2026 Allen community guide · Collin County
One big hometown high school, Watters Creek’s village green, pro hockey and outlet shopping, all in the middle of the Collin County job corridor.
By Shayla Eadler, Broker & Owner (TREC #747934) · Updated
For sale now
From golf-course streets in Twin Creeks to new townhomes at The Farm and luxury homesites on the east side, here are the latest Allen listings and the searches our buyers run most.
01Overview
For many buyers, yes. Allen pairs an A-rated school district (TEA A, 91, in 2025) with a central spot on US-75 and SH-121, about 13 minutes to downtown McKinney, 20 minutes to Legacy West and 30 to 35 minutes to downtown Dallas off-peak. Its total tax rate (about 1.77%) is lower than in Prosper or Celina. The trade-offs are prices near $490,000, very few new single-family lots, and no DART rail.
Allen began as a Houston & Texas Central Railway stop in the early 1870s and was named in 1872 for Ebenezer Allen, a former Texas attorney general who promoted the railroad. It stayed a small farm town until the late 1960s, when the growth of Dallas, Plano and the new DFW Airport reached it. The city incorporated in 1953.
Today about 113,000 people live here (July 2025 Census estimate), up from about 104,700 in 2020, on roughly 26 square miles between Plano, McKinney, Frisco, Fairview and Lucas. Growth has leveled off as the city nears buildout, so most new homes are townhomes in mixed-use projects such as The Farm and The Avenue, plus a few luxury enclaves on the east side.
Allen ISD runs a single high school, with a separate freshman center, and Friday nights at the 18,000-seat Eagle Stadium are a citywide event. Shopping and dining cluster at Watters Creek, Allen Premium Outlets and The Village at Allen, and the Allen Americans play hockey at the Credit Union of Texas Event Center.
Not every Allen address is in Allen ISD. Small parts of the city are zoned to Lovejoy, McKinney or Plano ISD, each with its own tax rate and campuses, and some new homes marketed as Allen have Lucas mailing addresses. We confirm the district on the appraisal record before you compare homes.
02Honest take
What we tell our own clients before they make a move.
Pros
Cons
03Where to live
Allen’s neighborhoods run from golf-course and master-planned communities of the 1990s–2010s to new townhomes in mixed-use projects. These are the ones our buyers ask about most.
A large central-Allen community around The Golf Club at Twin Creeks, with resident pools, pickleball and tennis courts, playgrounds, a nature preserve and trails. Custom-home pockets sit beside production-built sections, and Wimberley Place is its gated enclave.
Homes near Twin CreeksAbout 529 acres just north of Stacy Road between SH-121 and US-75, near Allen Premium Outlets, with a clubhouse, pools, playgrounds, sport courts, a lake and trails. Homes date mostly from about 2006 to 2015.
Homes near StarCreekMostly 1990s brick homes on tree-lined streets, many backing to greenbelts or small ponds, close to Watters Creek and US-75.
Homes near Watters CrossingLate-1990s and early-2000s brick homes along Alma Drive, with creek areas, cul-de-sacs and curving side streets near major retail.
Homes near SuncreekA 135-acre mixed-use project on SH-121 with offices, apartments, a lake with overlook dining, trails and more than 30 acres of open space, including greenbelt along Watters Creek.
Homes near The FarmAn 80-acre mixed-use community near SH-121 and US-75 with two- and three-story homes of about 1,600 to 2,600 square feet and rear two-car garages, around a central plaza.
Homes near The AvenueA townhome community inside a mixed-use development, with modern plans of two and three bedrooms.
Homes near Chelsea CommonsA small Shaddock Homes enclave at McDermott Drive and Custer Road with large semi-custom plans.
