Brick storefronts and string lights on the historic downtown square in McKinney, Texas

2026 McKinney community guide · Collin County

Living in McKinney, TX

A real historic downtown, master-planned neighborhoods from Stonebridge Ranch to Painted Tree, and one of the lowest city tax rates in Collin County.

Homes for sale in McKinney
Population
236,001Census estimate, July 2025
County
CollinCounty seat since 1848
Main school district
McKinney ISDPlus parts of Frisco, Prosper, Allen & others
Median sold price
$525,000Resideline, 6 mo. to Oct 2026
Est. total tax rate
≈1.71–1.75%City + McKinney ISD, before exemptions
To downtown Dallas
~32 mi35–50 min via US-75

For sale now

Homes for sale in McKinney, TX

From 1900s Victorians near the square to new builds in Painted Tree and Trinity Falls. Here are the latest homes, plus quick links to the searches McKinney buyers run most.

All McKinney listings
Jump to a section
  1. Is McKinney a good place to live?
  2. Pros & cons
  3. Neighborhoods
  4. Real estate market
  5. Cost of living & taxes
  6. Schools
  7. Commute & location
  8. Things to do
  9. Jobs & everyday life
  10. FAQ

01Overview

Is McKinney, Texas a good place to live?

For most buyers, yes. McKinney pairs a genuinely historic downtown square with large, amenity-rich neighborhoods, A-rated McKinney ISD high schools and a city tax rate ($0.412 per $100) that is among the lowest in Collin County. The trade-offs are price, with a median sale around $525,000, and traffic on US-75 and US-380 while those corridors are rebuilt.

McKinney has been the Collin County seat since 1848 and is named for Collin McKinney, a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence. The 1870s courthouse on the square is now the McKinney Performing Arts Center, and the blocks around it are filled with locally owned restaurants, boutiques and some of the best-preserved Victorian and Craftsman homes in North Texas.

It is also a big city now: about 236,000 people in the Census Bureau’s July 2025 estimate, which puts McKinney among the 100 largest cities in the country. Growth has moved north. Painted Tree, Trinity Falls and Aster Park are adding thousands of homes north of US-380, while Stonebridge Ranch and Craig Ranch in the southwest are established and largely built out.

Because McKinney is so large, daily life depends a lot on which side of town you choose. School district, commute and even the tax structure (some communities are in MUDs) change from one neighborhood to the next, which is why we compare specific addresses rather than “McKinney” as a whole.

Local tip from Shayla

If you love downtown but don’t want a 100-year-old house, look at the newer infill and townhome pockets within a mile or two of the square. And check whether a home sits in the Historic Overlay District: exterior changes there need a certificate of appropriateness from the city.

What locals love about McKinney

  • Historic Downtown McKinney and its year-round festivals
  • The Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary (289 acres)
  • Erwin Park’s 212 acres of trails and open space
  • The PGA Tour’s CJ Cup Byron Nelson at TPC Craig Ranch each spring
  • Commercial flights from McKinney National Airport, scheduled to start November 2026

02Honest take

Pros and cons of living in McKinney

What we tell our own clients before they make a move.

Pros

  • Lower city tax rateAt $0.412 per $100 for FY2026–27, the city rate is lower than most fast-growing neighbors.
  • A real downtownA walkable 1870s-era square with restaurants, shops and events most suburbs can’t replicate.
  • Strong high schoolsAll three McKinney ISD comprehensive high schools earned A ratings from TEA for 2025–26.
  • Local jobsRaytheon, Globe Life, Encore Wire, Collin County and two hospitals are all in town.
  • Range of homesHistoric bungalows, golf-course homes, townhomes and brand-new master plans in one city.

Cons

  • Higher price pointThe median sale is about $525,000, well above Princeton or Anna.
  • US-75 and US-380 trafficUS-380 widening isn’t expected to finish until about 2028.
  • School district variesParts of McKinney are zoned to Frisco, Prosper, Allen, Melissa, Lovejoy or Celina ISD.
  • Rising utility billsWater rates rose 9% and wastewater 11% on Oct. 1, 2026, driven by regional water costs.
  • MUD taxes in some areasTrinity Falls and parts of the ETJ carry MUD taxes, so compare total rates.

