Towns Near McKinney, TX, Grouped by Budget

Plenty of my buyers begin by searching McKinney and end up closing one town over. Sometimes the payment works better somewhere else. Sometimes it's a specific school district, a bigger lot, or ten fewer minutes on the drive to work. Because McKinney sits in the middle of Collin County's fastest growing stretch, you've got real choices on every side of it.

This guide covers the ten towns I most often put next to McKinney when a client is deciding. Instead of ranking them or sorting by compass direction, I've grouped them by budget, since that's usually the first filter in a real search. Each one gets a dated price figure with its source, a plain description of what it's like to live there, how the drive works, who it suits, and the one thing I'd check before buying.

As a REALTOR who also writes loans with NEXA Mortgage, I'll flag where a tax rate, PID, or school district changes the monthly number more than the sticker price does.

Quick answer: Lowest prices near McKinney are in Princeton and Anna. Best mix of value and an established town is Wylie or Allen. For new construction with big amenity packages, look at Celina. For land, it's Lucas or Fairview. For newer luxury and Prosper ISD, it's Prosper, though some McKinney streets get you the same district for less.

All Ten Towns Sorted by Price

Read this as a rough sort, not a precise ranking. The figures come from different providers and different months. Redfin reports sale prices, while Zillow's number is an estimate of typical home value. For each town I used the most recent dated figure I could open myself, and Melissa's is the stalest of the group, from January 2026.

Under About $400K

Princeton

Price check: Redfin had Princeton's August 2026 median sale at $319,495, 6.0% lower than a year earlier, around $152 a square foot, with a 68 day median on market and sales volume up 43.3%.

What it's like: Princeton sits east of McKinney along US 380. Census estimates reported by the Texas Tribune showed Princeton adding 30% in 2024, more than any other U.S. city, to reach slightly more than 37,000 residents by July 2024. NCTCOG's January 2025 estimate is 43,126. Most of the housing is new construction, and it's the cheapest you'll find this close to McKinney. One cost to factor in: Princeton's 2026 city rate is 0.472959 per $100, above McKinney's 0.412284.

The address quirk: some neighborhoods inside Princeton city limits use a McKinney mailing address. Eastridge is a good example. It has a 75071 McKinney address, sits in the City of Princeton, recorded 63 closed sales over the past 12 months at a $325,990 median, and has PID assessments on its Improvement Area 4 lots that run roughly $2,256 to $2,527 annually. On an October 2026 weekday afternoon, Google Maps showed 16 minutes from Eastridge to the McKinney square. I break it down on my Eastridge page.

Getting around: US 380 heading west is really the only route, and it's crowded. The planned US 380 projects should help eventually, but the construction years come first.

Who it suits: first time buyers and anyone whose top priority is the payment. You can see more on my Princeton page.

PJ's take: when I run Princeton numbers for a buyer, I always include the PID in the escrow estimate. A lower price plus a PID of that size can land closer to a McKinney payment than people expect.

Anna

Price check: Houzeo, citing NTREIS data, showed a $352,850 median sale for March 2026, with homes taking a median of 118 days to sell.

What it's like: the next town up US 75 after Melissa, Anna roughly doubled from 16,896 people in 2020 to 34,100 in January 2025. A lot of what's for sale is newer entry level construction, and Anna ISD runs its own schools.

Getting around: this is a longer haul if you work in Plano or Frisco, since you'll pass through Melissa and the full length of McKinney before reaching SH 121.

Who it suits: first time buyers who want a new home priced well under McKinney's median and can live with the drive.

Wylie

Price check: Redfin showed a $399,760 median sale for September 2026, just 0.68% below the prior year, around $184 a square foot and 60 median days on market.

What it's like: Wylie sits southeast of McKinney close to Lavon Lake. It has a small historic downtown, neighborhoods built mostly in the 2000s, and some new construction mixed in. With 62,918 residents as of January 2025, it has grown at a steady pace rather than in a burst, and its prices held firmer than almost anywhere else in this guide.

Getting around: SH 78 and FM 544 point you toward Garland, Richardson, and Plano. Reaching McKinney means driving north through Lucas or Lowry Crossing.

Who it suits: buyers who want a settled town with a lower entry price than Allen or McKinney.

About $400K to $550K

Melissa

Price check: Zillow's typical home value was $436,874 as of January 31, 2026, down 6.1% from a year earlier. It's the oldest figure in this post because I couldn't open a newer sale price.

