Frisco and McKinney sit about 15 miles apart on US 75, and buyers compare them constantly. They look similar on a map and they pull from the same buyer pool, but the cost of living difference between them shows up in places most comparison posts skip. We live and work in this corridor every day, so here is where the money actually goes when you pick one over the other.
Where the Cost Difference Actually Shows Up
The headline difference is home prices. Everything else, taxes, insurance, HOA, daily spending, either widens that gap or closes it. Most buyers do the price math and stop. The buyers who stay happy did the full stack math before they wrote the offer.
Home Prices
Start with the broadest measure. The Census Bureau QuickFacts median value of owner occupied housing units, using the 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey, puts Frisco at $642,100 and McKinney at $471,800. That is a gap of more than $170,000 at the median, and it reflects the whole housing stock, from 1990s resale to brand new builds.
New construction narrows the comparison because both cities are still building, but the pattern holds: Frisco new builds price higher per square foot on average, while McKinney gives you more house for the money, especially on the east side of town. If your budget is fixed and square footage is the priority, McKinney stretches it further. If you want the newest master planned inventory and you can pay for it, Frisco has more of it.
For a sense of how this plays out at a single budget line, our post on what the same budget buys in Frisco versus Prosper shows how we break a budget down by square footage, lot, and home age.
Property Taxes and Special Districts
Texas property taxes are built from a stack of city, school district, county, and college district rates, and the two stacks land very close to each other.
Using the adopted 2025 rates on the Collin County side, Frisco stacks up like this: City of Frisco 0.425517, Frisco ISD 1.0194, Collin County 0.149343, Collin College 0.08122, for a combined rate of about 1.68 per $100 of value. McKinney stacks up like this: City of McKinney 0.412284, McKinney ISD 1.1043, Collin County 0.149343, Collin College 0.08122, for a combined rate of about 1.75 per $100 of value.
Two details move the needle beyond the rates. Frisco offers a 20 percent city homestead exemption while McKinney offers no general city homestead exemption, according to a 2026 McKinney property tax guide, which means the effective bill on a homesteaded home runs higher in McKinney than the rate gap alone suggests. And in both cities, parts of town sit in a different school district than the city name implies: McKinney addresses can fall in Frisco ISD, Prosper ISD, or Allen ISD, and Frisco addresses can fall in Prosper ISD, Lewisville ISD, or Little Elm ISD. Always check the actual taxing entities by address before you compare two homes.
Newer communities in both cities can also carry MUD or PID assessments on top of the stack. Our post on how Texas property taxes stack up walks through every layer of the bill, and our post on what a PID assessment adds to the bill covers the assessment buyers confuse with MUDs most often.
HOA and Insurance
HOA dues in North Dallas master planned communities commonly run $50 to $300 a month, per the new construction cost guide we quoted in our post on the three new construction costs buyers miss. Both cities have plenty of HOA neighborhoods, but McKinney has more established non HOA pockets, especially west of US 75 and near the historic core, which is one more line item where McKinney can come in lower.
Insurance is the sleeper cost. Collin County sits in the Texas hail corridor, and published 2026 analyses put the Texas average homeowners premium between about $4,582 a year (insurance.com) and $6,854 a year (MoneyGeek), well above the national average. Your quote will move with roof age and the wind and hail deductible, which is typically written as 1 percent to 5 percent of dwelling coverage, with 2 percent the dominant standard in 2026 according to United Policyholders. Get quotes during the option period, not after it, so the insurance number is real before you are committed.
Everyday Costs: Groceries, Dining, Activities
Day to day spending is where the two cities feel most alike. Both have the same major grocery options, similar gas prices, and the same suburban activity menu of youth sports, parks, and weekend errands. The difference is dining and entertainment depth. Frisco is further along in its build out, with an established restaurant and entertainment scene that does not require a drive. McKinney pairs its historic downtown square with fast growing development on the east side, so the everyday options are strong and still expanding.
The practical version: if walkable dining and entertainment near home matters to your weekly routine, Frisco has the edge today. If you mostly cook at home and your entertainment is kids activities and parks, you will not feel a cost difference either way.
Which Town Stretches Your Budget Further
| Frisco | McKinney | |
|---|---|---|
| Census median home value (2020 to 2024 ACS) | $642,100 | $471,800 |
| Combined 2025 tax rate per $100 | About 1.68 | About 1.75 |
| City homestead exemption | 20 percent | None (general) |
| Main school district | Frisco ISD | McKinney ISD |
| New construction premium | Higher per square foot | More house for the money |
| Non HOA pockets | Fewer | More, especially west and central |
Pick Frisco if you want the most built out city, the deepest dining and entertainment options, and the lower effective tax bill on a homesteaded home, and your budget covers the higher home prices. Pick McKinney if you want more house for the money, a lower purchase price with a similar tax stack, and a historic downtown plus growth still coming, and you are comfortable verifying the school district by address.
Either way, run the full stack before you decide: price, taxes by address, HOA, insurance quote, and the commute you will actually drive. Test the drive at rush hour. The map never tells the truth about US 75 at 5 pm.
Book a call with us and tell us your budget and your must haves. We will run the real numbers on Frisco and McKinney side by side and help you pick the town that fits your family and your wallet.
Arlicia Jones, NMLS 1550570, Elite Lending Solutions, Inc., Company NMLS 1829246
Luke Jones, REALTOR, eXp Realty, Texas license #793146
Texas Real Estate Commission Information About Brokerage Services: https://movingtonorthtexastx.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/iabs-luke-jones-2026.pdf
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