Allen and McKinney sit next to each other on US 75, and on price they’re nearly twins: the typical home differs by about $13,000. Tax rates are almost identical too. So the choice comes down to schools, location and the kind of city you want around you.
Here’s how they compare across the eight categories in the Realust Score. The table updates live as our data does.
At a glance
Live scores · top score in each row in boldCompare every data point →
Twice Allen’s size, still growing, with newer homes and a historic downtown square.
Higher-rated schools, lower crime and about 8 miles closer to downtown Dallas, for nearly the same price.
Money: nearly a wash
Zillow puts the typical Allen home at $485,393 and McKinney at $472,118. With 20% down at 7.40%, that’s about $2,689 a month in principal and interest in Allen versus $2,615 in McKinney. Affordability scores are 83 and 82.
Tax rates are just as close. Allen’s city rate is $0.4147 per $100 for FY2026-27, its latest in a string of annual cuts going back to FY2017-18, and Allen ISD’s is $1.1037: about $1.52 combined. McKinney’s city rate is $0.412284 and McKinney ISD’s is $1.1043, also about $1.52. McKinney ISD has a tax rate election on November 3, 2026, so check the result before you budget. HOAs are more common in Allen: 36% of homes in our data versus 17.5% in McKinney, at similar averages ($123 and $107 a month).
- With price and taxes this close, which daily trips matter most to you?
- Do you prefer a newer home or an established neighborhood?
Schools
Allen has the edge. Allen ISD is rated 8.5 out of 10, ahead of 93% of Texas districts, with a 98.3% graduation rate. McKinney ISD is rated 6.6, ahead of 71%, with a 98.1% graduation rate. Schools scores: Allen 89, McKinney 83.
Allen ISD is a single-city district with one large high school; its enrollment is declining and it adopted a budget with a $5.3 million shortfall for 2026-27. McKinney is split among several districts: besides McKinney ISD, parts of the city feed into Frisco, Prosper, Lovejoy and other ISDs. Check the campuses for any address you’re considering.
Safety
Allen reported 0.83 violent crimes per 1,000 residents in 2025, against 1.29 in McKinney. Property crime is close: 7.45 versus 7.61. Both are among the lower rates for cities their size. Safety scores: Allen 84, McKinney 80.
Getting around
Allen is 25.0 miles from downtown Dallas; McKinney is 33.3. Yet average commutes are the same, 28 minutes in each, and both are about 34 miles from DFW Airport, so the Commute scores (75 and 74) are nearly level. Neither city is in DART. McKinney’s airport opens a commercial passenger terminal in November 2026, which could help for some trips.
- Is your work closer to Dallas or farther north?
- Would a local airport with commercial flights matter for your travel?
Growth and the market
McKinney is growing faster: about 16% over five years against 8% in Allen. The median McKinney home was built in 2018, the median Allen home in 2004. Growth scores: McKinney 75, Allen 68. McKinney also has more room left to build, especially on its north and east sides.
Both markets have cooled by about the same amount: down 5.6% in McKinney and 5.4% in Allen over the past year, and up about 12% and 14% over five years. Homes sell in a little over two months in both (66 and 68 days). McKinney edges Allen on Market, 78 to 76.
Lifestyle: a tie
Both score 89. McKinney’s anchor is its historic downtown, a National Register district with local shops and restaurants. Allen leans toward newer shopping and entertainment, like Watters Creek and the Allen Premium Outlets. Visit both on a weekend evening.
So which one?
- Choose Allen if school ratings, lower crime and a shorter drive to Dallas matter most and you’re comfortable with an older housing stock.
- Choose McKinney if you want a newer home, a historic downtown and a city that’s still growing, for a few thousand dollars less.
Our overall scores put Allen at 86 (tied for No. 19 in North Texas) and McKinney at 84 (tied for No. 24). Allen wins five categories, McKinney two, with one tie. Set your own weights, or put them side by side on the compare page.
Sources
- City of Allen: Lower tax rate set for FY2026-27
- Community Impact: Allen decreases tax rate, adopts FY2026-27 budget
- Allen ISD: Local school tax rate
- Star Local Media: Allen ISD adopts 2026-27 budget amid enrollment decline
- City of McKinney: FY2025-26 tax rate
- Community Impact: McKinney maintains tax rate for FY2026-27
- McKinney ISD: Election 2026 financial information
- City of McKinney: School district boundaries (GIS)
- City of McKinney: Airport passenger terminal opening
- National Park Service: McKinney Commercial Historic District
- DART: Service area
Realust figures (scores, typical home values, estimated payments, days on market, crime rates, commute times, school ratings) are from Realust data as of October 2026. Home values are Zillow’s typical home value; estimated payments are principal and interest with 20% down at a 7.40% 30-year rate; crime rates are FBI 2025 reports per 1,000 residents. The comparison table updates live. Tax rates and project dates come from the official sources listed above. Rates change every year, so confirm with the appraisal district before you buy.