03Where to live

Best neighborhoods in McKinney

McKinney has more than a dozen established master plans. These are the ones our buyers ask about most, from historic streets to brand-new communities.

Stonebridge Ranch

Master-planned

More than 5,000 acres and 70-plus villages in west McKinney, with a beach club, aquatic center, pools and miles of greenbelt trails. Mature trees and a wide range of home sizes.

Typical price
Wide range by village
Schools
Mostly McKinney ISD (verify by address)
Homes near Stonebridge Ranch

Craig Ranch

Golf community

Built around TPC Craig Ranch, home of the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, with single-family homes, townhomes and walkable shops and restaurants along SH-121.

Schools
Mostly Frisco ISD (verify by address)
Homes near Craig Ranch

Historic District

Historic

Victorian and Craftsman homes, mostly built 1895–1930, on tree-lined streets northwest of the square. Part of the city’s Historic Overlay District.

Typical price
Varies by size & restoration
Schools
McKinney ISD (verify by address)
Homes near Historic District

Tucker Hill

Traditional town

Front porches, rear-entry garages, a central fountain park and a resort pool in a walkable, old-town-style plan in northwest McKinney.

Schools
Prosper ISD
Homes near Tucker Hill

Trinity Falls

Master-planned

About 2,000 acres in north McKinney around the 350-acre B.B. Owen Park, with a beach-entry pool, a lodge, trails and a 55-plus section. A MUD community.

Typical price
From the $400s
Schools
McKinney ISD
Builders
Highland, Perry, Del Webb, Chesmar, Coventry, Drees
Homes near Trinity Falls

Painted Tree

New construction

About 1,100 acres just north of US-380, three miles from downtown, with a 20-acre stocked lake, about 200 acres of open space and three pool hubs.

Typical price
Low $400s to $1M+
Schools
McKinney ISD
Builders
Coventry, Highland, Green Brick
Homes near Painted Tree

Aster Park

Gated

A 414-acre gated community by Hines in northwest McKinney with more than 1,100 homesites.

Builders
M/I Homes, Highland Homes, Toll Brothers
Homes near Aster Park

Adriatica Village

Mixed-use

A 45-acre Croatian-inspired village inside Stonebridge Ranch, with a 128-foot bell tower, a chapel, cafés, shops, condos and apartments.

Homes near Adriatica Village

New construction & builders in McKinney

Community Builders What to expect
Painted Tree Coventry, Highland, Green Brick Townhomes and single-family from the low $400s
Trinity Falls Highland, Perry, Del Webb, Chesmar, Coventry, Drees From the $400s; 55-plus section; MUD
Aster Park M/I Homes, Highland, Toll Brothers Gated; 1,100+ homesites

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

McKinney real estate market

Over the six months to early October 2026, McKinney’s median closed price was about $525,000 across roughly 1,600 sales, with the middle half of sales between $420,000 and $658,000 (Resideline). Homes went under contract in a median of 34 days, and about 96% of sales were single-family houses.

The city issued 1,930 single-family building permits in 2024, the most since 2017, so on the north side new construction competes directly with resales. That gives buyers room to negotiate builder incentives, and it means sellers need to price against brand-new homes.

McKinney homes today: live MLS numbers

1125
Homes For Sale
$544,000
Median List Price
78
Average Days on Site
$519,000
Median Sold Price
342
Homes Sold

Live from the NTREIS MLS for homes in McKinney (houses, townhomes and condos). Sold figures cover the last 60 days.

Monthly McKinney market report with trends   Compare McKinney with nearby towns

Types of homes you’ll find

  • Historic homesVictorian and Craftsman homes near the square, 1895–1930.
  • Established master plansResale homes in Stonebridge Ranch and Craig Ranch.
  • New constructionPainted Tree, Trinity Falls and Aster Park, north of US-380.
  • Townhomes & condosCraig Ranch, Painted Tree and Adriatica.

