Thinking about moving to Plano Texas and want to know what it is like living in Plano Texas? Hit the streets with us on a full vlog tour of Plano TX (below) so you can see for yourself what it is like living in Plano. We’ll show you what the Plano Texas homes and neighborhoods look like, we’ll discuss some of the pros and cons of living in Plano, as well as some of the intricacies of living in Plano Texas (I was born and raised here) that you might not hear about anywhere else…

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If you are in search of affluent yet affordable neighborhoods, excellent public education and an authentic downtown vibe… Plano lives up to the reputation of being one of the best suburbs in Dallas, and best places to live in Texas for that matter.

There is a lot of charm packed into this city. From walking down the iconic red brick streets of downtown Plano (which is bursting with things to do, places to eat, and fun boutiques to shop…), all the way to its individual neighborhoods. It is a family friendly suburb with great schools across the board, and also has some great parks and other things to do sprinkled throughout.

One thing you need to know about Plano is that it is publicly known for having 3 different areas that correlate with the senior high schools. Plano East is the host of the historic downtown and is going to be the most established area, Plano West is the newer and fancier side, while central Plano is a hybrid of the two.

Plano has no shortage of major events to keep you busy throughout the year. One of the most popular is the Hot Air Balloon Festival held in the Oak Point Nature Preserve each September – a fantastic event for all ages. Make sure to check out Arbor Hills Nature Preserve on the other side of town if you’re looking for your outdoorsy fix. The Plano International Festival is a testament to Plano’s diverse population and is an excellent way to explore the different cultures.

One thing you’ll notice about Plano is that, although the homes are typically a little older, a lot of them are really well done and updated where it counts. You also get a lot of great landscaping, mature trees, and the neighborhoods are kept up nicely. A lot of people prefer these types of homes and neighborhoods and is one of the many reasons why people are relocating to Plano Texas.

You’ll definitely find some great homes for sale here in Plano, but if you need help navigating the Dallas Texas real estate market, our team of professional advisors are very skilled at negotiating and have been winning deals on the first try, yes even in Plano! So contact us right now and we’d be happy to help you make it a smooth experience when moving to the Dallas Fort Worth Texas metroplex.

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PROS AND CONS OF PLANO TX

THE PROS

Schools – #10 ranked school district in Dallas Fort Worth

Safety – Not much in the way of homeless people, if any. Of course there is some crime, but most residents feel very safe.

Location – Easy access to anywhere in the metroplex.

Clean – Has a “new” feel. Street cleaners keep the streets clean, and reasonable HOAs translates to tidy yards.

Diverse – People from all sorts of cultures make up the population.

Job Market – Plano combined with Frisco is projected to have more square footage of office space than downtown Dallas in the next 5 years.

Shopping & Restaurants – Plano is a melting pot of cultures and has an abundance of variety in cuisine options. Not to mention access to some quality shopping (see more below).

Reasonable Cost of Living – All things considered, compared to Park Cities and Southlake, you’re getting a solid bang for your buck in Plano.

Sense of Community – Friendly neighbors!

Low Traffic – Traffic really isn’t that bad. It is mostly contained to the highways during rush hour and even then, Dallas traffic is nothing compared to the likes of LA, Chicago, New York, etc. (Especially when you know all the back roads like us 😉

THE CONS

Tolls – Especially if you are on the west side of Plano, it comes with the territory. The best thing to do is get setup with a Tolltag and account for the extra expense in your budget. (When you work with us, our DTL Moving Checklist shows you how to setup your tolltag account).

Cops Are Everywhere – If you have a heavy foot, you might want to invest in a radar to stick on your windshield…

Small Downtown – It has the iconic red bricks, but they don’t go for miles and miles.

Mature Homes – Ok I get it… this isn’t really a con for a lot of people because they prefer some character in their home. Here’s what I mean – in the days where the open floor plan is so popular, you’re going to find many homes in Plano with more of a traditional floor plan. With that being said, many homes have been renovated and do feature more of an open floor plan now. Remember, Plano came before the whole crystal lagoon beach craze (see Windsong Ranch in Prosper). So don’t be expecting a white sandy beach a few houses down inside your neighborhood. A nice pool, a park, and perhaps a tennis court could be in play however…

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HOMES FOR SALE IN PLANO TEXAS

Want to see all homes for sale in Plano Texas? Head to SearchDallasProperties.com for the most up to date listings (required by state law to be current every 48 hours).

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NEW HOMES IN PLANO TX

There are not many new construction home opportunities in Plano. There are more opportunities for custom build homes opportunities however. We are embedded into the ecosystem of new homes development in Plano so give us a call today for the latest information.

