Community guide · Collin County
An established Collin County suburb on US-75 with one big A-rated high school, 100-plus miles of trails, Watters Creek and the outlets — and a city tax rate that has dropped for 34 straight years.
By Shayla Eadler, REALTOR® · TREC #0747934 · Based in Van Alstyne · Updated
Allen, Texas
Yes — living in Allen, TX suits buyers who want an established suburb with an A-rated school district, shopping and trails close to home, and a 20-minute drive to Legacy West without traffic. The trade-offs are price and choice: the city puts the median single-family home value at $492,609, and because Allen is largely built out, most of what you’ll buy here is a resale home rather than new construction.
Allen started in 1870 as a Houston and Texas Central Railway town and took its name in 1872 from Ebenezer Allen, a former Texas attorney general who promoted the railroad. It stayed small for nearly a century — 1,940 people in 1970 — and then grew fast, to 84,246 by 2010 and 104,627 in the 2020 Census. US-75 runs north–south through the middle of the city and the Sam Rayburn Tollway (SH-121) runs along its northwest edge, with Plano to the south and McKinney to the north.
I’m based in Van Alstyne, about 24 miles up US-75, and Allen comes up a lot when my clients want Collin County convenience with a well-known school district. Some decide Allen is exactly right; others like the schools and shopping but want more land or newer homes for the money, and keep driving north. I’ll show you both honestly so you can choose.
Allen’s population has leveled off. The Census Bureau estimated 113,447 residents in July 2025, slightly below its 2024 estimate of 113,736, after years of steady growth from the 2020 count of 104,627. Building hasn’t stopped entirely: in its FY 2026–27 budget, the city said new construction added about $446 million to the tax roll, and total assessed value rose to $24.45 billion from $23.1 billion.
Jobs are close by. In FY 2023 figures, Allen’s largest employers were Allen ISD (2,755), the City of Allen (937), Experian (817) and Jack Henry & Associates (450). Collin College opened its 340,000-square-foot Technical Campus on Ridgeview Drive in fall 2020, with 42,000 square feet shared with Allen ISD. Legacy West in Plano and The Star in Frisco are each about 20 minutes away without traffic.
The honest version
Every town has trade-offs. Here’s what I tell my own clients before they buy.
Pros
Cons
For sale now
Allen TX homes for sale are mostly established resale homes in HOA neighborhoods, with townhomes, lofts and a smaller amount of new construction. In its FY 2026–27 budget, the city put the median single-family home value at $492,609; Community Impact, citing the Collin Central Appraisal District, put the average taxable value of a single-family home in Allen ISD at $457,872 for 2026.
Allen grew from about 8,300 people in 1980 to more than 84,000 by 2010, so most homes were built in those decades and after. You get finished neighborhoods, HOA amenities and years of sales history to compare.
Twin Creeks in west Allen surrounds The Golf Club at Twin Creeks, an Arnold Palmer Signature course. HOA rules, dues and course views vary by section, so I check each one.
Watters Creek at Montgomery Farm was built with 301 residential lofts, and there are townhome options around the city. I review HOA dues and what they cover before you offer.
Allen is largely built out, so new homes come in smaller pockets. Ask me what’s being built now, and I’ll compare builder pricing against nearby resale homes.
Be the first to know
I’ll send new listings, price drops and my Coming Soon homes in Allen — with my honest notes on each one.
Schools
In Allen ISD, every student ends up at the same high school. Ninth graders start at the Lowery Freshman Center, then move on to Allen High School, which had about 5,270 students in 2023–24 by state count. Both earned an A in the 2025 TEA ratings, as did all three middle schools.
The one-school model is why Allen High football is a citywide event. Eagle Stadium, the district’s 18,000-seat stadium, was part of a $119 million bond voters approved in 2009 and cost about $59.6 million. It opened in 2012, closed in 2014 for repairs and reopened in 2015. A big single high school isn’t for every student, so if that matters to you, visit before you buy.
| Allen ISD campus | Grades | 2025 TEA rating |
|---|---|---|
| Allen High School | High school | A |
| Lowery Freshman Center | 9 | A |
| Curtis, Ereckson and Ford middle schools | 7–8 | A (all three) |
| George J. Anderson Early Childhood School | Pre-K | A |
| 13 of 16 elementary schools | K–6 | A |
| Story Elementary | K–6 | B |
| Boyd and Reed elementary schools | K–6 | C |
Source: Texas Tribune Schools Explorer (TEA data), 2025 ratings for school year 2024–25. Campus zoning changes, so I confirm the assigned schools for every address.
Taxes
Allen’s city tax rate keeps going down. The city cut its rate again for FY 2026–27, to $0.4147 per $100, and city budget staff called it the 34th year Allen has reduced its rate. Allen ISD cut its rate by about two cents for 2026, from $1.1258 to $1.1037.
