Living in McKinney, Texas: schools, neighborhoods, and local insights
A real historic downtown square, wrapped in big master-planned communities.
Population
≈227,500US Census ACS 2024 1-year estimate
Median household income
$124,177US Census ACS 2024 1-year estimate
Median age
38.8 yearsUS Census ACS 2024 1-year estimate
Price snapshot
Median sale price ≈$505K (Redfin, three months ending May 2026), approximate
Why McKinney works for buyers
Historic Downtown McKinney: a courthouse-square district with roughly 120 independent shops, restaurants and galleries in 19th-century buildings
The Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary, a 289-acre preserve spanning blackland prairie, wetlands and bottomland forest
TPC Craig Ranch, the private TPC-network course that hosts the PGA Tour’s CJ Cup Byron Nelson (title sponsor CJ Group since 2024)
Stonebridge Ranch: 5,000+ acres, 70+ villages, 9,400+ homes and roughly 36,000 residents
Family favorites
McKinney ISD’s Collegiate Academy of McKinney, launching in 2026-27 with Collin College, lets students earn a diploma plus an associate degree or 60+ college credit hours
Caldwell Elementary hosts McKinney ISD’s Two-Way Dual Language (English/Spanish) program
Serenity High School is a recovery high school for students finishing a Texas diploma after a recognized treatment program
The Heard Museum’s sanctuary and Trinity Falls’ 350-acre natural park along the Trinity River are both genuine outdoor space, not just greenbelt
Next steps
Curious how McKinney stacks up against nearby options? Let's talk through current inventory, new-build timelines, and off-market opportunities tailored to you.
McKinney is the Collin County seat and the rare North Texas suburb with an actual walkable center: a 19th-century courthouse square with roughly 120 independent shops, restaurants and galleries. Around it sit some of the largest master-planned communities in the region - Stonebridge Ranch, Trinity Falls, Craig Ranch - plus the 289-acre Heard wildlife sanctuary. It is a city of about 227,500 with a median household income of $124,177 (ACS 2024), and at a median sale price near $505K it runs meaningfully below Frisco’s $688K. Its employer base is also more industrial than Frisco’s or Plano’s: Encore Wire, Dynacraft, Simpson Strong-Tie and TRAXXAS all make things here. The trade-off is transit: for a city of this size, McKinney has remarkably little of it.
Lifestyle mix
Historic downtown lofts and cottages, large master-planned communities, and golf-course neighborhoods
Climate essentials
Summers are hot and sunny with highs in the mid-to-upper 90s°F. Winters stay mild - expect 50°F afternoons mixed with the occasional cold snap. North Texas averages 229 sunny days, roughly 41 inches of rain, and minimal snow each year.
McKinney neighborhoods to know
Match your wish list - from walkable districts to gated communities - with these buyer favorites. Mali can share recent closings, HOA nuances, and off-market conversations for each pocket.
Understanding McKinney's community composition helps buyers match lifestyle preferences with neighborhood character. The figures below reference recent American Community Survey estimates and city planning reports.
Total population
≈227,500
US Census ACS 2024 1-year estimate (227,515). The City of McKinney’s own demographics page reports a higher figure (237,130 as of Jan 1, 2026).
Median household income
$124,177
US Census ACS 2024 1-year estimate.
Median age
38.8 years
US Census ACS 2024 1-year estimate; other ACS republishers show a slightly younger figure.
Bachelor’s degree or higher
56.8%
US Census ACS 2024 1-year estimate.
Demographics
Population estimates for McKinney disagree by source and vintage: the ACS 2024 1-year estimate is 227,515, while the City of McKinney reports 237,130 as of January 1, 2026. We use the ACS figure so it stays comparable to the other cities on this site.
All ACS figures here are 1-year estimates and carry wider margins of error than the 5-year series.
There is no age-band breakdown on this page. We publish a figure only where we can attribute it to a specific ACS table and vintage, and that breakdown is not one we can currently source and date - so it is omitted rather than estimated.
