Established, central, connected.
Living in Allen, Texas
Allen sits on US 75 between Plano and McKinney, with one main school district and a lower city tax rate for 2026-27.
Why Allen
Collin County
Allen is a mostly built-out Collin County city of 113,447 people (Census estimate, July 2025), bordered by SH 121 on the west and split by US 75. U.S. News and World Report ranked it No. 23 on its 2026-2027 list of the 250 Best Places to Live in the U.S. In September 2026, 76 homes sold with a median sale price of $474,330 and an average of 56 days on market, according to Community Impact.
Because Allen has little raw land left, most of what you will buy here is resale, and that changes the game. You are paying for location, mature trees and finished amenities, but also for 10, 20 or 30 year old roofs, HVAC and windows. Budget for those systems up front and negotiate with real repair numbers, not guesses.
Schools, taxes, commute
Allen ISD serves almost all of the city, with small pockets in Lovejoy, McKinney and Plano ISDs, so check zoning by address. The district is still working through projects from its 2024 bond, including the Curtis Middle School renovation (through July 2027) and Green Elementary and Ford Middle renovations starting summer 2027. Allen ISD's 18,000-seat Eagle Stadium opened in 2012.
For tax year 2025, Allen homes pay the city (0.4154), Collin County (0.149343), Collin College (0.08122) and their school district. That is about 1.77% combined with Allen ISD (1.1258), ranging from about 1.69% in Plano ISD to about 1.90% in Lovejoy ISD. On a $500,000 home in Allen ISD that is roughly $738 a month before exemptions, and the city also offers a 5% homestead exemption on its portion. For 2026-27 the city lowered its rate to 0.4147 and Allen ISD lowered its rate to 1.1037.
| Legacy West, PlanoSH 121 or US 75 to the Tollway | about 15-20 off-peak min |
| The Star, FriscoSH 121 | about 20-25 off-peak min |
| Downtown DallasUS 75 | about 30-35 off-peak min |
| DFW AirportSH 121 | about 35 off-peak min |
Where Allen sits
Drive times, schools and shopping around it. Ask me for a tour of the area.
Being built now
The $97.1 million, 103,000 sq ft headquarters on Century Parkway was 76% complete in Oct 2026, with police staff slated to move in March.[4]
A $10.2 million, 25-room patient care unit is planned on the third floor, with construction estimated Jan. to Sept. 2027.[5]
Council approved a program on Oct. 13, 2026: owners of rental houses, townhomes and duplexes must register by Jan. 31 for a $150 annual fee.[6]
Blackburn Communities and Wolverine Interests plan 352 units east of US 75 along W. Boyd Drive, opening in early 2028.[7]
Funded by the 2024 bond: Curtis Middle School through July 2027, plus Green Elementary and Ford Middle starting summer 2027.[8]
Allen EDC lists Sloan Corners (261 acres, 6 million+ sq ft of office planned) and Allen Gateway (75 acres with hotel, office and retail).[9]
Where to look in Allen
Before you buy or sell
If you might ever rent the home out, know that Allen now requires single-family rentals to register with the city for $150 a year starting with a Jan. 31 deadline. If you plan to live in it, file your homestead exemption right away: the school exemption is now $140,000 and the city adds 5% on its share.
Allen moves fast in spring: HAR.com showed a median of 13 days on market in April 2026 and 15.5 in May, versus 39 in September. Most Allen homes are resale, so buyers' inspectors will flag aging roofs, HVAC and water heaters. From my construction years, replacing a failing item or pricing it in up front almost always nets more than giving a bigger credit after the inspection report lands.
See what clients say.
Read reviews from buyers, sellers and renters on Google, then ask me anything. I answer the same day, in English or Spanish.
Questions people ask about Allen
Is Allen, TX a good place to live?
What are property taxes in Allen, TX?
Which school district is Allen in?
How long does it take to sell a home in Allen?
Can I find new construction in Allen?
Does Allen regulate rental homes?
Your realtor in Allen
Buying or selling in Allen means knowing more than the city average. Homes here can fall in Allen ISD, Plano ISD, Lovejoy ISD or McKinney ISD; combined 2025 tax rates run about 1.69% to 1.9% depending on the address, and communities like Twin Creeks, Montgomery Farm, Waterford Parks and Watters Creek District each behave like their own market.
As your Allen realtor I verify the school zoning, the full tax rate and any HOA, MUD or PID for every home before you write an offer, and I bring more than ten years of construction and remodeling experience to every inspection and pricing decision. I work from Formation at The Star in Frisco and help clients in English and Spanish.
Thinking about Allen?
Tell me what you're looking for and I'll come to the conversation prepared. Same-day response.
- 76 homes sold in Allen, other local real estate data from September (Community Impact, Oct 16, 2026), 2026-10
- U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Allen city, Texas, 2026-10
- City of Allen: Lower Tax Rate Set for FY 2026-27, 2026-10
- Allen Police HQ to get $2.6M in equipment as project nears completion (Community Impact, Oct 15, 2026), 2026-10
- Plano apartments, Allen hospital updates: 5 of the latest construction projects (Community Impact, Oct 13, 2026), 2026-10
- Allen to launch registration, inspection program for single-family rental homes (Community Impact, Oct 14, 2026), 2026-10
- Blackburn Communities, Wolverine Interests to bring 352-unit multifamily project to Allen (Community Impact, July 22, 2026), 2026-10
- Officials update Allen ISD board on current, future campus projects (Community Impact, Oct 6, 2026), 2026-10
- Allen Economic Development Corporation, 2026-10
- City of Allen: Allen Ranks No. 23 Best Place to Live in U.S. (Sept 16, 2026), 2026-10
- Collin Central Appraisal District entity rates, all years (Texas Open Data Portal), 2026-10
- Allen ISD officials approve 2-cent decrease for 2026-27 property tax rate (Community Impact, Aug 25, 2026), 2026-10
- HAR.com Allen price trends (single-family sold), 2026-10
- HAR.com Allen, TX area overview (master-planned communities), 2026-10
- Allen, Texas (Wikipedia: school districts, Eagle Stadium, neighborhoods), 2026-10
- Texans pass Proposition 13 raising school homestead exemption (FOX 4, Nov 2025), 2026-10
Figures change. Verify school zoning, tax rates and HOA or MUD fees for any specific address before you buy. Albert does this on every home he shows.