What it's like: Melissa is McKinney's immediate neighbor to the north on US 75. It went from 13,901 people in 2020 to 26,234 by January 2025, close to double, yet it still has a small town feel. Melissa ISD is a standalone district, and the housing mixes new subdivisions with older homes around the original town center.

Getting around: you head south on US 75 through McKinney. The wild cards are north McKinney traffic and the Spur 399 and US 380 construction.

Who it suits: buyers who'd like a smaller district and a newer house for less than most of McKinney.

Allen

Price check: Redfin reported a $492,515 median sale for the three months ending September 2026, down 1.5% year over year, around $212 a square foot and 49 median days on market.

What it's like: Allen borders McKinney to the south along US 75 and feels like an older, more settled version of south McKinney. Its population barely moved between the 2020 count of 104,627 and NCTCOG's January 2025 estimate of 107,328, so you'll mostly be buying resale. Shopping and restaurants cluster near Watters Creek and the outlet mall, Allen Premium Outlets. Many families like that Allen ISD has a single high school.

Getting around: US 75 cuts straight through town and the Sam Rayburn Tollway (SH 121) runs along its northern edge, which puts Allen closer to Plano and Richardson than most McKinney neighborhoods.

Who it suits: buyers comfortable with McKinney pricing who want a shorter trip south. A tip: the east side of Craig Ranch carries McKinney addresses but feeds Allen ISD, which can give you some of both.

Celina

Price check: Redfin's September 2026 median sale was $499,757, down 9.14% year over year, around $182 a square foot and 89 median days on market, while sales were up 27.4%.

What it's like: Celina ranks among the fastest growing cities in the U.S. Its 2020 count was 16,739; NCTCOG's January 2025 estimate is 61,834. Nearly all of that growth is in big master planned communities on the south and west sides, while the old town still has a small historic square. Prices dropped more here than anywhere else in this guide over the past year, largely because builders are fighting for buyers.

Getting around: Preston Road and the Dallas North Tollway extension run south. To reach McKinney, you'll use US 380 or the farm to market roads.

Who it suits: buyers set on new construction and a large amenity center who are fine with more time in the car. Builder incentives change month to month, so ask what's current before you sign.

About $600K to $900K

Frisco

Price check: Redfin showed a $649,691 median sale for September 2026, 5.4% lower than a year before, around $230 a square foot and 63 median days on market.

What it's like: Frisco is roughly McKinney's size (235,615 versus 226,181 in January 2025) but newer, more corporate, and pricier. It has a deep employment base, pro sports venues, and heavy retail on the SH 121 and Dallas North Tollway corridors. Frisco ISD also serves most of Craig Ranch inside McKinney.

Getting around: Legacy and Plano are a short hop on the tollways. Downtown McKinney, though, means crossing the county on SH 121 or US 380.

Who it suits: anyone with an office in Frisco or Plano who wants a newer house and has the budget for it.

Fairview

Price check: Zillow's Home Value Index put the typical Fairview home at $651,318 as of September 30, 2026, down 4.3% year over year.

What it's like: Fairview is a town of about 11,282 tucked between McKinney and Allen. Lots generally run larger than in the surrounding cities, and the Fairview Town Center handles most shopping. Expect less traffic and more space between houses.

Schools: the Town of Fairview says Lovejoy ISD covers a large portion of town, with McKinney ISD serving the west side and a small piece of the far northeast. Confirm the district before you get attached to a house.

Getting around: with SH 121 and US 75 both nearby, the commute is about like south McKinney.

Who it suits: buyers who want extra land or Lovejoy ISD without straying far from McKinney.

Prosper

Price check: Redfin had a $840,125 median sale for the three months ending September 2026, down 2.3% year over year, around $234 a square foot, with 101 median days on market, 26 days longer than a year earlier.

What it's like: Prosper had 30,174 residents in 2020 and 46,087 by January 2025. It's dominated by larger, newer homes in master planned communities, with a modest town center. Longer days on market mean buyers have more room to negotiate than they did a year ago.

Schools: Prosper ISD reaches well into northwest McKinney, covering Aster Park, Highland Lakes, Tucker Hill, and the newer parts of Westridge. If that district is your goal, a McKinney address may get you there at a lower price.

Getting around: the Dallas North Tollway and US 380 do most of the work. Through Frisco and Prosper, the future US 380 bypass is planned at six lanes.

