The 10 Best Plano Suburbs To Live In For 2026

The best Plano suburbs are University Park and Southlake for 2026 based on Saturday Night Science.

Plano has plenty to offer, but the price of admission usually comes with traffic, sky-high rent, and a calendar that fills itself.

If you want the upside of Plano without the daily grind, the answer is almost always a good suburb. The catch: not every suburb is worth the move.

So we ranked them. Using Saturday Night Science, we pulled the numbers on every place within commuting distance of Plano: incomes, home prices, unemployment, schools, the works. The result is a no-nonsense ranking of where you actually want to live.


Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table


What’s the best suburb of Plano? University Park ranks as the best suburb of Plano for 2026 based on the most recent Census and FBI data. If you happen to be a resident of University Park, you’re probably not too surprised to find it on the top our list.

We’ll tell you what makes each of these 10 Plano ‘burbs better than the rest–but first, a bit about our methodology.

Feel free to check out some more reading about Texas:

The 10 Best Plano Suburbs To Live For 2026

University Park, TX

Source: Wikipedia User Drumguy8800 at English Wikipedia | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

8
/10

Population: 25,155
Median Income: $250,001
Unemployment Rate: 3.6%
Poverty Rate: 4.7%
More on University Park: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers

University Park is always mentioned as one of the best suburbs in the Plano area. We’ll tell you the good about “Awesome University Park.”

Everyone here is rich; families average $250,001 a year, which is the 2nd highest in the Plano region. And only 3.58% are out of work. Homes average more than $2,420,170 each.

Southlake, TX

Source: Wikipedia User NETarrantMan | CC BY 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 31,137
Median Income: $250,001
Unemployment Rate: 2.7%
Poverty Rate: 1.5%
More on Southlake: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers

Southlake is the second best ‘burb we looked at near Plano for 2026.

It ranks 2nd for incomes in the area and only 1.78% of residents lack insurance, good for best.

Colleyville, TX

Source: Wikipedia User IDidThisThing | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 26,012
Median Income: $218,328
Unemployment Rate: 3.0%
Poverty Rate: 2.5%
More on Colleyville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers

Here in Colleyville, it’s really safe, and residents are just about as rich as you’ll see in the Plano metro area.

The bad side? Schools are more crowded, and the cost of living puts a large part of the city out of reach for most families.

But price is based on demand and a lot of people want to live in Colleyville.

Trophy Club, TX

Source: Town of Trophy Club
Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 13,733
Median Income: $201,054
Unemployment Rate: 2.0%
Poverty Rate: 2.1%
More on Trophy Club: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers

Trophy Club ranks as the 4th best suburb of Plano for 2026.

You won’t find many better places to raise your kids in the region than in Trophy Club and the schools are some of the best around.

Highland Park, TX

Source: Wikipedia User The original uploader was Ansem27 at English Wikipedia | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

7.5
/10

Population: 8,773
Median Income: $250,001
Unemployment Rate: 4.5%
Poverty Rate: 7.0%
More on Highland Park: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers

Coming in as the fifth best is Highland Park.

Highland Park gets kudos for having the most expensive homes in the Plano area, where houses sell for an average of $2,891,618. However, the cost of living here is among the highest in the area.

Highland, UT

Source: Wikipedia User Eric Ward from Provo, UT, USA | CC BY-SA 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 20,119
Median Income: $186,075
Unemployment Rate: 3.9%
Poverty Rate: 1.9%
More on Highland: Data | Movers

Highland is proud of its 6th place finish on this list. And here’s why.

Most residents have great jobs and the unemployment rate sits at 3.86%.

According to online reports, Highland is quickly becoming one of the more affluent suburbs in the Plano area, meaning you need to get in soon.

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 8,351
Median Income: $221,364
Unemployment Rate: 2.6%
Poverty Rate: 1.3%
More on Lucas: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers

The 7th best suburb on our list goes to Lucas.

Lucas schools are some of the best in the region, and crime is really low. The cost of living makes it a lot more desirable for many families, especially first-time home buyers.

And, it’s only 10.3 miles to downtown, which is a good thing.