Homes near Custer Ridge EstatesAlso building: CB JENI townhomes in Twin Creeks Watters (from about $417K, with HOA dues of about $335 a month), Southgate Homes at The Reserve at Watters (from about $950K) and Perry Homes at Enchanted Creek, where one-acre plans start around $1.23 million on Lucas mailing addresses. Ask us which phases are selling now.
| Community | Builders | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Twin Creeks Watters | CB JENI Homes | Townhomes; from about $417K |
| The Avenue | D.R. Horton | 1,600–2,600 sq ft; from about $470K; Allen ISD |
| Chelsea Commons | Cadence Homes, Drees Custom Homes | Townhomes; about $330K–$515K |
| The Farm | Ashton Woods | Two- and three-story townhomes; from the mid-$500s |
| Custer Ridge Estates | Shaddock Homes | Luxury; from about $925K; Allen ISD |
| The Reserve at Watters | Southgate Homes | Luxury; from about $950K |
Builders and incentives change often. Bring us to your first model-home visit and we’ll represent you, not the builder. How we help new-build buyers →
04Market
Zillow’s typical Allen home value was about $486,800 in September 2026, down about 5% from a year earlier. Realtor.com counted 229 active listings in ZIP 75002 (east Allen, which also takes in parts of Lucas and Parker) at a median list price of about $545,000, and 181 in 75013 (west Allen) at about $687,000. Both ZIPs showed a median of 61 to 62 days on market, and a quarter to a third of listings had a price cut.
Inventory is close to last year’s level, so buyers have time to compare and room to negotiate on resales, while new townhomes at The Farm, The Avenue and Chelsea Commons compete with older homes nearby. We price and shop by neighborhood and school zone rather than by city averages.
Live from the NTREIS MLS for homes in Allen (houses, townhomes and condos). Sold figures cover the last 60 days.
Monthly Allen market report with trends Compare Allen with nearby towns
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05Budget
For 2025, Allen’s city rate is $0.4154 per $100, a small cut from $0.4175 the year before, and Allen ISD’s is $1.1258. With Collin County ($0.149343) and Collin College ($0.08122), a home in Allen ISD totals about $1.77 per $100 before exemptions. The city offers a 5% homestead exemption and a $50,000 over-65 exemption.
Homes zoned to Lovejoy ISD ($1.2552) or McKinney ISD ($1.1043) carry different totals, and Collin CAD’s 2025 list shows no MUDs inside Allen city limits.
| Taxing unit | Rate per $100 of value |
|---|---|
| City of Allen (2025) | $0.415400 |
| Allen ISD (2025) | $1.125800 |
| Collin County (2025) | $0.149343 |
| Collin College (2025) | $0.081220 |
| Typical total (in city, no MUD) | ≈ $1.77 |
At about 1.77% before exemptions, a $487,000 home would owe roughly $8,600 a year. The $140,000 school homestead exemption and the city’s 5% exemption lower that noticeably.
A few new homes with Allen or Lucas addresses sit outside city limits or in another school district. We pull the tax certificate for every home so you compare real totals.
| Service | Provider |
|---|---|
| Electricity | Oncor delivery area; choose a retail provider |
| Water & sewer | City of Allen (North Texas Municipal Water District supply) |
| Trash & recycling | Community Waste Disposal (CWD), under city contract |
Tax rates are the adopted 2025 rates and change every year. Verify any address with the Collin Central Appraisal District before you buy. Estimate your payment →
06Education
Allen ISD covers about 27 square miles, including small parts of Parker and McKinney, and enrolled 20,092 students in 2025–26. TEA rated the district A (91) in 2025, with Allen High School at A (90) and Lowery Freshman Center at A (93). In TEA’s newest ratings, released in August 2026, the district again earned an A (90).
Allen ISD has one high school, so every student in the district graduates from Allen High. Small parts of the city are zoned to Lovejoy, McKinney or Plano ISD.
| School district | What to know |
|---|---|
| Allen ISD | Most of the city; A (91) district, A (90) high school in 2025. |
| Lovejoy ISD | Some Allen-area addresses; A (94) district in 2025. Confirm by address. |
| McKinney & Plano ISDs | Small pockets of the city. Confirm by address. |
School boundaries change as districts grow. We confirm the assigned campuses for every home before you make an offer.
