There are many reasons to look at homes in Plano when choosing a place to live. Plano is the largest city in Collin County and located 20 miles north of downtown Dallas. There are four major roadways providing access to Plano: the Dallas North Tollway, Hwy 121, Hwy 75 Central Expressway, and President George Bush Turnpike. Plano is known for a thriving economy, award-winning schools, and for being home to many corporate headquarters such as EDS, Dr Pepper, Frito-Lay, Perot Systems, and Rent-A-Center. Additionally, Plano has several Fortune 500 corporations, global companies, and over 10,000 businesses.
A strong education system is one of the determining factors for many considering Plano homes. Four award winning school districts serve the residents of Plano along with campus locations for Collin County Community College and SMU. The Plano school district has not only gained recognition for its student related awards but has also been voted by its employees as one of the “Best Places to Work in the DFW Metroplex” for 2009, 2008, and 2006.
While in Plano, be sure to explore the historic downtown in the east and the Shops at Legacy in the west side of the city. The downtown area consists of historic brick buildings with independent retailers, urban lofts, cafes/restaurants, and pubs. The Shops at Legacy is a relatively new area with outstanding shopping, dining, and nightlife as well as a boutique movie cinema for those to enjoy in west Plano.
In recent years, Plano has been ranked:
- One of the best places to live (CNN Money)
- One of the wealthiest cities in the US with a low poverty rate
- One of the “Top Suburbs to Live Well” (Forbes.com)
- As the nation’s “Most Affluent City”
- As the “Best City to Create Wealth”
Important info about Plano, TX:
- Residents enjoy a 20% homestead exemption for property taxes on Plano homes as well as up to $40,000 for Disability/Over 65 exemptions
- Dallas Area Rapid Transit public rail and bus service
- Internationally accredited police department with one of the lowest crime rates for Texas cities over 100,000 population
- Class 1 ISO-rated fire department (accredited in fire & emergency medical services)
- Accredited parks and recreation department, three-time recipient of the national Gold Medal for Excellence and Tree City USA designations
- Only city in Texas to hold an “AAA” bond rating by three of the nation’s top bond rating companies
Public school districts that serve Plano residents:
- Plano ISD – be sure to read about the many awards and ratings received by Plano ISD
- Frisco ISD
- Allen ISD
- Lewisville ISD
Plano is home to the following college campuses:
- Collin College (2 campus locations)
- Southern Methodist University (satellite campus)
Attractions:
- Numerous parks
- 40 miles of recreational trails
- Comprehensive public library system comprised of five full-service libraries, public internet access, and over 2.5 million checkouts
- The Shops at Willow Bend – 1.6 million square foot mall
- Legacy Town Center – multi-use area with hotels, office buildings, apartments, restaurants, and retail shops
- Oak Point Park and Nature Preserve and Amphitheater – 800-acre park in east Plano with amphitheater used for concerts, meetings, special events, and more
Cultural:
- ArtCentre of Plano – non-profit organization that promotes the growth and development of emerging community arts groups
- The Courtyard Theater – 360 seat performing arts theater
- Cox Building Playhouse
- The Heritage Farmstead – non-profit historic museum and learning center
Sports:
- Two municipal golf courses
- Los Rios Country Club – 6507 yard, par-71 course
- Prestonwood Counrty Club – The Hills clubhouse
- Gleneagles County Club
- Five swimming pools
- Outstanding athletic and tennis facilities
- Plano Bicycle Association – nearly 600 members and over 20 weekly rides
- Plano Sports Authority – year-round recreational youth sports leagues offering 14 different sports
- Dr Pepper StarCenter – the Plano facility is home to the Dallas Junior Hockey Association
- World Olympic Gymnastics Academy – Olympic champions Nastia Liukin and Carly Patterson trained here
Demographic Data for Plano, TX: North Central Texas Council of Governments
Crime statistics for Plano, TX can be found on the city web site: http://www.plano.gov/Departments/Police/CrimeStatistics/Pages/default.aspx
Click here to see homes in Plano, TX for sale (Plano MLS listings)
Sources of info:
- http://www.planoonline.com
- The City of Plano
- http://www.planotexas.org



