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Frisco or McKinney: what the numbers show

Frisco vs McKinney

Frisco or McKinney: what the numbers show

Two large Collin County cities about 20 minutes apart on SH 121, with different price points, tax structures and growth stories.

By Albert Angarita, REALTOR® · TREC Licensed · Updated Oct 2026

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Two big cities, different price points

Frisco and McKinney are both large, growing Collin County cities connected by SH 121, the Sam Rayburn Tollway. McKinney is the county seat, with a historic downtown square, established neighborhoods such as Stonebridge Ranch and Craig Ranch, and newer master plans on the north side. Frisco has its own mix of older and newer neighborhoods and a dense cluster of employers and venues along the Dallas North Tollway.

The clearest difference is price. Zillow's typical home value in September 2026 was about $640,000 in Frisco and about $473,000 in McKinney, both lower than a year earlier (down 3.9% and 5.1%). Community Impact reported McKinney's September 2026 median sale price at $499,198 across 224 sales, with an average of 80 days on market.

The second difference is tax structure. McKinney does not offer a city homestead exemption, and some newer McKinney communities sit inside a municipal utility district (MUD) with its own tax rate. That is why two homes at the same price can carry very different monthly costs, and why I always pull the taxing entities for an address before comparing payments.

Side by side

Frisco and McKinney at a glance

Median sale price

Frisco: about $637,000 (Aug 2026, Zillow). McKinney: $499,198 (Sept 2026, Community Impact). Different months and sources, so treat them as levels, not exact comparisons.

Typical home value

Frisco: $640,131, down 3.9% year over year. McKinney: $472,867, down 5.1% year over year (Zillow, Sept 2026).

2025 combined tax rate

Collin County side, before exemptions. Frisco with Frisco ISD: about 1.68%. McKinney with McKinney ISD: about 1.75% (city 0.4123, McKinney ISD 1.1043, county 0.1493, Collin College 0.0812 per $100). In McKinney MUD No. 1 (Trinity Falls), which sits outside city tax jurisdiction, the MUD rate alone was 0.98475, about 2.32% combined.

City homestead exemption

Frisco: 20% on the city portion. McKinney: none on the city portion, though it offers over-65 and disability exemptions (Collin Central Appraisal District, 2025). The $140,000 school homestead exemption applies in both.

School districts

Frisco: mostly Frisco ISD, which earned its fifth straight A from the TEA in 2026. McKinney: mostly McKinney ISD, which earned a B for the fifth straight year, with all three high schools earning an A (Aug 2026). McKinney and its ETJ touch seven districts, including Frisco and Prosper ISD, so check by address.

Market pace

Frisco: a median of 56 days to pending (Sept 2026, Zillow). McKinney: an average of 80 days on market (Sept 2026, Community Impact). Both are slower than a year or two ago, which gives buyers room to negotiate.

Daily life

Commutes, new homes and what is being built

Commute to Legacy West

Frisco: about 15 to 20 minutes via the Dallas North Tollway. McKinney: about 20 to 25 minutes via SH 121. Approximate off-peak.

Commute to downtown Dallas

Frisco: about 30 to 35 minutes via the tollway. McKinney: about 35 to 45 minutes via US 75. Approximate off-peak.

Commute to DFW Airport

Frisco: about 25 to 30 minutes via SH 121. McKinney: about 35 to 45 minutes via SH 121, approximate off-peak.

New construction and price floor

Frisco: Villages of Creekwood quick move-ins from $564,950 (First Texas Homes, Oct 2026). McKinney: Lennar's Classic Collection at Preserve at Honey Creek listed from $374,999 (Oct 2026). McKinney still has more entry-level new construction.

HOA, MUD and PID

Both cities rely on HOAs in master plans. Examples: Villages of Creekwood in Frisco, $1,485 a year; Trinity Falls in McKinney, $1,572 a year plus $250 a month for townhomes (community FAQ, Oct 2026). Trinity Falls is in McKinney MUD No. 1, so its tax rate runs higher. Read the appraisal district record for every address.

What is being built

Frisco: Fields developers announced plans in October 2026 for about 11 million square feet of office space. McKinney: the new commercial passenger terminal at McKinney National Airport opens Nov. 11, 2026, with Avelo Airlines service, and LITEON broke ground Aug. 18, 2026 on a $919 million manufacturing campus expected to bring at least 600 jobs (City of McKinney).