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SCHOOLS IN PLANO TX

The city of Plano is served primarily by Plano ISD which is currently ranked the 10^th best public school district in Dallas Fort Worth Texas. You can see the full rankings of the best schools in DFW here. What you must understand about schools in Dallas Fort Worth is that we are stacked! Eight (8) of the top 10 school districts in the State of Texas are in the DFW metroplex.

HIGH SCHOOLS

SCHOOL NAME	RATING
Plano West Sr High	9
Plano East Sr High	8
Jasper HS	7
Plano ISD Academy	6
Plano Sr High	6
Clark HS	5
Shepton HS	5
Williams HS	5
Vines HS	4
Legacy Prep	Private/Charter
Prestonwood Christian Academy	Private/Charter

MIDDLE SCHOOLS

SCHOOL NAME	RATING
Fowler	10
Rice	10
Otto	8
Robinson	8
Schimelpfenig	8
Bowman	7
Haggard	7
Renner	7
Wilson	6
Hendrick	6
Armstrong	5
Carpenter	5

LOWER SCHOOLS

SCHOOL NAME	RATING
Anderson	9
Gulledge	9
Hightower	9
Mathews	9
Skaggs	9
Wyatt	9
Andrews	8
Borchardt	8
Centennial	8
Haun	8
Hedgcoxe	8
Hughston	8
McCall	8
Riddle	8
Taylor	8
Barksdale	7
Bethany	7
Carlisle	7
Harrington	7
Hickey	7
Saigling	7
Shepard	7
Wells	7
Brinker	6
Christie	6
Daffron	6
Forman	6
Mendenhall	6
Weatherford	6
Barron	5
Davis	5
Dooley	5
Huffman	5
Jackson	5
Meadows	5
Memorial	5
Rasor	5
Sigler	4
Thomas	4
Harmony Science Academy	Private/Charter

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BEST NEIGHBORHOODS IN PLANO TX

· Willow Bend

· Timberbrook

· Douglass Community

· Park Forest

· Creekdale

· Liberty Park

· Clearview

· Meadows

· Silverwood

· Forman

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THINGS TO DO IN PLANO TX

Plano may be considered a suburb of Dallas, but Plano itself offers a wide variety of activities and attractions:

· Plano Youth Sports

· Oak Point Park and Nature Preserve

· Arbor Hills Nature Preserve

· The Boardwalk at Granite Park

· Gleneagles Country Club

· Ridgeview Ranch Golf Club

· Pecan Hollow Golf Club

· The Club at Los Rios

· The Clubs of Prestonwood – The Hills

· The Courses at Watters Creek

· Russell Creek Park

· Heritage Farmstead Museum (an actual farm – great for kids)

· Interurban Railway Museum (former primary stop of the Texas Electric Railway)

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NEARBY SHOPPING IN PLANO TX

· Legacy West

· The Shops At Legacy

· The Shops At Willow Bend

· Preston Towne Crossing

· Collin Creek Mall

· Stonebriar Mall

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BEST RESTAURANTS IN PLANO TX

East Hampton Sandwich Co

-The Snider Plaza sandwich sensation opened a second location at Shops at Legacy with the same tried-and-true menu including the impressive lobster roll. Don’t miss the freshly fried doughnut holes for dessert.

Lockhart Smokehouse

-Downtown Plano got a whole lot meatier when this Oak Cliff barbecue staple opened its second location in February. Crowds are piling in for Lockhart’s signature shoulder clod, luscious brisket, burnt ends and sides like mac and cheese and smoky baked beans.

The Latin Pig

-Authentic Cuban fare isn’t exactly plentiful in DFW, making this strip mall spot even more of a gem. Don’t expect fancy presentation (more like plastic plates and forks) but the Cuban sandwich, ropa vieja, fried plantains and cafe con leche will satisfy.

Cajun Tailgators

-The Cajun food truck by the same name expanded to a brick-and-mortar location in downtown Plano, making it much easier to track down those killer crawfish pistolettes, fried gator po’boys and crawfish etouffee. Bonus: It’s BYOB.

Urban Crust

-The rooftop bar here is guaranteed to be packed when the weather’s nice. Every meal starts with free wood-fired bread with a variety of dipping sauces, and should end with the housemade hazelnut gelato; pizza-wise, the Urban Amore (prosciutto, figs, goat cheese) is a good bet.

