Living in Allen, Texas

U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023

Allen sits 25 miles north of Downtown Dallas in the heart of Collin County, anchored by US-75 (Central Expressway), one of North Texas's most efficient commuter corridors. It borders Plano to the south, McKinney to the north and west, and the smaller cities of Lucas and Fairview to the east. Frisco lies roughly 15 miles to the northwest.

One of Allen's most practical advantages is the US-75 connection. Unlike the Dallas North Tollway serving Frisco, US-75 through Allen is primarily a free highway, no NTTA TollTag required for the main lanes. For families with a daily south-facing commute toward Plano, Richardson, or Dallas, this translates to real savings. The drive to the Legacy West employment hub takes about 15–20 minutes on most mornings.

Commute Times from Central Allen

Allen ISD is the reason most families choose Allen over neighboring cities at a similar price point. It's earned a Niche A+ rating, ranking it #6 in all of Texas and #1 in Collin County, with TEA raising it to an overall A in 2025. For families relocating from competitive school environments in California or the Northeast, Allen ISD delivers the academic culture they're looking for.

Top Campuses in Allen ISD

Compare Allen ISD vs. All DFW Districts →

Niche Category Grades: Allen ISD

Source: Niche.com — Allen ISD Profile (2025)

Allen is a fully built-out city, no sprawling edges of new construction, no neighborhoods-under-construction with unfinished amenities. What you get instead is a mature lineup of master-planned communities and established neighborhoods, each with its own character, price range, and amenity profile. Here are the five I recommend most for families relocating to Allen.

Search Current Allen Listings →

The families I work with most, relocating from California, New York, and Illinois, typically experience a significant financial reset when they land in Allen. No state income tax, lower home prices for comparable square footage, and a cost-of-living index that runs 25–45% below major coastal metros. Here's the honest side-by-side.

Allen Property Tax Breakdown (2025)

Rates as certified Oct 2024. Verify at collincad.org. Texas homestead exemption ($100K off school taxes) effective Jan 2023. Rates subject to annual adjustment.

Allen's positioning on US-75 puts it within 15–25 minutes of one of the densest corporate employment corridors in North Texas. Unlike Frisco residents paying daily tolls on the DNT, Allen commuters reach Legacy West and Plano on a largely toll-free highway, real savings for dual-income families making that drive every day.

Allen is car-dependent by design, a Walk Score of 35 reflects the reality that daily errands require a vehicle. DART bus routes connect Allen to Plano's Red Line rail stations, but practical transit commuting is limited. What the city compensates with is an exceptionally well-funded parks and trails system: 75+ miles of connected paths, a world-class aquatic center, well-maintained recreation facilities, and programming that rivals cities twice its size.

Walkability & Transportation Scores

Source: walkscore.com/TX/Allen · City of Allen averages · Updated 2025

Parks, Trails & Green Space

Allen maintains more than 75 miles of hike-and-bike trails threading through its neighborhoods and 50+ park facilities covering over 1,100 acres of park land citywide. Six standout destinations anchor the outdoor network:

City Recreation Centers & Facilities

Youth Sports & Organized Recreation

Allen punches well above its weight class for youth sports programming. Between city leagues, select club programs, and the Allen Athletic Complex drawing tournament teams from across the region, this city takes organized youth athletics seriously.

See the Full Allen Activities Guide →

Allen's safety profile is one of its strongest selling points, and the data is unambiguous. In the most recent FBI reporting year, Allen recorded the lowest overall crime rate among all 50 of Texas's largest cities. For families moving from high-crime urban areas or suburbs with rising property crime, this matters enormously.

Crime statistics sourced from FBI Uniform Crime Reports (2024 release), City of Allen Police Department, NeighborhoodScout, and WalletHub. Crime rates fluctuate annually, verify current data at cityofallen.org.

In Allen, the heart of the market is the typical band: 55% of homes sold in the past year landed between $400K and $700K, where a median of about $521K buys roughly 2,545 square feet. Entry-level homes do exist, around $333K for about 1,594 square feet, but they are a smaller share (24%). About 21% of sales were $700K or more, so move-up and luxury buyers have real selection. Price per square foot climbs from about $209 at the entry level to $269 at the top, which is what you are paying for in larger lots, newer builds, and higher finish levels.

A few more numbers worth knowing if you are weighing an offer in Allen. Over the trailing 12 months, single-family homes sold for a median of $516K and an average of $551K, which works out to about $210 per square foot. Homes here sold for roughly 96.4% of their original list price, which gives you a sense of how much room buyers have typically had to negotiate. As of the latest data, about 280 single-family homes were actively listed. These are NTREIS figures (the price metrics are 12-month rolling, inventory is current active supply), and your own price per square foot and negotiating room will vary by neighborhood, age of home, and finish level.

Source: NTREIS via 10K Research InfoSparks · Most recent available month, 2026 · Single-family residential only

Allen offers one of the best value propositions in Collin County right now. At a median SFR price around $520K, it sits comfortably below Frisco (~$681K) and above McKinney (~$496K), while sharing access to the same caliber of Collin County school systems. With 33 days on market and a balanced 3.4 months of supply, the Allen market is competitive but not frenzied. Buyers have more room to negotiate than they did in 2021–22, and sellers are still seeing solid demand.

The diversity of Allen's housing stock is a real advantage: you can find a well-maintained 1990s home in Villages of Allen in the mid-$300Ks, a Stone Bridge Ranch four-bedroom in the $450K–$550K range, or a Twin Creeks executive home over $800K. Whatever budget you bring to Allen ISD, there's typically something that works.

New construction in Allen is limited — just 4 active communities currently listed. This is a suburb where most buyers are focused on resale, which means the new builds that do exist often attract serious attention quickly. The upside: a new home here comes with a builder warranty, modern energy standards, and floor plans designed for how families actually live today — harder to find in an established resale market. One thing many families don't realize: you can bring your own Realtor to any new construction purchase at no cost to you — the builder pays the commission. Having an experienced DFW relocation specialist in your corner (someone who isn't on the builder's payroll) can make a real difference when it comes to contract terms, upgrade negotiations, and closing incentives.

Active Builders in Allen

Note: 2 of the sampled communities currently have active builder promotions or incentives — ask your agent to confirm before touring.

Builder inventory, pricing, and availability change frequently — the data above reflects a recent snapshot. Browse the live portal for current listings.

Browse New Homes in Allen → Search All Allen Listings →

Every family weighs the same factors differently. Here is how Allen stacks up against nearby options on the metrics that matter most for relocating families.

Scores computed from Niche, NTREIS, WalkScore, and Census ACS · Updated 2026 · Compare all DFW suburbs →