Same house, two cities

A $650,000 home: estimated monthly payment

$3,572
Principal and interest on a $520,000 loan (20% down) at 7.32%, the same in both cities
Freddie Mac PMMS 30-year average, Oct 22, 2026
$730
Frisco property tax per month, Collin County and Frisco ISD, after city, county, college and $140,000 school homestead exemptions (about $908 before exemptions)
Texava estimate from 2025 adopted rates, Collin CAD
$805
McKinney property tax per month inside city limits with McKinney ISD, after county, college and school homestead exemptions; no city homestead exemption (about $946 before exemptions)
Texava estimate from 2025 adopted rates, Collin CAD
$75
Estimated monthly tax difference at the same price, owner-occupied, before HOA and insurance. A MUD address would change this.
Texava estimate, 2025 rates
Who each fits

How buyers tend to choose

McKinney tends to fit buyers who want more house for the money, a historic downtown, and the widest range of entry-level new construction of the two. It also suits people who work in McKinney, Allen or along US 75. The lesson to take with you: at the same price, the payment can be higher than you expect because there is no city homestead exemption and some communities carry a MUD, so always compare the tax line, not just the list price.

Frisco tends to fit buyers who prioritize a shorter drive to Legacy, the Dallas North Tollway corridor and DFW Airport, and who want to be close to the employers and venues around The Star and Fields. The trade-off is a higher typical price for a similar home.

If you are torn, choose one price point and tour three homes in each city that match it. You will see quickly how much more space McKinney buys and how much drive time Frisco saves. I can map those homes against your commute: 469-827-7672 or albert@texava.com.

Albert Angarita, REALTOR
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FAQ

Common questions

Is McKinney cheaper than Frisco?
Yes on typical value: about $473,000 in McKinney versus about $640,000 in Frisco (Zillow, Sept 2026). Part of that gap is location and part is housing mix. Compare price per square foot on similar homes to see the real difference.
Are taxes higher in McKinney or Frisco?
Inside McKinney city limits with McKinney ISD, the 2025 combined rate was about 1.75%, versus about 1.68% for Frisco with Frisco ISD. McKinney has no city homestead exemption, so our estimate on a $650,000 owner-occupied home is about $75 a month more in McKinney. MUD areas such as Trinity Falls run higher still.
What is a MUD and does McKinney have them?
A municipal utility district is a special taxing district that funds water, sewer and drainage, usually in newer developments. McKinney MUD No. 1, which covers Trinity Falls, had a 2025 rate of 0.98475 per $100. Check the appraisal district record for any address so you know whether a MUD applies.
How do Frisco ISD and McKinney ISD compare?
In the 2026 TEA ratings, Frisco ISD earned an A and McKinney ISD earned a B, with all three McKinney ISD high schools rated A. Some McKinney addresses are zoned to Frisco ISD or Prosper ISD. Confirm the zoned campuses by address.
How long is the drive from McKinney to Frisco?
About 20 to 25 minutes off-peak via SH 121, the Sam Rayburn Tollway. Peak traffic adds time, so test the drive at the hour you would make it.
More Frisco guides

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Sources
  1. Zillow Home Value Index, city level data (Sept 2026)
  2. Zillow: Frisco, TX home values (median sale price, days to pending)
  3. Community Impact: 224 homes sold in McKinney, September data (Oct 14, 2026)
  4. Collin Central Appraisal District entity rates and exemptions, 2025 (Texas Open Data Portal)
  5. City of McKinney: Tax Information (Trinity Falls in McKinney MUD No. 1)
  6. Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (Oct 22, 2026)
  7. Community Impact: Frisco ISD receives fifth consecutive A accountability rating (Aug 14, 2026)
  8. Community Impact: McKinney ISD receives B rating from TEA for 5th consecutive year (Aug 17, 2026)
  9. Community Impact: McKinney's city, ETJ land zoned for 7 school districts
  10. NewHomeSource: Preserve at Honey Creek, Classic Collection by Lennar (Oct 2026)
  11. Trinity Falls FAQ (HOA dues)
  12. City of McKinney News Flash (airport terminal, Avelo routes, LITEON)
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