Thinking of selling in McKinney?

Get a free, local Comparative Market Analysis — not an automated guess.

What’s my home worth?

05Budget

Cost of living & property taxes in McKinney

McKinney’s city tax rate is $0.412284 per $100 of value for FY2026–27, unchanged from the year before. For most of the city, the full bill adds Collin County, Collin College and McKinney ISD: about $1.71 to $1.75 per $100 before exemptions.

McKinney ISD voters decide a bond and tax-rate election on Nov. 3, 2026. If every proposition passes, the district rate would drop slightly to $1.0664, so check the final rate before you budget.

Taxing unit Rate per $100 of value
City of McKinney (FY2026–27) $0.412284
Collin County (2026) $0.151414
Collin College $0.081220
McKinney ISD (2025) $1.104300
Typical total ≈ $1.71–$1.75

At about 1.73% before exemptions, a $525,000 home would owe roughly $9,100 a year. A homestead exemption lowers the school portion.

Ask about MUDs & PIDs

Trinity Falls and some ETJ neighborhoods are in Municipal Utility Districts, where a MUD tax replaces the city tax. That isn’t automatically more expensive, but always compare the total rate on the tax certificate, not just the list price.

Utilities

Service Provider
Electricity Mostly Oncor delivery area, so you choose a retail provider (a few edges are co-op)
Water & wastewater City of McKinney (North Texas Municipal Water District supply); MUDs in some communities
Natural gas Atmos Energy

Tax rates are the adopted 2026 rates and change every year. Verify any address with the Collin Central Appraisal District before you buy. Estimate your payment →

06Education

Schools in McKinney

About two-thirds of McKinney residents are zoned to McKinney ISD, which TEA rated B (87) for 2025–26, its fifth straight B, while all three of its comprehensive high schools earned A ratings. The rest of the city is split among Frisco, Prosper, Allen, Melissa, Lovejoy and Celina ISDs.

School district What to know
McKinney ISD Most of the city; B (87) for 2025–26. A Nov. 2026 bond would fund two new elementary schools and a CTE center with Collin College.
Frisco ISD Southwest McKinney, including most of Craig Ranch.
Prosper ISD Northwest pockets, including Tucker Hill.
Allen, Melissa, Lovejoy & Celina ISDs Smaller edges of the city. Confirm by address.

High schools

McKinney High SchoolMcKinney Boyd High SchoolMcKinney North High School

Colleges nearby

  • Collin College McKinney Campus
  • Collin Higher Education Center (bachelor’s and graduate programs with partner universities)
Always verify zoning

School boundaries change as districts grow. We confirm the assigned campuses for every home before you make an offer.

07Location

Commute & getting around McKinney

McKinney sits on US-75 about 32 miles north of downtown Dallas. SH-121 (Sam Rayburn Tollway) runs southwest toward Frisco and DFW Airport, and US-380 crosses east to west. McKinney National Airport is scheduled to begin Avelo Airlines service to Florida and Las Vegas in November 2026.

There is no DART rail in McKinney; Collin County Transit offers curb-to-curb rides.

Destination Distance Typical drive
Downtown Dallas ~32 mi 35–50 min
DFW Airport ~35–40 mi 40–50 min
Legacy West, Plano ~15 mi 20–25 min
Frisco ~12 mi 20 min
Sherman ~35 mi 35–40 min

Drive times are typical off-peak estimates. Allow more time at rush hour.

08Lifestyle

Things to do in McKinney

Couple walking a wooden boardwalk through a wetland nature preserve in North Texas
Local favoriteTrails, wetlands and open spaceBetween the Heard’s 289-acre sanctuary and Erwin Park’s 212 acres, McKinney makes it easy to get outside.

Historic Downtown McKinney

Restaurants, boutiques and galleries around the 1870s courthouse, now the McKinney Performing Arts Center.

