McKinney gives North Texas buyers something rare: a historic downtown square people actually use, attached to large master-planned communities on every side of town. It is also a big, liquid market, which gives buyers a wide range of price points without leaving the city.
Explore the full McKinney city guide for neighborhoods, schools and current developments.
The McKinney Numbers Right Now
- Population: the Census Bureau estimates McKinney at 236,001 residents as of July 2025.
- Home values: Zillow's typical home value for McKinney was about $472,900 in September 2026, down 5.1% from a year earlier and about 14% below the July 2022 peak.
- The Frisco comparison: Frisco's typical value was about $640,100 in the same month, roughly $167,000 higher.
- Supply: active listings across the Dallas-Fort Worth metro were about 36,800 in September 2026, roughly 14% above September 2024.
Where to Look
- Stonebridge Ranch: the established giant, over 5,000 acres with more than 70 villages and over 500 acres of open space, according to its community association.
- Craig Ranch: the west side community around TPC Craig Ranch, which has hosted the PGA Tour's AT&T Byron Nelson since 2020.
- Trinity Falls: a 2,000-acre Johnson Development master plan with new homes listed from the $400s, a 350-acre natural park, an on-site elementary school and a 127-acre 55+ section.
- Painted Tree: just north of downtown and west of US 75, with new homes listed from the $300s to $1 million and up, 200 acres of open space and a 20-acre lake.
- Adriatica Village and Tucker Hill: smaller, design-driven neighborhoods with their own character.
The Downtown Factor
Downtown McKinney is built around the 1876 Collin County courthouse, which now houses the McKinney Performing Arts Center, and the square hosts events like Oktoberfest and Home for the Holidays. Walkable historic streets are something a builder cannot recreate in a new subdivision, so homes near downtown are priced on character as much as square footage. Look at age, foundation and systems carefully. Coming from ten years in construction and remodeling, I walk older homes with buyers and price the updates before we write the offer.
Trade-Offs
The US 75 commute takes real time at rush hour, so test-drive it at the hour you would actually drive. School districts also vary across McKinney, and an address in the city is not always in McKinney ISD. We confirm the district and campus on every home before you tour.
What Your Money Buys in McKinney
- Around the typical value (about $472,900, Sept 2026): resales in established communities like Stonebridge Ranch, or new construction in the newer master plans.
- From the $300s and $400s: entry new construction in communities such as Painted Tree and Trinity Falls, based on their listed starting prices.
- The lesson: McKinney's range is the point. Families priced out of one part of the city rarely have to leave it, so search the whole city before you widen your map.
The Rate Lever Most Buyers Skip
Freddie Mac's average 30-year fixed rate was 7.40% for the week of October 15, 2026, up from 6.27% a year earlier. At that rate, principal and interest on a $500K loan runs about $3,462 a month. A builder-funded 2-1 buydown sets the rate 2 points lower in year one and 1 point lower in year two, which works out to roughly $654 a month saved in year one and $334 a month in year two, about $11,900 in total. That is a cost a builder can pay for you, and it rarely shows up unless your agent asks for it in writing.
- Ask the builder's lender and an outside lender for a written quote on a temporary buydown and on a permanent buydown, then compare total cost over the years you expect to keep the loan.
- Qualify on the full note rate, not the year-one rate, so the payment in year three is one you already planned for.
- Put the incentive in the purchase contract, not in a sales office promise. I write it into every new construction offer in McKinney.
Get the McKinney Incentive Sheet
Rate buydowns, closing credits and design center dollars change often, and the builder's sales office represents the builder, not you. I track incentives and phase releases in McKinney so my buyers know what to ask for before they walk in. Ask me for this month's McKinney incentive sheet, or start with the McKinney city guide, search homes or find out what your home is worth.
Prefer email? Reach me directly at albert@texava.com.
Albert Angarita, REALTOR, Texava Real Estate | Frisco and North Texas