Allen or McKinney: Which Collin County City Should You Buy In?

Quick answer: On price and taxes, Allen and McKinney are basically tied right now, so don't let either one decide it. Pick Allen if you want a finished, established suburb a little closer to Dallas with one big A rated high school. Pick McKinney for brand new homes on regular lots, a wider spread of prices, a historic downtown, and three high schools to choose among. If you want Allen ISD with a McKinney master plan, look at the east side of Craig Ranch.

Allen sits directly south of McKinney on US 75, and plenty of my buyers see homes in both on the same afternoon. The spreadsheet makes them look like twins: similar medians, tax rates a few hundredths apart, same county. Drive through them and they feel nothing alike. Allen is smaller and mostly built out, and its schools revolve around a single, very large high school. McKinney has more than twice the population, is still growing to the north and east, and has a real historic square.

My first question to anyone weighing the two: do you want a suburb that's finished, or one that's still being built? Almost every pro and con below traces back to that.

The Two Cities by the Numbers

Allen's median came in above McKinney's in August, then dropped below McKinney's August number in September. Monthly medians bounce like that, which is why I treat the two as even on price and focus on the specific neighborhood.

Housing: Established Streets vs New Master Plans

What Allen offers

Allen's strength is mature neighborhoods close to everything. Redfin's August 2026 medians by neighborhood:

The weakness is new construction. Allen doesn't have many large new communities left, so much of what's new is infill. At The Avenue, for instance, D.R. Horton's October 2026 base prices were $494,990 to $588,990 for two and three story homes with rear entry garages, on lots as small as 0.04 acres. That's ideal if you want low upkeep and a bad fit if you want a big yard. My Allen page has current listings.

What McKinney offers

McKinney covers more ground at both ends of the price range. You can buy an older resale in Eldorado Heights (NTREIS median of $419,000 for the year ending October 28, 2026), settle into a big established master plan like Stonebridge Ranch ($597,212, Redfin, August 2026), or pick a lot from builders still selling in Ridgeline, Painted Tree, Trinity Falls, and elsewhere. For a new detached house with an actual backyard, the supply is far deeper in McKinney. See my McKinney new construction page.

The downside: the bulk of that new building is up past US 380 or over on the east side of US 75, so expect a longer drive to SH 121 jobs. And a few of the lowest priced McKinney addresses, such as Simpson Crossing and Eastridge, are actually in other cities and come with PIDs, while Trinity Falls pays a MUD.

PJ's take: A PID or MUD lives in your escrow, so it changes your payment the same way a higher price does. When a client compares an Allen resale to a new McKinney build at the same price, I put both full payments on one page before we write an offer.

Property Tax: Closer Than You'd Think

Take a $530,000 home and apply only the $140,000 state school homestead exemption. My estimate is roughly $7,735 a year in Allen and $7,577 in McKinney. That's a difference of about $13 a month, which shouldn't decide anything.

The details that actually matter:

• Allen cut its city rate again for 2026, which Community Impact called its 34th consecutive year of reductions. Allen ISD also lowered its rate, to 1.1037.

• McKinney ISD adopted 1.0664, but part of that hinges on its November 3, 2026 tax rate election, so check the result. Without that piece, the rate would sit near 1.0347.

• The county's tax year 2023 exemption summary showed a 5% city homestead exemption in Allen. McKinney offers just one city homestead exemption, $90,000 for disabled owners and those 65 and up, per Community Impact in June 2025.

• Not every Allen house is in Allen ISD. Some fall in Plano ISD or Lovejoy ISD, and the combined rate shifts with it.

Every McKinney tax setup, PIDs and MUDs included, is in my McKinney tax bill explainer.

Schools: One Giant High School or Three

Allen ISD

The state rated Allen ISD an A for 2025 to 2026; 14 of 22 campuses got an A individually. There's just one high school, Allen High, which means all students share a campus and a program lineup. Its Eagle Stadium holds 18,000.

That scale cuts both ways. In 2024 to 2025, the main Allen High campus had 5,206 students and the freshman center another 1,674. The district has lost enrollment every year since 2022 (it counted 20,140 students in October 2025), and Community Impact reported the 2026 to 2027 budget was projected $3.8 million short. Among elementary schools, seven got a B and one a C.

McKinney ISD

All three McKinney ISD high schools, McKinney Boyd, McKinney North, and McKinney High, rated A for 2025 to 2026, and with three campuses the senior classes are smaller than Allen's. Nine of 33 campuses earned an A overall.

At the district level, though, McKinney ISD has now posted five straight B grades, this one an 87. It projects roughly a $6 million budget gap for 2026 to 2027, and three campuses are being closed or given new uses, so attendance boundaries changed this fall. A tax rate election and roughly $500 million in bonds were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; check the outcome.

Allen ISD with a McKinney address

Here's where the cities overlap. Spicewood and the Van Tuyl Parkway townhomes, on Craig Ranch's east side, carry McKinney addresses while feeding Allen ISD and Allen High. NTREIS showed a $508,000 median for all of Craig Ranch in the year through October 2026. For Allen schools plus a McKinney master plan built around TPC Craig Ranch, this is your spot. The line runs through the community, so check each address with the district. More on my Craig Ranch page.

Commute and Location

Allen has a head start toward Dallas, being the next city down US 75. DFW Airport is roughly 35 minutes away, according to the city's economic development corporation.

