Plano, TX Relocation Guide (2026)
Cost of living, housing, and income data for Plano, sourced from the US Census Bureau.
Salary needed to live in Plano →
Source: US Census Bureau ACS 5-Year (2022). Last updated July 2026.
With a population near 284,948, Plano, Texas sits above the multi-city income median: households earn a typical $105,679 per year (+47% vs. that benchmark).
Home values in Plano run a median $412,500, above the benchmark across cities in our dataset (+26%). Renters see a median monthly cost of $1,699. Mortgage rates and property taxes are worth checking before you commit either way.
Home values run about 3.9× median income in Plano, putting it squarely in the balanced range among the cities we cover. Year-over-year, home prices near Plano have eased by about 0.75%, a mild cooldown rather than a sharp drop. Climate and natural-hazard risk in Plano runs on the higher side, per FEMA's Relatively High rating — insurance premiums often track this closely.
Personal Affordability Check
Renting at $1,699/mo in Plano would take 19.3% of your income.
$943/mo under the 30% guideline.
Buying the median home ($412,500) would take 25.0% of your income toward principal & interest.
$264/mo under the 28% guideline.
Cost of housing in Plano
Median home value is $412,500 and median gross rent is $1,699/month. For buyers, monthly costs depend heavily on current mortgage rates — worth checking before you commit.
FHFA's county-level home price index for Collin fell 0.75% over the past year (as of 2025).
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom unit in the surrounding county is $1,931/month.
Climate & home insurance
FEMA rates Plano's overall natural-hazard risk as Relatively High. Risk level is a major driver of home insurance premiums.
Safety
Plano reported a violent crime rate of 147.1 per 100,000 residents in 2025, per FBI data.
Moving to Plano
Planning a move to Plano? Compare licensed movers and get quotes based on your origin and move date.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the cost of living in Plano, TX?
- Plano's key cost-of-living figures: $412,500 median home value, $1,699 median monthly rent, and $105,679 median household income, per the US Census Bureau ACS 5-Year (2022).
- How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Plano?
- Comfortably affording rent in Plano — where the median runs $1,699/month — typically means earning about $67,960 a year, per the standard 30%-of-income benchmark. See the full salary breakdown (renting and buying) for Plano.
- Is it better to rent or buy in Plano?
- Renting in Plano at the median $1,699/month calls for about $67,960 a year under the standard 30% guideline; buying the median home at $412,500 takes roughly $94,378 a year in principal and interest (20% down, 30-year fixed, current rates). Timeline and down payment usually decide which makes more sense.
- Is Plano safe?
- Per FBI Crime Data Explorer figures, Plano's violent crime rate was 147.1 per 100,000 residents in 2025.
See the full salary breakdown for Plano →
Cities with a similar cost of living
Matched on median rent and household income within 15% of Plano's.