Head-to-Head · City Comparison
Allen, TX
VS
Plano, TX
🏆 Plano leads 11 of 21 categories
Allen
Texas
10
wins
Cost of Living Index
103.3⚠ High
Median Household Income
$121,259 ✓ Higher
Violent Crime Index
28 ✓ Safer
Population
105,444
Plano
Texas
11
wins
Cost of Living Index
103.3⚠ High
Median Household Income
$105,679
Violent Crime Index
40
Population
284,948 ✓ Larger
Pros & Cons
Auto-generated from official data — head-to-head differences and gaps vs the national average.
Allen, TX
Pros
30% less violent crime than Plano
Violent crime is well below the national average (106.4 vs 380/100k)
Households earn $15,580 more per year on average
Homes cost $22k less ($390,200 vs $412,500)
Cons
Nothing stands out — a close match here.
Plano, TX
Pros
Violent crime is well below the national average (151.6 vs 380/100k)
More college-educated — 58.4% hold a bachelor's or higher
Smaller class sizes — 13.7:1 student-teacher ratio
Cons
Median income trails Allen by $15,580/yr
Pricier housing — median home is $412,500
Key Differences at a Glance
Allen
Median Income
$15,580
$121,259 vs $105,679/yr
Allen
Violent Crime
30% lower
106.4 vs 151.6 per 100k
Allen
Median Home Value
$22k less
$390,200 vs $412,500
Both cities
Cost of Living
≈ Equal
Both near 103.3 on the COL index
Full Data Comparison
| Metric | Allen, TX | Plano, 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 | $412,500⚠ High |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,747⚠ High | $1,699⚠ High ✓ Lower |
| 📈 Income & Economy | ||
| Median Household Income | $121,259 ✓ Higher | $105,679 |
| Unemployment Rate | 4.3%⚠ High ✓ Lower | 4.4%⚠ High |
| Avg Commute Minutes each way | 27.0 min | 25.8 min ✓ Shorter |
| Work From Home % | 21.4% | 22.3% ✓ Higher |
| 🔒 Safety | ||
| Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer · 60% violent / 40% property | 34 ✓ Safer | 52 |
| Violent Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 28 ✓ Safer | 40 |
| Property Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 42 ✓ Safer | 70 |
| 🎓 Education | ||
| School Quality 100 = national avg · grad rate, staffing & attainment | A (125) | A+ (134) ✓ Better |
| Student-Teacher Ratio Lower = smaller classes | 16.2:1 | 13.7:1 ✓ Smaller |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 55.2% | 58.4% ✓ Higher |
| High School or Higher | 95.8% ✓ Higher | 93.6% |
| School District Name only — no quality rating available | ALLEN ISD | PLANO ISD |
| 🌤 Weather | ||
| Avg High — January | 55.5°F | 55.9°F ✓ Warmer |
| Avg High — July | 95.0°F ✓ Warmer | 94.3°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 40.8" | 40.7" ✓ Drier |
| Annual Snowfall | 2.6" | 2.6" |
| 👥 Demographics | ||
| Population | 105,444 | 284,948 ✓ Larger |
| Median Age | 37.8 | 38.9 ✓ Older |
| Homeownership Rate | 70.9% ✓ Higher | 56.7% |
| Under 18 | 25.9% ✓ More | 21.7% |
| Over 65 | 10.4% | 13.7% ✓ More |
Frequently Asked Questions
Allen's cost of living index is 103.3 vs Plano's 103.3 (US average = 100).
Both have a similar overall cost of living.
Based on the 21 decided categories above, Plano leads 11 of 21 categories. Allen wins 10 and Plano wins 11. 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 Plano or relocating the other way, focus on the biggest gaps: housing ($390,200 vs $412,500 median home), income ($121,259 vs $105,679), safety, and schools — all covered in the full table above.
Allen, TX and Plano, TX are about 6 miles apart (straight-line distance). Driving distance will be longer depending on the route.