Heard Natural Science Museum

A 289-acre wildlife sanctuary with nature trails and exhibits.

Erwin Park

212 acres of trails, picnic areas and natural space in north McKinney.

CJ Cup Byron Nelson

The PGA Tour stops at TPC Craig Ranch every spring, under contract through 2030.

Downtown festivals

Arts in Bloom, Red White & Boom, Oktoberfest and Home for the Holidays fill the square through the year.

Adriatica Village

A Croatian-style village with a bell tower, chapel, cafés and shops inside Stonebridge Ranch.

09Everyday life

Jobs, shopping & healthcare near McKinney

McKinney has a deeper local job base than most of its neighbors, so many residents work close to home. Growth is concentrated north of US-380, where new neighborhoods, schools and retail are still being built.

What’s being built in McKinney

  • Commercial service from McKinney National Airport’s new 46,000-sq-ft terminal (Avelo Airlines, scheduled for November 2026)
  • US-380 widening to six lanes, expected around 2028
  • Thousands of new homes in Painted Tree, Trinity Falls and Aster Park
  • A proposed McKinney ISD bond (Nov. 2026) for two new elementary schools

Major employers nearby

  • Raytheon (about 4,200 employees)
  • McKinney ISD and Collin County
  • Globe Life
  • Encore Wire
  • Medical City McKinney and Baylor Scott & White–McKinney

Hospitals & healthcare

  • Medical City McKinney
  • Baylor Scott & White Medical Center–McKinney
  • Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Allen

10Quick answers

McKinney, TX FAQ

Is McKinney, TX a good place to live?

McKinney offers a historic downtown, large parks and nature preserves, A-rated McKinney ISD high schools and one of the lower city tax rates in Collin County. The main trade-offs are a median home price around $525,000 and traffic on US-75 and US-380.

What is the property tax rate in McKinney, TX?

The City of McKinney rate is $0.412284 per $100 for FY2026–27. Adding Collin County, Collin College and McKinney ISD brings most homes to roughly $1.71–$1.75 per $100 before exemptions. MUD communities such as Trinity Falls are structured differently.

What school district is McKinney in?

Mostly McKinney ISD, which serves about two-thirds of residents. Parts of the city are zoned to Frisco, Prosper, Allen, Melissa, Lovejoy or Celina ISD. For example, most of Craig Ranch is Frisco ISD and Tucker Hill is Prosper ISD.

How far is McKinney from Dallas?

About 32 miles north of downtown Dallas via US-75, typically 35 to 50 minutes depending on traffic. Plano’s Legacy area is about 20 to 25 minutes away.

What is the median home price in McKinney?

About $525,000 for closings in the six months to October 2026 (Resideline), with the middle half of sales between $420,000 and $658,000.

What are the best neighborhoods in McKinney?

Buyers most often ask about Stonebridge Ranch, Craig Ranch, Tucker Hill, Trinity Falls, Painted Tree and the Historic District. The right one depends on your budget, school district and commute.

Does McKinney have commercial flights?

Avelo Airlines is scheduled to begin service from McKinney National Airport on Nov. 11, 2026, to Florida and Las Vegas, subject to final federal approvals.

Is McKinney still growing?

Yes. McKinney added about 8,500 residents in the year to July 2025, one of the ten largest numeric gains in the U.S., and issued 1,930 single-family building permits in 2024.

Is McKinney, TX safe?

Crime statistics are published by the McKinney 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), City of McKinney, McKinney ISD, Community Impact McKinney, Resideline market data.

Shayla Eadler, broker and owner of Ten Twenty Realty, in a teal top at a white oak kitchen island

Your McKinney expert

Talk to Shayla about McKinney

Shayla has helped buyers and sellers across McKinney for more than six years, from historic-district bungalows to new builds north of US-380.

  • Neighborhood and school-zone answers for specific addresses
  • Early access to Coming Soon and off-market homes
  • Builder, MUD/PID and tax-rate comparisons before you commit

Ask Shayla about McKinney

Goes directly to Shayla. We typically respond within the hour during business hours.