Lifestyle & recreation
The historic downtown square: roughly 120 independent small businesses, restaurants and galleries in 19th-century buildings.
The Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary: founded 1967, 289 acres, five habitats, and more than 100,000 visitors a year.
TUPPS Brewery, in McKinney’s historic Cotton Mill complex near downtown.
TPC Craig Ranch, which hosts the PGA Tour’s CJ Cup Byron Nelson and reopened in January 2026 after a course renovation.
Career opportunities in McKinney
McKinney’s employer base is more industrial and manufacturing-weighted than Frisco’s or Plano’s: Encore Wire, Dynacraft, Simpson Strong-Tie and TRAXXAS all make things here.
The McKinney EDC’s notable-employers list is topped by Raytheon Intelligence & Space, Globe Life, Independent Financial and Encore Wire; Amazon and the City of McKinney are also on it.
The McKinney EDC does not publish employee counts, so no headcounts are quoted here.
Median household income was $124,177 in the ACS 2024 1-year estimate.
Major employers
Raytheon Intelligence & Space
Globe Life, an insurance company headquartered in McKinney
Independent Financial (Independent Bank Group)
Encore Wire, a copper and aluminum building wire manufacturer
SRS Distribution Inc., a building products distributor
Dynacraft, a PACCAR company and truck parts manufacturer
Simpson Strong-Tie, structural building products
TRAXXAS, an RC vehicle manufacturer
Campuses McKinney buyers ask about
McKinney High SchoolHigh
McKinney ISD.
McKinney North High SchoolHigh
McKinney ISD; Career & Technical Education programs of study are offered at the campus.
McKinney Boyd High SchoolHigh
McKinney ISD.
Scott Johnson Middle SchoolMiddle
McKinney ISD.
Dowell Middle SchoolMiddle
McKinney ISD.
Caldwell Elementary SchoolElementary
McKinney ISD; hosts the district’s Two-Way Dual Language (English/Spanish) program.
Collegiate Academy of McKinneySpecialty
Dual-credit collegiate academy with Collin College, launching in 2026-27: students can earn a high school diploma plus an associate degree or 60+ college credit hours.
Serenity High SchoolSpecialty
McKinney ISD recovery high school, open to students who have completed a recognized treatment program and want to finish the requirements for a Texas high school diploma.
Getting around McKinney
No DART light rail or commuter rail station in McKinney. This is a driving city.
US 75 is the spine, with SH 5 as the parallel surface alternative when 75 backs up; SH 121 / Sam Rayburn Tollway heads southwest toward DFW Airport.
McKinney Urban Transit District (formed 2016) covers McKinney, Celina, Lowry Crossing, Melissa, Princeton and Prosper.
Collin County Transit runs curb-to-curb on-demand shared rides, operated by DART for the transit district, for eligible elderly, disabled and low-income residents, booked through GoPass.
McKinney National Airport (TKI) is the city-owned general aviation airport, with the McKinney Air Center FBO.
Relocation checklist with Mali
Moving to McKinney means lining up the right vendor team, understanding seasonal weather shifts, and comparing neighborhoods before touring. Mali guides you through scouting trips, remote video tours, and negotiation strategy so your McKinney plan comes together smoothly.
Confirm the ISD by address. McKinney ISD covers most of the city, but the City of McKinney’s own school-zones page also names Allen ISD, Frisco ISD, Melissa ISD and Prosper ISD as serving parts of McKinney.
There is no rail here. If a train commute matters, Plano is the nearest DART city; from McKinney you’re driving to it.
Downtown and the master-planned communities are two very different products at similar addresses. A loft on the square and a Trinity Falls new build are not comparable, and shouldn’t be compared on price per square foot alone.
Selling your McKinney home?
Get a free comparative market analysis to discover what your home is worth in today's McKinney market.
Every North Texas suburb brings unique advantages. Whether you're weighing school ratings, commute times, or neighborhood character, Mali will map your priorities against current market inventory.