McKinney depends heavily on which side you live on. If you're on the south or west side, SH 121 and US 75 are right there. Head north or east and every trip to a job center gets longer. I checked Google Maps on an October 2026 weekday afternoon: Eldorado Heights to Legacy West took about 20 minutes (30 to DFW Airport), while Simpson Crossing, out east, took about 34 to Legacy West. McKinney National Airport's new terminal is scheduled to open November 11, 2026, with Avelo service to Las Vegas and Florida.

Census commute averages land within a fraction of a minute (Allen 28.0, McKinney 27.8), since fast west side trips in McKinney balance out the slow ones from the north and east.

Weekends and Character

Allen keeps everything close. Shopping at Watters Creek and Allen Premium Outlets, plus concerts and games at the Credit Union of Texas Event Center, all sit near US 75. The EDC counts 82 miles of trails. Downtown is getting about $17 million for a catalyst project where Anna Drive meets McDermott Drive, with spring 2028 as the target. Until then, Allen doesn't have a historic square, and with few large open tracts left, you'll see fewer new parks and master plans.

McKinney has the real thing downtown: a historic Square full of local restaurants and a packed events calendar. City figures show nearly 3,000 acres of parks and roughly 80 miles of trails, and the CJ Cup Byron Nelson is played at TPC Craig Ranch, and Community Impact reports a large amphitheater under construction on US 75, expected in 2027. Shopping is scattered along the highways rather than gathered in one district.

Ten Years From Now

Allen is in redevelopment mode now. Think the downtown project, office and tech park plans on the EDC's list, and infill like The Avenue. Want your city to look mostly unchanged in ten years? Allen is the safer bet.

McKinney is still adding rooftops and payrolls. Industrial permits have topped $1.1 billion since 2020, per Community Impact, and the new airport terminal and amphitheater will bring more cars and activity to the east side. Expect new roads and campuses, and expect orange barrels while they're built.

Homes to Tour at the Same Price

Nothing settles this faster than walking a few houses in each city at a single price. My starting list:

If two finalists are priced alike, the decision usually comes down to the yard, how old the house is, and which high school you prefer.

Who Should Pick Which

Allen makes sense if you:

• Need an A rated district, period.

• Prefer a settled suburb with big trees and little left to build.

• Like the idea of one large high school with every program on a single campus.

• Want to be a bit closer to Dallas on US 75 without Plano or Frisco pricing.

McKinney makes sense if you:

• Want a new build with a real yard, or a broader range of prices.

• Care about a historic downtown and lots of parks.

• Like the idea of three high schools to choose from instead of a single giant one.

• Want Allen ISD or Frisco ISD inside a McKinney master plan, which Craig Ranch delivers.

If neither fits, Plano, Fairview, and Lucas all border these two and trade off differently on lot size and taxes. I also compare McKinney with Frisco in Frisco or McKinney: where to buy.

Allen vs McKinney: Common Questions

Which city costs more to buy in?

Neither, really. Redfin had Allen at $530,000 and McKinney at $511,000 for August 2026, then Allen slipped to $492,515 in September. Pick by neighborhood, not city.

How do the school districts compare?

For 2025 to 2026, Allen ISD earned an A and McKinney ISD a B (87). Looking campus by campus, McKinney ISD's three high schools each rated A.

Where are property taxes lower?

McKinney, by a hair: about 1.71% with McKinney ISD versus about 1.75% in Allen with Allen ISD for 2026, before exemptions. On a $530,000 home that's about $13 a month.

Is Allen High really the only high school?

Yes. Allen ISD has one high school, Allen High, with a separate freshman center.

Which McKinney homes are zoned to Allen ISD?

Homes on Craig Ranch's east side, such as Spicewood and the Van Tuyl Parkway townhomes. The district line cuts through the community, so verify each address.

Which is better for a Dallas commute?

Allen has a small edge on US 75. For jobs in Plano or Frisco, west McKinney near SH 121 holds its own, and the Census averages differ by less than a minute.

Compare Real Homes, Not Just Cities

Send me your price range and I'll line up a few real listings in Allen and in McKinney, each with its complete monthly payment, taxes and HOA built in. I handle both the home search as your REALTOR and the loan through NEXA Mortgage, so there's no handoff. Call or text me at 469-817-6060, or reach out through my contact page.

Sources: NCTCOG population estimates, 2026; Redfin: Allen market data; Redfin: McKinney market data; Redfin neighborhood pages for Cottonwood Bend, Heritage Park, Lost Creek Ranch, Suncreek, Watters Crossing, and Twin Creeks; D.R. Horton at The Avenue; NTREIS MLS, trailing year of closings through October 2026; Collin County Tax Assessor, rates and exemptions by taxing unit for 2026; Collin County rate summary; Community Impact on Allen's FY 2026 to 2027 budget; Community Impact on Allen ISD's rate cut; Community Impact on Allen ISD's grade; Community Impact on Allen ISD enrollment; Community Impact on the Allen ISD budget; Wikipedia: Allen High School; Community Impact on McKinney ISD's grade; Community Impact on the MISD 2026 to 2027 budget; MISD election financial info, 2026; Community Impact on McKinney's senior exemption; U.S. Census QuickFacts for Allen; U.S. Census QuickFacts for McKinney; Allen EDC; Community Impact on Allen's downtown projects; McKinney news release on Avelo service; Community Impact on McKinney industrial permits; Google Maps, weekday afternoon drive times checked October 28, 2026.