Lower rates don’t always mean a lower bill. Values have been rising, and the city estimates the median-valued home will pay about $2,043 in city taxes for 2026. When we look at a home, I’ll run the actual numbers with your exemptions, not just the rate.
| Taxing unit | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| City of Allen | 0.4175 | 0.4154 | 0.4147 |
| Allen ISD | 1.1258 | 1.1258 | 1.1037 |
| Collin County | 0.149343 | 0.149343 | 0.151414 |
| Collin College | 0.08122 | 0.08122 | 0.08122 |
| Total per $100 | ≈ 1.7739 | ≈ 1.7718 | ≈ 1.7510 |
Tax years shown (the rate adopted each fall). Sources: City of Allen finance page, Community Impact. Addresses in Lovejoy, Plano or McKinney ISD use that district’s school rate.
Where to live
Allen is mostly established neighborhoods, so buyers usually choose by location, school zoning and HOA. These are the areas I get asked about most.
Master-planned · Golf course
A west Allen community built around The Golf Club at Twin Creeks, an Arnold Palmer Signature course on Twin Creeks Drive. It has several sections with their own home sizes and HOA details, so I compare them section by section.
Allen ISD
Mixed-use · Near US-75
The 500-acre Montgomery Farm development, whose commercial heart is the 52-acre Watters Creek at Montgomery Farm at US-75 and Bethany Drive. Lofts, nearby homes and the shortest walk to the village green, shops and restaurants.
Allen ISD
Newer homes · Northwest Allen
One of Allen’s newer neighborhoods, built in phases next to the Sam Rayburn Tollway (SH-121). A good starting point if you want a newer resale home with a quick drive to Frisco and Legacy West.
Allen ISD
Established · Southwest Allen
An established area along Alma Drive near the Plano line. Suncreek Park is a public trailhead for the 72-acre Connemara Meadow Preserve, a native-prairie nature preserve.
Allen ISD — confirm by address
Historic core · In town
The streets around Main Street and St. Mary Drive, near Allen Heritage Village and the route of the city’s Fall Fest. Home ages and lot sizes vary block to block, so inspections and surveys matter here.
Allen ISD
School zoning · East side
Some Allen addresses toward Lucas are zoned to Lovejoy ISD, which earned an A in the 2025 ratings. Its school tax rate runs about 13 cents per $100 higher than Allen ISD’s, so compare the full tax bill.
Lovejoy ISD
Subdivision names are a starting point. Lot sizes, HOA rules and school zoning vary street by street — I’ll confirm all of it for any home you’re considering.
Cost of living
For tax year 2025, the combined rate for a home inside Allen city limits and Allen ISD was about $1.77 per $100 of value: Allen ISD 1.1258, City of Allen 0.4154, Collin County 0.149343 and Collin College 0.08122. For tax year 2026, the city dropped to 0.4147, Allen ISD to 1.1037 and Collin County rose to 0.151414, for a total of about 1.75.
Homestead exemptions do a lot of work here. The school exemption cuts $140,000 off your taxable value for Allen ISD, and the city takes 5% off the appraised value of a homestead for city taxes.
Schools
Allen ISD had 21,319 students in 2023–24, about 16 per teacher, and a 98% four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023, against 90.3% statewide. In the 2025 TEA ratings (school year 2024–25, released August 2025), the district earned an A, and 19 of its 22 rated campuses earned an A, with one B and two C ratings at the elementary level. In the August 2026 release, the district earned an A again, with 14 campuses rated A, 7 rated B and 1 rated C.
Allen ISD covers about 27 square miles and also takes in parts of Parker and McKinney. Not every Allen address is in Allen ISD: parts of the city are zoned to Lovejoy, Plano or McKinney ISD, each with its own tax rate. I confirm the district and assigned campuses for every home before you write an offer.
Getting around
US-75 (Central Expressway) runs north–south through Allen, with exits at Stacy Road, Exchange Parkway, McDermott Drive, Bethany Drive and more. The Sam Rayburn Tollway (SH-121) runs along the northwest edge toward Frisco and DFW. Allen isn’t a DART member city and has no fixed-route bus service.
Van Alstyne
28 min≈ 24 mi
via US-75 N
Downtown McKinney
12 min≈ 8 mi
via US-75 N
McKinney National Airport
12 min≈ 8 mi
via US-75 N
Legacy West (Plano)
20 min≈ 12 mi
via Exchange Pkwy / SH-121
The Star (Frisco)
21 min≈ 13 mi
via Exchange Pkwy / SH-121
Downtown Dallas
30 min≈ 25 mi
via US-75 S
Dallas Love Field
35 min≈ 27 mi
via US-75 S / Dallas North Tollway
DFW Airport
46 min≈ 34 mi
via US-75 S / I-635
Typical drive times without heavy traffic. Rush hour on US-75 and the Tollway can add 15–30 minutes.