Every public campus inside McKinney city limits, with the letter grade and score the Texas Education Agency published for it in 2025. Enrolment and grades come straight from TEA's accountability download and the federal school directory, so nothing here is a third-party score that nobody refreshes.
A campus in town is not the campus you are zoned to
McKinney is split across 6 school districts. Two houses on the same street can feed different districts, and boundaries in this corridor get redrawn most years as new campuses open. Confirm the assignment for the exact address with the district before you write an offer - and if the school is a reason you are buying, ask Mali to put the district's written confirmation in your file.
McKinney also has campuses run by Imagine International Academy of North Texas. Open-enrollment charters admit by application and lottery from a wide area, so buying a particular house never assigns a child to one.
51 of 51 campuses
Albert & Iola Lee Davis Malvern Elementary School
McKinney ISD · Grades K-5
C78
415 students
Arthur H McNeil Elementary School
McKinney ISD · Grades K-5
C78
335 students
Brenda Calhoun Early Childhood School
Prosper ISD · Grades PreK
A91
727 students
Burks Elementary School
McKinney ISD · Grades K-5
B81
419 students
C T Eddins Elementary School
McKinney ISD · Grades K-5
A91
372 students
Caldwell Elementary School
McKinney ISD · Grades K-5
D69
409 students
Comstock Elementary School
Frisco ISD · Grades K-4
A92
680 students
Dean and Mildred Bennett Elementary School
McKinney ISD · Grades K-5
A92
425 students
Earl & Lottie Wolford Elementary School
McKinney ISD · Grades K-5
A93
389 students
Elliott Elementary School
Frisco ISD · Grades PreK-4
A92
421 students
Finch Elementary School
McKinney ISD · Grades K-5
C74
341 students
Gary and Bobbye Jack Minshew Elementary School
McKinney ISD · Grades K-5
A93
433 students
Glen Oaks Elementary School
McKinney ISD · Grades K-5
B89
478 students
Herman Lawson Early Childhood School
McKinney ISD · Grades PreK
A91
493 students
J B Wilmeth Elementary School
McKinney ISD · Grades K-5
B88
436 students
Jack and June Furr Elementary School
Prosper ISD · Grades PreK-5
B89
787 students
Jesse McGowen Elementary School
McKinney ISD · Grades K-5
C75
570 students
Jim and Betty Hughes Elementary School
Prosper ISD · Grades PreK-5
B87
837 students
John A Baker Elementary School
Prosper ISD · Grades PreK-5
B87
620 students
Jose de Jesus and Maria Luisa Vega Elementary School
McKinney ISD · Grades K-5
C79
491 students
Lizzie Nell Cundiff McClure Elementary School
McKinney ISD · Grades K-5
B88
661 students
Lois Lindsey Elementary School
Allen ISD · Grades PreK-6
A93
791 students
Mike and Janie Reeves Elementary School
Prosper ISD · Grades PreK-5
A90
790 students
Mooneyham Elementary School
Frisco ISD · Grades PreK-5
A92
551 students
Naomi Press Elementary School
McKinney ISD · Grades K-5
C74
580 students
Ogle Elementary School
Frisco ISD · Grades PreK-4
B88
530 students
Reuben Johnson Elementary School
McKinney ISD · Grades K-5
C74
378 students
Roy Lee Walker Elementary School
McKinney ISD · Grades K-5
A96
381 students
Ruth and Harold Frazier Elementary School
McKinney ISD · Grades K-5
A90
792 students
Scott Elementary School
Frisco ISD · Grades PreK-5
A91
586 students
Slaughter Elementary School
McKinney ISD · Grades K-5
B87
554 students
Sonntag Elementary School
Frisco ISD · Grades PreK-5
A91
428 students
Valley Creek Elementary School
McKinney ISD · Grades K-5
B87
498 students
Webb Elementary School
McKinney ISD · Grades K-5
D65
475 students
Willow Wood Elementary School
Melissa ISD · Grades K-5
A92
855 students
Dowell Middle School
McKinney ISD · Grades 6-8
A92
995 students
Dr Jack Cockrill Middle School
McKinney ISD · Grades 6-8
A92
1,208 students
Faubion Middle School
McKinney ISD · Grades 6-8
A91
1,033 students
Leonard Evans Junior Middle School
McKinney ISD · Grades 6-8
C79
