airport (DTX) between November 11 and 19, 2026, to Las Vegas, Orlando, Tampa, Fort Lauderdale, and Fort Myers, from a new 46,000 square foot terminal. It's a small schedule, but for north Collin County it's a lot closer than DFW or Love Field.

6. Lifestyle, Downtown, and Things to Do

McKinney

McKinney's historic downtown square is the main draw for many buyers: locally owned shops, restaurants, and festivals in a real 19th century downtown, not a lifestyle center. The city also reports about 80 miles of hike and bike trails and nearly 3,000 acres of parks. The east side of downtown is changing, with the new municipal complex and Tupps Brewery's new home on the old grain site. See things to do in McKinney and historic downtown McKinney.

Plano

Plano has Legacy West and the Shops at Legacy for dining and retail, Historic Downtown Plano along the DART line, and a deep bench of established restaurants across the city. If you want more choice within 10 minutes of home, Plano usually wins. If you want a downtown with more character and a smaller town feel, McKinney usually wins.

7. Growth and Change

Growth cuts both ways. McKinney grew about 15.8% from 2020 to January 2025 (NCTCOG), compared with about 4.8% for Plano. In McKinney that means new schools, new roads, and new retail, but also construction traffic and big road projects. TxDOT's planned US 380 bypass through north McKinney is an eight lane controlled access freeway, with the first project expected to be awarded in 2027. The Spur 399 widening on the east side started in 2025. More in up and coming areas in McKinney and how growth is changing McKinney's housing market.

Plano's growth is slower and mostly redevelopment and infill. That means more stability, but also an older housing stock that will need updates.

Pros and Cons Side by Side

McKinney pros

• More new construction and newer homes to choose from
• Historic downtown with real character
• Higher median household income and owner occupancy rate
• Commercial flights from DTX starting November 2026

McKinney cons

• No DART rail; longer average commute
• A McKinney address can mean Frisco, Allen, or Prosper ISD, or a MUD or PID outside city limits
• Major road construction ahead (US 380 bypass, Spur 399)

Plano pros

• Close to major employers; shorter average commute
• DART light rail, including the Silver Line to DFW Airport
• Established neighborhoods and mature trees

Plano cons

• Mostly resale, older homes that may need updates
• Higher price per square foot
• Plano ISD enrollment decline and school closures

The Verdict: Choose McKinney If, Choose Plano If

Choose McKinney if you want a newer home or new construction, you like the idea of a walkable historic downtown, you work in McKinney, Allen, or north Frisco, or you'd rather have more space for the money than a shorter commute.

Choose Plano if you work at Legacy, in the Plano corporate corridors, or in north Dallas, you want light rail, or you prefer an established neighborhood and don't mind updating an older house.

If you're split, look at west McKinney near SH 121 (Craig Ranch, Eldorado Heights, Westridge). It's the part of McKinney that commutes most like Plano. I have a detailed page on Craig Ranch if that's on your list. You may also want to read McKinney vs Frisco and McKinney vs Allen.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is McKinney or Plano more expensive?

They're close. Redfin showed a $511,000 median in McKinney (August 2026) and $499,762 in Plano (three months ending September 2026). Plano costs more per square foot ($212 vs $202), so you typically get a bit more house in McKinney.

Are property taxes higher in McKinney or Plano?

The base rates are nearly identical, about 1.71 per $100 in McKinney city limits with McKinney ISD and about 1.70 in Plano with Plano ISD using its proposed 2026 rate. The real difference is MUDs and PIDs on some McKinney address properties outside city limits.

Which has better schools, McKinney ISD or Plano ISD?

Both are rated B by TEA: McKinney ISD B (87) for 2025 to 2026 and Plano ISD B (82) for 2024 to 2025. Individual campuses matter more than the district grade, and many McKinney addresses are in Frisco, Allen, or Prosper ISD.

Is McKinney safe compared to Plano?

Both are generally considered safe large suburbs. I'd rather you look at current crime maps for the specific neighborhoods you're considering than rely on a citywide ranking.

Does McKinney have DART?

No. McKinney isn't a DART member city. Plano has DART light rail, including Silver Line stations at 12th Street and Shiloh Road.

How long is the commute from McKinney to Plano?

It depends on where in McKinney you live. From west McKinney near SH 121, Legacy West was about 20 minutes on a weekday afternoon in October 2026 per Google Maps. From east McKinney it's closer to 35 minutes, and rush hour adds more.

Is McKinney still growing?

Yes. NCTCOG estimated 226,181 residents on January 1, 2025, up from 195,308 in 2020, and the Census Bureau estimated 236,001 for July 1, 2025. The city issued a record 2,310 single family permits in 2024.

Talk Through McKinney vs Plano With Me

I'm a REALTOR and a mortgage loan officer, so I can help you compare neighborhoods and run the numbers on payments, taxes, and HOA dues for specific homes in both cities in one conversation. Reach out through the contact form on this site and tell me where you work, your budget, and what matters most. I'll send you a short list of neighborhoods in McKinney and Plano that fit.

Sources: Redfin McKinney housing market; Redfin Plano housing market; NCTCOG 2025 Population Estimates; U.S. Census QuickFacts, McKinney; U.S. Census QuickFacts, Plano; Collin County Tax Assessor; McKinney ISD 2026 election info; Community Impact, Plano 2025 to 2026 tax rate; Community Impact, Plano 2026 to 2027 proposal; Murphy Monitor, Plano ISD proposed rate; City of Plano budget page; Community Impact, Plano ISD rating; Community Impact, Plano ISD enrollment; Community Impact, Plano ISD closures; Community Impact, McKinney ISD closures; Dallas Morning News, Plano top employers; Dallas Innovates, Raytheon; Globe Life; Prysmian; DART Silver Line (Wikipedia); Plano DART election canceled; City of McKinney, Avelo at DTX; City of McKinney 2024 Annual Development Report; Community Impact, US 380 bypass; Google Maps drive times checked October 28, 2026.