Head-to-Head · City Comparison
Allen, TX
VS
McKinney, TX
🏆 Allen leads 11 of 20 categories
Allen
Texas
11
wins
Cost of Living Index
103.3⚠ High
Median Household Income
$121,259 ✓ Higher
Violent Crime Index
28 ✓ Safer
Population
105,444
McKinney
Texas
9
wins
Cost of Living Index
103.3⚠ High
Median Household Income
$113,286
Violent Crime Index
31
Population
196,160 ✓ Larger
Pros & Cons
Auto-generated from official data — head-to-head differences and gaps vs the national average.
Allen, TX
Pros
Violent crime is well below the national average (106.4 vs 380/100k)
Households earn $7,973 more per year on average
More college-educated — 55.2% hold a bachelor's or higher
Cons
Nothing stands out — a close match here.
McKinney, TX
Pros
Violent crime is well below the national average (117.3 vs 380/100k)
Stronger job market — unemployment is 0.6 pts lower (3.7%)
Smaller class sizes — 14.1:1 student-teacher ratio
Cons
Median income trails Allen by $7,973/yr
Key Differences at a Glance
Allen
Median Income
$7,973
$121,259 vs $113,286/yr
Allen
Violent Crime
9% lower
106.4 vs 117.3 per 100k
Allen
Median Home Value
$10k less
$390,200 vs $400,400
Both cities
Cost of Living
≈ Equal
Both near 103.3 on the COL index
McKinney
Unemployment
0.6 pp lower
3.7% vs 4.3% unemployment
Full Data Comparison
| Metric | Allen, TX | McKinney, TX |
|---|---|---|
| 💰 Cost of Living | ||
| Cost of Living Index National avg = 100 · lower = cheaper | 103.3⚠ High | 103.3⚠ High |
| Median Home Value | $390,200⚠ High ✓ Lower | $400,400⚠ High |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,747⚠ High | $1,740⚠ High ✓ Lower |
| 📈 Income & Economy | ||
| Median Household Income | $121,259 ✓ Higher | $113,286 |
| Unemployment Rate | 4.3%⚠ High | 3.7% ✓ Lower |
| Avg Commute Minutes each way | 27.0 min ✓ Shorter | 28.3 min⚠ High |
| Work From Home % | 21.4% ✓ Higher | 18.5% |
| 🔒 Safety | ||
| Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer · 60% violent / 40% property | 34 | 34 |
| Violent Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 28 ✓ Safer | 31 |
| Property Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 42 | 39 ✓ Safer |
| 🎓 Education | ||
| School Quality 100 = national avg · grad rate, staffing & attainment | A (125) | A+ (130) ✓ Better |
| Student-Teacher Ratio Lower = smaller classes | 16.2:1 | 14.1:1 ✓ Smaller |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 55.2% ✓ Higher | 52.2% |
| High School or Higher | 95.8% ✓ Higher | 94.8% |
| School District Name only — no quality rating available | ALLEN ISD | MCKINNEY ISD |
| 🌤 Weather | ||
| Avg High — January | 55.5°F | 56.4°F ✓ Warmer |
| Avg High — July | 95.0°F ✓ Warmer | 94.2°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 40.8" ✓ Drier | 42.4" |
| Annual Snowfall | 2.6" | 2.6" |
| 👥 Demographics | ||
| Population | 105,444 | 196,160 ✓ Larger |
| Median Age | 37.8 ✓ Older | 36.9 |
| Homeownership Rate | 70.9% ✓ Higher | 64.9% |
| Under 18 | 25.9% | 27.5% ✓ More |
| Over 65 | 10.4% | 10.5% ✓ More |
Frequently Asked Questions
Allen's cost of living index is 103.3 vs McKinney's 103.3 (US average = 100).
Both have a similar overall cost of living.
Based on the 20 decided categories above, Allen leads 11 of 20 categories. Allen wins 11 and McKinney wins 9. The right choice depends on your priorities — use the Pros & Cons and full table above to weigh what matters to you.
Whether you're moving from Allen to McKinney or relocating the other way, focus on the biggest gaps: housing ($390,200 vs $400,400 median home), income ($121,259 vs $113,286), safety, and schools — all covered in the full table above.
Allen, TX and McKinney, TX are about 6 miles apart (straight-line distance). Driving distance will be longer depending on the route.