Who it suits: buyers at $700K and up who want a newer house. I go through the full comparison in Prosper or McKinney.

$1 Million and Up

Lucas

Price check: Redfin showed a $1,149,239 median sale for the three months ending August 2026, down 5.0% year over year, around $294 a square foot. Only 40 homes sold that month, and the median time on market was 85 days.

What it's like: Lucas feels rural: acreage estates, horse properties, and custom builds, with Lavon Lake on its eastern edge. At about 8,378 residents it's the smallest town here, and there's almost no retail inside city limits, so most errands happen in Allen or McKinney.

Schools: according to the City of Lucas, six districts operate inside its limits: Wylie, Princeton, Plano, McKinney, Lovejoy, and Allen ISDs. No place in Collin County makes a better case for checking the district by address.

Getting around: slower than the towns on US 75, since part of any trip is on two lane farm roads.

Who it suits: buyers who value land and privacy over a short commute.

What About Lowry Crossing?

Lowry Crossing is a small city southeast of McKinney, with about 2,222 residents in January 2025 according to NCTCOG. It matters mostly because of Simpson Crossing, a community with McKinney 75069 addresses that actually sits inside Lowry Crossing city limits, attends McKinney ISD, and carries a PID. Same lesson as Eastridge: the mailing address tells you very little about who taxes the home.

Two Checks Before You Buy in Any of These Towns

1. Confirm the city and the school district for the exact parcel. Mailing addresses in Collin County ignore city and ISD lines, and listing remarks are sometimes wrong.

2. Ask whether a MUD or PID applies. They're common in newer communities and can add thousands of dollars a year. On the lending side, that amount goes straight into your escrow and your qualifying payment. My McKinney tax bill explainer shows how to read the full rate stack.

How I Built This List

Every town here either borders McKinney or is one town removed, and each is a place buyers actually weigh against it. For pricing, I used each town's Redfin market page where it would load (checked October 28, 2026) and fell back to Zillow or Houzeo where it wouldn't. Populations are NCTCOG's January 1, 2025 estimates. I didn't rank them, because a family chasing Lovejoy ISD and a first time buyer chasing a low payment would sort them in nearly opposite order. If you're moving from out of state, my DFW relocation page covers the bigger picture.

Questions Buyers Ask About Towns Near McKinney

Where can I buy for the least money near McKinney?

Princeton, at a $319,495 median sale for August 2026 on Redfin. Anna came next at $352,850 for March 2026, per Houzeo.

Which towns run their own smaller school districts?

Melissa and Anna each have their own ISD. For families who want a smaller district than McKinney ISD, those two are worth touring.

Which towns are growing fastest?

Princeton, Celina, Anna, and Melissa. Per Census estimates covered by the Texas Tribune in May 2025, Princeton led the nation in 2024 with 30% growth, and Celina, Anna, and Melissa all made the top 15.

Which town has the most school districts inside it?

Lucas. The city lists six ISDs within its limits, so two homes on the same road can attend different schools. Check every address.

Which towns have a single high school?

Allen ISD is a one high school district, which is part of its appeal for many families.

Where should I look for acreage?

Start in Lucas, then Fairview. Those two have the deepest supply of big lots and acreage within a short drive of McKinney.

Which town gives me Lovejoy ISD?

Fairview, for much of the town, along with parts of Lucas. Both also include addresses in other districts, so check each property.

Narrow It Down With Me

Send me your budget, where you work, and which school districts are on your list. I'll cut these ten towns down to two or three and pick a few neighborhoods in each. Since I'm also your loan officer, every option comes with a real monthly payment that includes the local tax rate, any PID or MUD, and HOA dues. Call or text me at 469-817-6060, or use my contact page.

Sources: Redfin market pages for Princeton, Wylie, Allen, Celina, Frisco, Prosper, Lucas, and McKinney. Zillow home values for Melissa and Fairview, and Houzeo's Anna market report. Population from NCTCOG's 2025 estimates and the Texas Tribune's fastest growing cities report. School districts from the Town of Fairview and the City of Lucas. Tax rates from the Collin County Tax Assessor and the City of Princeton's FY 2026 to 2027 budget. Roads from Community Impact on the US 380 bypass. Eastridge sales from NTREIS MLS, 12 months to October 28, 2026. Drive times from Google Maps, October 28, 2026.