798 students
Scoggins Middle School
Frisco ISD · Grades 7-8
A92
809 students
Scott Morgan Johnson Middle School
McKinney ISD · Grades 6-8
B87
1,107 students
Wortham Intermediate School
Frisco ISD · Grades 5-6
A91
823 students
County Residential Center
McKinney ISD · Grades 5-12
NR
92 students
Emerson High School
Frisco ISD · Grades 9-12
B88
1,844 students
J J A E P
McKinney ISD · Grades 9-12
NR
4 students
McKinney Boyd High School
McKinney ISD · Grades 9-12
A94
2,546 students
McKinney High School
McKinney ISD · Grades 9-12
A91
2,664 students
McKinney North High School
McKinney ISD · Grades 9-12
A95
2,343 students
Serenity High
McKinney ISD · Grades 11-12
NR
3 students
Collin Co J J A E P
Celina ISD · Grades 8-9
NR
2 students
Imagine International Academy of North Texas
Imagine International Academy of North Texas · Grades K-12
A96
1,445 studentsOpen-enrollment charter
Property taxes, MUDs, PIDs and HOAs in McKinney
McKinney homes are taxed by 4 separate governments, and the combined 2025 adopted rate is 1.75% per year of appraised value. That is the number before any exemption and before the special districts below - which is why the figure on a listing page and the figure on your first tax bill are so rarely the same.
Where the rate comes from
Taxing unit
Rate per $100
Share
McKinney ISD
1.104300
63%
City of McKinney
0.412284
24%
Collin County
0.149343
9%
College district
0.081220
5%
Combined
1.747147
100%
Collin County has no hospital district, which is the main structural reason its cities run below their Dallas County neighbours rather than anything about how McKinney budgets.
What an owner-occupant actually pays
Starts at the McKinney median single-family value.
No exemption
$8,458
What an investor or second-home owner pays.
With homestead
$6,797
Effective rate 1.4041% of market value.
You keep
$1,661
Per year, once the exemption is filed and granted.
Unit
Exemption
Taxed on
Tax
McKinney ISD
$140,000
$344,100
$3,800
City
none adopted
$484,100
$1,996
County
$24,205
$459,895
$687
College district
$96,820
$387,280
$315
Every school district in Texas must exempt $140,000 of a homestead's value. Cities, counties and college districts may each adopt up to 20% on top, and several here adopt nothing at all - which is why this has to be worked out one unit at a time rather than netted against the combined rate. Year one is billed at full market value; the 10% appraisal cap starts the January after your exemption is granted.
The part that is not in any rate you have read
Collin County has 28 special districts levying their own rate on top of everything above - 23 Municipal Utility Districts, 3 Municipal Management Districts, 1 Water Control & Improvement Districts, 1 Fresh Water Supply Districts. Adopted 2025 rates run from 0.41 to 1.20 per $100. At the top of that range a district adds more than half again the entire McKinney stack, and none of it is reduced by a homestead exemption.
These follow subdivision boundaries, not city limits, so two houses a mile apart in McKinney can differ by a full point. They are most common in newer master-planned communities, because that is what the bonds paid to build.
Chambers Grove MUD #1+1.20
Elevon MUD #1A+1.20
Lakehaven MUD+1.20
McKinney MUD #2+1.05
Rainwater Crossing MMD+0.80
Celina MMD #2+0.77
And a PID will not show up on any list at all
A Public Improvement District is not a taxing unit. It is an assessment a city levies on the specific parcels that benefited from the roads, water and amenities its bonds paid for - set per parcel, absent from every rate table and every listing-site tax estimate, and not reduced by a homestead exemption because it is not a tax. It typically runs the life of the bonds, often 20 to 40 years, and can frequently be paid off in a lump sum. In a new-build community that is the difference between the budget you built and the payment you owe, and the option period is when you find out.