Taverna Rossa

-The Grape chef Brian Luscher consulted on the menu at this charmingly rustic, family-friendly spot that serves up thin-crust pizzas like the Kona Fire (roasted pork, pineapple, jalapenos and cashews), sandwiches and pasta dishes (hello, brisket lasagna). Great cocktails too.

Mexican Sugar

-The folks behind Whiskey Cake found a smash hit with this upscale pan-Latin spot at the Shops at Legacy — just try getting a table on a Saturday night. Best bets include the queso, arepa, carnitas torta and any of the top-notch cocktails.

Fourteen Eighteen Coffeehouse

-This cozy, laid-back coffeehouse is just what downtown Plano needed: a Starbucks alternative brewing beans by Oak Cliff Coffee Roasters, plus pastries, sandwiches and pie.

Yao Fuzi

-Yao Fuzi offers Chinese food in an upscale, elegant setting–five-spice spare ribs, xiao long bao (soup dumplings), and steamed pork buns are delicious, but there’s also more standard Americanized fare like beef with broccoli, if that’s your (or your date’s) thing.

Jörg’s Cafe Vienna

-When’s the last time you had schnitzel? Go to Jorg’s (named “Best Schnitzel in the Metroplex” by D Mag) where you can get it no less than 8 different ways–pork, chicken or veal, smothered in mushrooms or maybe a paprika sauce. (Also, BEER.)

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SAFETY

Violent Crimes (annually per 100k residents)

-Assault = 66.5 (National = 282.7)

-Murder = 1 (National = 6.1)

-Rape = 30.9 (National = 40.7)

-Robbery = 49.4 (National = 135.5)

Property Crimes

-Burglary = 216 (National = 500.1)

-Theft = 1313.7 (National = 2042.8)

-Motor Vehicle Theft = 153.3 (National = 284)

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TRAFFIC / COMMUTING / TRANSPORTATION

· Downtown Dallas = 20 minutes

· DFW Airport = 30 minutes

· Love Field Airport = 25 minutes

· Fort Worth = 50 minutes

· Cowboys/Rangers in Arlington = 40 minutes

· Dallas North Tollway, Bush Turnpike and 121 are all tollways so you will definitely need a tolltag and make sure to account for tolls in your monthly budget.

· DART Rail stations along 75 (Freeway) that go in to Downtown Dallas, DFW Airport and more

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ECONOMY & JOB MARKET IN PLANO

Plano and Frisco are projected to host more square footage of office space than downtown Dallas in the next 5 years.

Top 10 Employers / Major Companies

· JP Morgan Chase (Jimmy’s old stomping grounds)

· Capital One Finance

· Bank of America

· Toyota Motors

· NTT Data (formerly Dell Services)

· Liberty Mutual Insurance

· Ericsson

· JC Penny HQ

· USAA

· Fannie Mae

· Honorable Mention: Frito-Lay, Intuit, McAfee, PepsiCo, Hewlett Packard, Cinemark, Aramark, and more!

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CITIES NEAR PLANO TX

· Frisco

· Allen

· Parker

· Murphy

· Sachse

· Garland

· Richardson

· Far North Dallas

· Addison

· Carrollton

· The Colony

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CITIES SIMILAR TO PLANO TX

· Frisco

· McKinney

· Allen

· Flower Mound

· The Colony

· Keller (Ft Worth)

· Colleyville (Ft Worth)

· Mansfield (Ft Worth)

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WEATHER

The weather in Plano will be similar to the rest of DFW in that it will get toasty in the summer. So if you’re looking for ski slopes and snowmen… the good news is you can find a flight to Denver for under $100 if you really need to quench that thirst (I know from personal experience :). But on a serious note, if you can handle triple-digit weather in July and August, the rest of the year is really pretty pleasant all things considered. Being born and raised here, I will personally tell you that I would much rather have to deal with two months of a little extra sweating than an extended winter time where I’m shivering no matter how many layers I put on! I hope you’re ready to get your tan on… just remember to wear your sunscreen, kids.

While tornados are certainly a possibility, they aren’t as much of a threat as you might think. I have only seen 2 tornados in my life in the entire DFW metroplex. Heavy rain and hail are more common so just make sure you have good car insurance and you’ll be just fine.

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STATS

General Feel = Dense Suburban

Population = 290,000

Median Age = 39

Properties Owner Occupied = 59%

Property Tax Rate = 2.18%

COST OF LIVING

Median Home Price = $320,000

Price Range = $250k – $10m

Median Household Income = $95,000

Looking for these kinds of stats in an interactive spread sheet format? Check out the Dallas Suburbs Stats page.

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