07Location
US-75 (Central Expressway) runs north to south through Allen, and SH-121 (Sam Rayburn Tollway) runs along its northwest edge. Allen is not a DART member, so there is no local bus or rail; the nearest rail stations are in Plano. Collin County Rides offers appointment-based trips for seniors and riders with disabilities.
| Destination | Distance | Typical drive |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown McKinney | ~9 mi | 13–15 min |
| Downtown Plano | ~7 mi | About 11 min |
| UT Dallas, Richardson | ~12 mi | About 18 min |
| Legacy West, Plano | ~12 mi | About 20 min |
| Downtown Dallas | ~25 mi | 30–35 min off-peak |
| Dallas Love Field | ~27 mi | About 35 min |
| DFW Airport | ~33 mi | About 45 min |
Drive times are typical off-peak estimates. Allow more time at rush hour.
08Lifestyle
Open-air shops and restaurants around a village green, with live music and the Light the Night tree lighting each November.
Outlet shopping, and free Friday Night Live concerts at The Grove at The Village at Allen.
ECHL hockey at the city-owned, 7,500-seat Credit Union of Texas Event Center, which opened in 2009.
Allen High School football in an 18,000-seat stadium.
A December evening downtown with a tree lighting, a 5K, a drone show and kids’ activities.
Hike-and-bike trails, the Joe Farmer and Stephen G. Terrell recreation centers and The Edge Skate Park.
09Everyday life
Allen has a solid local job base in technology, financial services and insurance, and it sits between the Legacy and Richardson job centers to the south and McKinney to the north. Many residents work in Plano, Richardson or Frisco.
10Quick answers
Allen (about 113,000 residents in 2025) offers an A-rated school district, a central location on US-75 and SH-121, and shopping and entertainment at Watters Creek, the outlets and the Credit Union of Texas Event Center. The trade-offs are prices near $490,000, few new single-family lots and no DART rail.
Collin County. The whole city is in Collin County, so homes pay Collin County and Collin College rates.
About 25 road miles to downtown Dallas on US-75, roughly 30 to 35 minutes off-peak and longer at rush hour. Downtown McKinney is about 9 miles north.
Mostly Allen ISD, with 20,092 students in 2025–26. It earned an A (91) in 2025, and Allen High earned an A (90). Small parts of the city are in Lovejoy, McKinney or Plano ISD, so we verify every address.
One. Allen High School serves the whole district, with ninth graders at Lowery Freshman Center, and the team plays in the 18,000-seat Eagle Stadium.
About $1.77 per $100 for 2025 in Allen ISD: city $0.4154, Allen ISD $1.1258, Collin County $0.149343 and Collin College $0.08122, before exemptions.
Zillow’s typical home value was about $487,000 in September 2026, down about 5% from a year earlier. Median list prices ran about $545,000 in ZIP 75002 and $687,000 in 75013.
Some. Most new homes are townhomes at The Farm, The Avenue, Chelsea Commons and Twin Creeks Watters, plus luxury enclaves such as Custer Ridge Estates and The Reserve at Watters.
No. Allen is not a DART member, so there is no local bus or rail service. The nearest rail stations are in Plano.
Crime statistics are published by the Allen Police Department. We encourage every buyer to review the data for the specific area they are considering and to visit at different times of day. As agents, we share data sources rather than opinions about which neighborhoods are “safe.”
About this guide. Written by Shayla Eadler, Licensed Broker & Owner of Ten Twenty Realty (TREC #0747934), and reviewed October 2026. Facts come from public sources, including: U.S. Census Bureau (Vintage 2025), Collin CAD 2025 tax rates, City of Allen property taxes, City of Allen trash & recycling, Allen ISD ratings release, TEA 2025 ratings, Allen ISD, Texas Education Agency, Allen EDC news, Community Impact: Kalahari in Allen, Visit Allen, Zillow home value index, Realtor.com ZIP inventory data.
Your Allen expert
Karli specializes in Collin County real estate and has called DFW home for 17 years. She helps Allen buyers compare resale neighborhoods, new townhomes and school zones, and guides sellers through pricing, marketing and negotiation.
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