Local favorites
Allen packs a lot into 26 square miles — here’s where I send people first.
A 52-acre open-air center at US-75 and Bethany Drive with more than 70 shops and boutiques, patio dining, a village green and a creek, plus seasonal festivals, beer crawls and outdoor yoga.
More than 120 outlet stores on Stacy Road, from designer brands to Nike and adidas, with everyday discounts the center puts at 25–65%.
The ECHL Allen Americans play most home games at the city-owned Credit Union of Texas Event Center on Stacy Road. The 2026–27 Allen opener is Friday, Nov. 20, against Kansas City.
The city’s Independence Day festival at Celebration Park, with music, food and fireworks. The 2026 edition was June 27.
The city passed 100 miles of hike-and-bike trails, and it keeps adding links like the 1.67-mile Rowlett Trail extension and the Watters Trail South extension.
A 72-acre native-prairie preserve on the Allen–Plano line, open dawn to dusk. Park at the Alma Drive entrance or start from Suncreek Park; bikes aren’t allowed and dogs must be leashed.
The city owns The Courses at Watters Creek, and The Golf Club at Twin Creeks is an Arnold Palmer Signature course in west Allen.
Allen Heritage Village preserves some of the city’s oldest homes, outbuildings and churches. Allen began as an 1870 railroad town, and the city’s Fall Fest took over St. Mary Drive on Oct 10, 2026.
Before you move
Here’s what I walk my Allen buyers through once we’re under contract.
FAQ
Quick answers to the questions I hear most from people moving to Allen.
Allen is a good fit if you want an established Collin County suburb with an A-rated school district, a lot of shopping and trails, and about a 20-minute drive to Legacy West without traffic. The trade-offs are a higher price point — the city puts the median single-family home at $492,609 — and limited new construction because the city is largely built out.
For tax year 2025, a home inside Allen city limits in Allen ISD paid about $1.77 per $100 of value: Allen ISD 1.1258, City of Allen 0.4154, Collin County 0.149343 and Collin College 0.08122. For 2026, the stack dropped to about 1.75. The school homestead exemption is $140,000, and the city adds a 5% homestead exemption.
Most of Allen is in Allen ISD, which earned an A in the 2025 TEA ratings and again in 2026. All students attend Lowery Freshman Center and then Allen High School. Some Allen addresses are zoned to Lovejoy, Plano or McKinney ISD, so I confirm the district and campuses for every home.
One. Allen ISD sends ninth graders to the Lowery Freshman Center and then to Allen High School, which had about 5,270 students in 2023–24. Both earned an A in the 2025 TEA ratings. Allen High plays football at Eagle Stadium, an 18,000-seat district stadium that opened in 2012.
Downtown Dallas is about 25 miles south on US-75 — roughly 30 minutes without traffic, longer at rush hour. Legacy West and The Star are each about 20 minutes away, Love Field about 35 minutes and DFW Airport about 46 minutes.
Slowly. The Census Bureau estimated 113,447 residents in July 2025, up from 104,627 in the 2020 Census but slightly below its 2024 estimate. New construction still added about $446 million to the city’s 2026 tax roll, but most homes for sale in Allen are resales.
About 24 miles and 28 minutes up US-75 without traffic. Many of my clients compare the two: Allen for its established neighborhoods and shopping, Van Alstyne for a small-town downtown and more land for the money.
Allen is known for its single large high school and 18,000-seat Eagle Stadium, Watters Creek at Montgomery Farm, Allen Premium Outlets and the Allen Americans hockey team. It began as a railroad town in 1870 and is named for Ebenezer Allen, a former Texas attorney general.
Compare nearby towns
Collin CountyMcKinneyAbout 8 miles north: the county seat, with a historic square and McKinney National Airport.Read the McKinney guide 
Collin CountyFriscoAbout 12 miles west via SH-121, with The Star, PGA Frisco and Frisco ISD.Read the Frisco guide 
Collin CountyAnnaAbout 20 miles north on US-75, with newer homes and a 2025 Census estimate of 35,245.Read the Anna guide 
Grayson CountyVan AlstyneMy home base, about 24 miles up US-75 — a small-town downtown with room to spread out.Read the Van Alstyne guide Facts on this page were checked against public sources in October 2026. Tax rates, school ratings and road plans change — confirm anything important for your decision.
Ready when you are
I’ll show you around — the neighborhoods, the schools and the places locals love — and put together homes in Allen that fit your budget.
