Moving to Plano, TX: What It’s Really Like (2026)

Plano is the North Texas suburb that grew up. It’s essentially built out, home to some of the biggest corporate campuses in the country, connected to Dallas and DFW Airport by rail, and full of established neighborhoods with mature trees. Its Realust Score is 80, lower than its newer neighbors to the north, but it beats them on Commute and on price.

Here’s what living in Plano is really like in 2026, using Realust data and official city, school and transit sources.

Plano at a glance

A big city, not a growing one

The Census Bureau estimates Plano had 293,028 residents in July 2025, and the North Central Texas Council of Governments puts it at 301,320 as of January 2026. Unlike Frisco, McKinney or Prosper, Plano isn’t adding many new neighborhoods: Realust measures just 1.0% population growth over five years, which is why its Growth score is 62. Most change now comes from redevelopment, like the $1 billion rebuild of the old Collin Creek Mall into homes, shops and a park.

Housing and what it costs

Plano’s median home price is $525,990, roughly $344,000 less than Frisco’s. The typical home was built around 1994 on a 12,100-square-foot lot, so you generally get an older house with a bigger yard and mature trees. Starter homes come in around $424,000 and premium homes around $970,000, with about $252 per square foot.

Prices are down 2.5% from a year ago and up 42.2% over five years. Homes sell in a median of 63 days, the fastest of the cities we profile, at about 96.9% of asking. Median rent is $1,781, and the estimated monthly payment on the median home is about $2,660, the lowest of the five.

Taxes: the city raised its rate to $0.4376 per $100 of value for FY2025-26, about two cents higher than the year before, and Plano ISD’s rate is about $1.04. The city offers a 20% homestead exemption. One Plano quirk is HOAs: about 45.5% of homes in our data have one, averaging $224 a month, much higher than in Frisco or McKinney.

Schools

Plano ISD earns an A- in our data, ranks in the top 24% of Texas districts and has 24 A-rated campuses in the city. The graduation rate is 94.5%. Parts of Plano are zoned to Frisco ISD, Lewisville ISD and Allen ISD, so check the specific address.

The bigger story is enrollment. Plano ISD enrollment has been falling for more than a decade. The district closed four campuses starting in 2025-26 and has projected further enrollment declines and budget shortfalls. If you’re buying for a specific school, check the district’s long-range facility plan before you commit.

Safety

Plano’s Safety score is 73, with a B grade. Violent crime is about 1.52 incidents per 1,000 residents and property crime about 14.66 per 1,000, both higher than in the newer suburbs to the north. Rates vary a lot by neighborhood.

Getting around

This is where Plano stands out. It’s 19.3 miles from downtown Dallas, the average commute is 26 minutes, and it’s one of the few North Texas suburbs with real rail. DART’s Red and Orange lines stop at Parker Road and Downtown Plano, and the new Silver Line, which opened in October 2025, runs from Plano’s 12th Street and Shiloh Road stations east-west to DFW Airport.

Plano debated leaving DART in 2025, but in February 2026 the city cancelled the withdrawal election and approved an agreement that keeps it in DART through September 2031. US-75, the Dallas North Tollway, the President George Bush Turnpike and SH 121 handle most car trips, and the US-75 HOV lanes are being converted to peak-hour technology lanes.

Jobs and the economy

Plano is one of the biggest job centers in North Texas. According to Plano Economic Development, the largest employers are JPMorgan Chase (about 11,100 employees), Bank of America, Capital One, Toyota Motor North America and PepsiCo. Companies headquartered in Plano include Toyota North America, JCPenney, Pizza Hut and Tyler Technologies, and AT&T has announced it’s moving its global headquarters to Legacy, with partial occupancy planned for 2028.

Day-to-day life

Plano’s Lifestyle score is 89. It has one of the most varied restaurant scenes in the suburbs, a walkable historic downtown along the rail line, and the Legacy West district for shopping and dining. For outdoor time, the city’s nature preserves include the 800-acre Oak Point Park and Nature Preserve and the 200-acre Arbor Hills Nature Preserve, and Visit Plano counts more than 80 parks and 100 miles of trails.

The honest tradeoffs

• Older housing stock. More updates and repairs than a new build.
• Rising city taxes. The city rate went up for FY2025-26.
• School uncertainty. Declining enrollment means more closures and boundary changes are possible.
• More crime than its northern neighbors. Still moderate, but the Safety score is the lowest of the five cities we profile.

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Who Plano fits

• Commuters to Dallas, Richardson or DFW Airport, especially anyone who wants a rail option.
• Buyers who want value: more house and yard per dollar than Frisco or Prosper.
• People who want an established city with mature trees, diverse dining and everything nearby.

Plano may not fit if you want a new home, a growing school district or the lowest crime rates in the region. See how it stacks up in our Frisco vs. Plano vs. McKinney matchup, compare it with Richardson and Allen, or explore the full Plano city page.

Sources

• U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Plano city, Texas
• NCTCOG: 2026 population estimates
• Community Impact: Plano raises property tax rate, adopts FY2025-26 budget
• Republic Title: 2025 DFW tax rates and exemptions
• Lewisville ISD: Communities served
• Plano ISD: Approved long-range facility plan
• NBC DFW: Plano ISD to close four campuses
• DART: Silver Line launch
• DART: City spotlight, Plano
• Community Impact: Plano to stay with DART
• City of Richardson: US 75 technology lane
• Plano Economic Development: Major employers (Q2 2026)
• NBC DFW: AT&T moving HQ to Plano
• City of Plano: Nature preserves and trails
• Collin Creek: Redevelopment update

Realust figures (scores, prices, days on market, crime rates, commute, school grades) are from Realust data as of October 2026; the comparison table updates live. Tax rates, population and project dates are from the official sources listed above. Rates change every year, so confirm with the appraisal district before you buy.