An HOA is none of the above
HOA dues are a private contract with the neighbourhood association. They are not on the tax bill, not collected by the county, not deductible, and not touched by any exemption - and a community can have an HOA and a MUD and a PID at once, which is the combination that catches people out. Ask for the dues, the transfer fee, the reserve study and any special assessment in writing, and read them alongside the tax bill rather than instead of it.
Frequently Asked Questions about McKinney
Answers to common questions about living, buying, and relocating to McKinney, Texas.
What school district is McKinney, TX in?
McKinney ISD covers most of the city, but not all of it. The City of McKinney’s official school-zones page names five districts serving parts of McKinney: McKinney ISD, Allen ISD, Frisco ISD, Melissa ISD and Prosper ISD. A McKinney address does not guarantee a McKinney ISD campus, so verify the attendance zone for the specific address before you write an offer.
Does McKinney have DART rail?
No. There is no DART light rail or commuter rail station in McKinney, so plan on driving. Public transit here is the McKinney Urban Transit District, formed in 2016, which also covers Celina, Lowry Crossing, Melissa, Princeton and Prosper, and Collin County Transit, a curb-to-curb on-demand shared-ride service operated by DART on the district’s behalf for eligible elderly, disabled and low-income residents. The nearest DART rail is in Plano.
How much do homes cost in McKinney?
The median sale price was roughly $505,000 across the three months ending May 2026, per Redfin, which is approximate and directional. That puts McKinney well below Frisco and close to Plano, which is a large part of why buyers priced out of Frisco end up looking here. Expect wide spread by community: a historic downtown cottage, a Stonebridge Ranch home and a Trinity Falls new build are three different markets.
What is the commute like from McKinney?
US 75 is the main north-south route toward Allen, Plano and Dallas, with SH 5 (McDonald Street) running parallel as a surface alternative. SH 121 / the Sam Rayburn Tollway heads southwest toward Frisco, Grapevine and DFW Airport, and US 380 (University Drive) is the east-west route. Be realistic: McKinney is further out than Plano and there is no rail, so a downtown Dallas commute is a long daily drive. Drive your actual route at your actual departure time before you commit.
What is McKinney actually like?
It is the one big Collin County suburb with a real historic center. The courthouse square holds roughly 120 independent shops, restaurants and galleries in 19th-century buildings, and you can live in a loft or apartment right on it. Beyond the square, McKinney is master-planned suburbia at scale: Stonebridge Ranch alone is over 5,000 acres and about 36,000 residents. Median household income is $124,177 and median age 38.8 (ACS 2024).
What are the main neighborhoods in McKinney?
Stonebridge Ranch in the west is the giant: 5,000+ acres, 70+ villages, 9,400+ homes, with a Beach & Tennis Club and an Aquatic Center. Trinity Falls in the north is 2,000 acres with a 350-acre natural park along the Trinity River and an on-site elementary. Craig Ranch in the south is built around TPC Craig Ranch and 400+ acres of green space. Adriatica Village, inside Stonebridge Ranch, is a Croatian-village-styled mixed-use enclave. And Historic Downtown is its own housing market.
Who are the biggest employers in McKinney?
The McKinney EDC’s notable-employers list leads with Raytheon Intelligence & Space, Globe Life (headquartered here), Independent Financial and Encore Wire, and also names SRS Distribution, Dynacraft (a PACCAR company), Amazon, Simpson Strong-Tie, TRAXXAS and the City of McKinney. It is a more industrial employment base than Frisco’s or Plano’s. The EDC doesn’t publish headcounts, so we don’t quote any.
What is there to do in McKinney?
The Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary (founded in 1967, 289 acres across five habitats including blackland prairie, wetlands and bottomland forest) draws over 100,000 visitors a year. The downtown square is a full day on its own. TUPPS Brewery sits in the historic Cotton Mill complex. TPC Craig Ranch hosts the PGA Tour’s CJ Cup Byron Nelson (formerly the AT&T Byron Nelson) and reopened in January 2026 after renovations.