What Are The Pros And Cons Of Living In McKinney, Texas?
The State of Texas is known for its educational opportunities, business opportunities, low tax rates, and a great cost of living. A majority of these statistics come from thriving cities such as Dallas, San Antonio, Austin, and Houston. Outside of these cities are suburbs that contribute to their thriving economy and make Texas such a great place to live. McKinney is one of those contributing suburb cities.
The city of McKinney is located Northeast of Dallas. Its central location in the state provides easy access to a variety of activities and landscapes.
McKinney, TX is known for having a lot to offer individuals. The pros of McKinney are strong educational systems, business opportunities, high-end living, and welcoming communities. Cons of the area may include a higher cost of living, minimal public transportation, and intense weather. The pros tend to outweigh the cons for this wonderful part of the state and in turn, McKinney is continually listed as one of the most highly rated places to live in America.
Looking to make a move? Continue reading to dive into the details of the pros and cons of living in McKinney, TX.
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What Are The Pros Of Living In McKinney?
There is much to talk about when it comes to the pros of McKinney, TX. They have been known for 125 years as the commercial center for the county. Businesses in the area include retail, banks, entertainment, and tech industry. The rural areas produce goods such as cotton, flour, and corn.
Highly Rated Place To Live In America
McKinney has been rated one of the best places to live in Texas and America. When you look at all McKinney has to offer, you can see why. With a combination of beautiful homes, highly rated education, thriving economy, an influx of job opportunities, and incredible infrastructure, it’s hard not to have this place ranked highly.
Magnificent Homes
When looking at the real estate side of McKinney, there are a variety of options to choose from. From condos to multi-bedroom homes, you will find an assortment of styles, colors, floor plans, and square footage. If you don’t find exactly what you are looking for, the highly recommended builders in the area can create the dream home you want.
With master communities that offer pools, clubhouses, on-site workout facilities, tennis courts, and more, settling into one of McKinney’s neighborhoods can offer a lot of entertainment and additions to life.
Top Tier Education
When deciding on the community to move to, you also want to consider the school systems in the area, right? You want to make sure your children are receiving the best support and education they can get. McKinney ISD has been ranked as one of the top DFW area school districts in Texas. Their school system is even recognized as having one of the best high schools in the country. From Pre-K to 12th grade, McKinney ISD has held a top-ranking position for years now, and they plan on keeping it.
Variety Of Things To Do
While McKinney is only 30 miles away from the Dallas-Fort Worth Metro Area, also known as the Entertainment Capital of Texas. You will find there is plenty of entertainment here, without even having to drive into Dallas.
From enjoying the shopping in Downtown Main Street to recreational activities in Town Lake, and multiple breweries to visit, McKinney has enough to keep you and your family busy.
Affluent And Welcoming Communities
With McKinney’s population under 200K, there is still a small-town suburban feel here with close-knit and welcoming communities all around.
As I mentioned before, real estate is truly remarkable here. You can find condo and villa communities like you have never seen with unique details, individual styles, and high-class amenities. You can find neighborhoods ranging from the high $800s and into the lower millions. You also can find neighborhoods ranging in the high $200s to low $800s. There are communities here to fit everyone’s needs and welcome you with open arms.
Thriving Job Economy
With McKinney being a huge commercial and industrial center and also located 30 miles from Dallas-Fort Worth, you may have guessed that there is an abundance of business and job opportunities. The average household income in McKinney is around $90K a year and many commute to Dallas for work.
Large employers in the area include great companies like:
- SRS Distribution – Roofing distributors
- Globe Life – Financial services
- United American Insurance – Insurance industry
- Encore Wire – Building wire
- Sunrise Beach – Aircraft repair
Low Crime Rate
The crime rate in McKinney is below the normal average, it comes as a shock to most when they find this out, due to it being in such close proximity to a large city. With the ratio of incidences being 10 out of 1,000 residents compared to the average of Texas incidents at 26 per 1,000. McKinney thrives on having a rich, affluent economy and community.
What Are the Cons of Living in McKinney?
As the list could go on for the pros in McKinney, TX, there can be some drawbacks when living here. While most people rate McKinney very high, knowing that you may have to deal with a combination of Texas heat, terrible traffic, little public transportation, and higher costs of living should all play into a decision to locate here.
Summer Heat Temps
When summertime rolls around temperatures in Texas skyrocket. Starting in May and ending in September, the temperature creeps up from the high 80s and into the low 100s by August. This excessive heat usually lasts from July until the end of August with August being the hottest month in Texas.
Once you hit September and into the beginning of November you will see temperatures drop into the low 90s and high 70s. Due to the extreme heat in Texas, it is always good to be prepared when planning an outing during these months with extra water, light clothing, and even a small portable fan.
Rough Weather
During the change of seasons from warmer weather to colder weather or colder weather to warmer weather, you will find that McKinney comes across a lot of severe storms. Being only 3 hours away from Oklahoma, McKinney runs into severe storms multiple times throughout the year.
These storms include large hail, gusty winds, occasional tornadoes, and lots of rain. Most of the time, severe weather happens around April and May when the seasons are changing. Overall, the weather is pretty temperate, besides these few times a year.
Long Commutes and Traffic
If you choose to find a job in the Dallas-Fort Worth area but live in McKinney, then it is expected you will run into quite a bit of traffic during your commute. The drive itself is only 30 miles and sometimes less depending on the proximity of your residence to the office.
McKinney is located on Highway 75 which runs into the Dallas area. While there are other routes to take such as tolls and back roads, this will be the quickest and easiest way to and from Dallas. On this road, you will find very fast drivers and lots of traffic. Traffic is usually caused by accidents, rush hour, or construction.
It is commonplace for rush hour traffic on 75 to be backed up and delayed. Understanding times of day that traffic is worst as well as using a navigation system that provides real-time traffic flow analysis can help you avoid lengthy commutes.
Little Public Transportation
Unfortunately, you won’t find much public transportation here. This is mainly a vehicle-dependent area. A few bus routes exist, but depending on the public transportation as a primary means to get around will be very challenging.
You will need to have your own form of transportation or arrange transportation yourself to be able to get around. This makes it difficult for those who are dependent on public transportation and do not have their own vehicle.
Cost of Living
After reading all of this, you probably guessed that the cost of living is a bit higher than normal here. McKinney’s cost of living averages 20% higher. This includes costs such as goods and services, utilities, and housing.
Costs such as health care, groceries, and transportation are around the average rate of cost. This is due to McKinney’s thriving economy and continuous growth.
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Our Final Take
McKinney, TX is a thriving community and is ready to welcome you in. There are endless opportunities, wonderful living, and great entertainment in McKinney. Bad weather, traffic, and a high cost of living can cause one to pause, but generally, the pros greatly outweigh the cons in this area. There is definitely a reason why the city continues to be so highly rated!
Check it out for yourself and see the possibilities when you get there, you won’t be disappointed.
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Paige is an elementary school librarian with a passion for writing. Her hobbies include reading an exorbitant amount of fantasy, slowly teaching herself to draw, and home decor. While she isn't the most talented artist or interior designer, what she lacks in skill she more than makes up for in enthusiasm. When she's not curled up with a book, you can certainly find her curled over the keyboard.
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