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Mckinney is a beautiful city with many great neighborhoods, and it is 30 miles away from Dallas. It truly has something for everyone! Mckinney offers a variety of activities including golfing, horseback riding, hiking trails, parks and lakes. There are also tons of great restaurants in town that offer everything from Japanese to Mexican food, Southern food and everything in between. If you’re looking for a new place to live then may want to make the move to Mckinney!
On top of that, McKinney, Texas has been voted best place to live multiple times. It’s only a matter of time before you find out too! The town has just been ranked as one of America’s top places to call home and it offers easy access for commuters with major highways connecting McKinney to nearby cities in Plano, Allen, Richardson, Sherman, Denton and oter thriving cities in the metroplex.
You can enjoy an excellent quality of life while living there – not mention all that diverse housing options – plus historic downtown McKinney makes everything worthwhile.
McKinney is a beautiful, growing community on the northern end of Collin County in the heart of Texas. The popular Central Expressway aka 75 runs right through the middle, extending north to Sherman and south to Downtown Dallas.
Here’s 6 things you should know before moving:
1. A Really Cool Historic District (maybe one of the best in Texas)
McKinney’s downtown district on March 24, 1849, 120 acres from the William and Margaret Davis holdings were conveyed for the new town. It features a variety of shops, restaurants, galleries, parks and entertainment options that will surely please every member of your family!
This Downtown Square is home to an incredible farmer’s market, festivals, parades, tons of shopping, tons of restaurants, arcade, parks, antiques . .
If you spent time browsing through every shop and attraction, it would take you at least 2 full days. It just never gets old. Take a peek at it here.
2. You Can Find Your Dream Home Here
Whether you’re looking for an affordable starter home or more extravagant mansion, McKinney has a house for you! With affordable housing and plenty of options to choose from, there’s no better time than now.
Within McKinney, there are a number of unique neighborhoods that attract various residents. McKinney is known for having a diverse real estate market at a lower cost than other cities. So, following your move to McKinney, you will have no trouble finding a beautiful home – they have your classic brick North Texas home, historic homes or sprawling country homes.
Also, McKinney is home to some of the friendliest people in the DFW metroplex with a population that greets newcomers with open arms! You’ll most likely discover welcoming neighbors and people who are genuinely happy that they chose to move to McKinney Texas.
3. A Variety of Job Options
McKinney’s diverse economy is not only a great place to live for commuters or those who work locally, and the community offers excellent job prospects in healthcare, insurance and finance.
Thanks to a thriving tech scene and a long history of manufacturing, there’s plenty of jobs in McKinney for residents. And it continues to grow. And to keep your risk low, McKinney is close to many other thriving corporate headquarters in nearby Allen and Plano which is a mecca for jobs.
Here are just a few of the major employers in McKinney:
- Raytheon
- Globe Life
- Nature Nate’s Honey Co
- Playful
- Waste Connections
- Experian
- Emerson
- Tenant Traker
- Encore Wire
- Zynga
- Tong Yang
- Latimore Materials
4. Diversity in Things to Do in McKinney
You’ll have a wide variety of indoors, outdoors, adventure, history or food options to name a few.
Many people from in town or even out of state head to Downtown McKinney to go shopping. One of the highlights of relocating to McKinney TX is getting an opportunity to explore the city’s historic downtown square. Women, with their husbands in tow, can visit more than 120 unique shops and more than a dozen restaurants featuring everything from upscale dining to sandwich shops and neighborhood pubs. The downtown area also offers a variety of art galleries featuring works by local artists, furniture stores, outstanding antique collections, gift shops and apparel boutiques. You won’t want to miss Antique Company Mall or
If the weather is nice, then you have to go treasure hunting at least once at Third Monday Trade Days. This is a flea market type of experience similar to Canton yet a lot closer to home. This event dates back to the late 1800s, when McKinney was chosen to host a county-wide market for all of Collin County. Today, the Trade Days occur on the weekend before the third Monday of the month. Its just off of 380 on the west side of town. It features hundreds of vendors selling everything you could think of from fresh fruits and veggies, to hand carved wood treasures, to antiques and random junk . . .which could be your next treasure.
There is no admission to enter but you will be expected to pay about 5 bucks for parking. Each month, the event brings in up to 14,000 shoppers and because its a 3 day event, if you have the opportunity to stroll through on a Friday, that’s a good way to avoid the large crowds.
If you like the outdoors, then you will have some unique options here. Take the whole family to the Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary. You won’t regret it! The museum itself offers tons of educational programs that the whole family will enjoy. Plus, it’s settled on 298 acres dedicated to the wildlife sanctuary. Walking the nature trails here, you’ll be sure to see plenty of wildlife, and of course, dinosaurs. The nature preserve here features 10 life-size animatronic dinos, including a 49-ft. Tall T-Rex, as part of their annual Dinosaurs Live! exhibit.
Or, load up your mountain bike and drive over to the popular Erwin Park. If you are not a mountain biker, lace up those hiking shoes, pack water and enjoy a walk or even camping in your own town.
I told you the GOOD, what about the BAD about a move to McKinney?
Every town, every home, even every job will have pros and cons.
With that being said, there are 2 reasons you may not want to move to McKinney TX. ⤵️
1. The commute is not for the weak
Because I am NOT a realtor or mortgage broker, I do not work in any capacity for the local government nor am I in any real estate business that makes a commission from you moving here – I will be straight up with you about a potential move to McKinney.
And here’s why . . .
Every local visitor’s site I land on or real estate site that I read refers to Dallas and DFW airport as places that are just down the road. No, they are not. Let me clarify, they are down the road but keep in mind as DFW continues to bust at the seams, this road could mean you are spending 75 – 90 minutes on that road before you ever reach downtown Dallas or DFW airport.
If you are coming here for a job near Downtown Dallas or even Parkland Hospital area, McKinney is not the place for you.
Austin is just down the road from McKinney . . if you’ve got an extra 4 hours in the morning and evening for a commute.
2. The weather can be unpredictable – tornadoes and EXTREME heat 🔥
The good news is that at least half of the year, the weather is pristine, the kind of pristine that southern Californians pay a premium for.
The bad news is is that the months of July, August and September bring crushing heat. While the Spring can bring destructive tornadoes and hail-producing storms.
Every region in the country has their weather issue and if you are anxious about those things, then you may want to spend some time here in the Summer and talk to more locals before making the move.
Is Moving to McKinney, TX The Right Place for You?
McKinney, TX is the perfect place to live for anyone looking for an escape from big city life. The small town feel of McKinney offers tree-lined neighborhoods and parks that will make you never want to leave this charming community!
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