Keller, TX

Source: Wikipedia User 1958publius | CC BY-SA 4.0
Overall SnackAbility

9.5
/10

Population: 45,976
Median Income: $174,950
Unemployment Rate: 2.7%
Poverty Rate: 3.4%
More on Keller: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers

Keller is growing quickly, and for a good reason. Crime is far below average, and most residents are gainfully employed. Even the cost of living is reasonable.

A solid 5.18% of people lack insurance, good for 17th in the area.

Overall SnackAbility

9.5
/10

Population: 3,071
Median Income: $172,321
Unemployment Rate: 2.6%
Poverty Rate: 3.7%
More on Double Oak: Data | Crime | Movers

Is ‘Everything Better In Double Oak?’

Almost.

It placed 9th on our list thanks to the fact that it’s really expensive to live here, but the schools are great, so you get what you pay for in that regard.

Coppell, TX

Source: Wikipedia User nthomas76207 | CC BY 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 42,154
Median Income: $146,235
Unemployment Rate: 2.6%
Poverty Rate: 5.4%
More on Coppell: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers

And rounding out the top ten for 2026 is Coppell.

This city is far above average in every category, and the best part? It’s far more affordable than the other cities listed above. So, you get a big bang for your buck here.

Methodology: How We Determined The Best Suburbs Around Plano for 2026

Figuring out the best suburbs around Plano was simple. We used Saturday Night Science to find things people like about living in the suburbs and then locate the suburbs with those things.

We analyzed the newest American Community Survey data for 2020-2024 to research each suburb. We decided upon the following criteria:

  • Low unemployment rate
  • High median household incomes
  • Population density (lots of things to do)
  • High home values
  • A lot of college-educated people
  • Low poverty
  • High rate of insured families

We defined a suburb as being within 30 miles of Plano.

Additionally, we limited the analysis to places that have over 2,000 people. This left us with a grand total of 74 suburbs to evaluate around Plano.

We ranked each place with scores from 1 to 74 in each category, where 1 was the “best.

Next, we averaged the rankings for each place to create a quality-of-life index.

Finally, we crowned the city with the best quality of life index, the “Best Suburb near Plano.” We’re lookin’ at you, University Park.

This result may differ from our state-wide data as we did not include commute times and crime for this analysis to allow for a more extensive selection of suburbs.

We updated the data for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the best Plano suburbs. Skip to the end to see the list of all the suburbs ranked from best to worst.

Summary: Welcome to the Best Plano ‘Burbs of 2026

We said it once, and we’ll say it again–life in the big city isn’t for everyone. At least not all the time.

The best suburbs of Plano are .

So if you’re craving the amenities of a larger city like Plano but don’t want to deal with the drawbacks, one of these suburbs might be for you.

For more Texas reading, check out:

Table: Best Plano Suburbs

Rank City Population Median Income Average Home Price
1 University Park, TX 25,155 $250,001 $2,420,170
2 Southlake, TX 31,137 $250,001 $1,301,364
3 Colleyville, TX 26,012 $218,328 $913,049
4 Trophy Club, TX 13,733 $201,054 $701,040
5 Highland Park, TX 8,773 $250,001 $2,891,618
6 Highland, TX 20,119 $186,075 $971,049
7 Lucas, TX 8,351 $221,364 $1,074,130
8 Keller, TX 45,976 $174,950 $652,144
9 Double Oak, TX 3,071 $172,321 $845,919
10 Coppell, TX 42,154 $146,235 $619,492
11 Flower Mound, TX 78,389 $161,235 $609,719
12 Murphy, TX 21,188 $175,699 $571,960
13 Argyle, TX 5,371 $181,352 $594,341
14 Providence, TX 8,947 $118,072 $527,895
15 Heath, TX 10,777 $220,828 $708,330
16 Frisco, TX 219,304 $150,212 $656,757
17 Parker, TX 5,999 $229,080 $1,088,169
18 Copper Canyon, TX 2,514 $155,625 $1,073,390
19 Corinth, TX 23,385 $120,580 $410,565
20 Mclendon-Chisholm, TX 4,511 $204,773 $667,451
21 Shady Shores, TX 2,922 $159,375 $522,062
22 Oak Point, TX 5,887 $126,290 $419,834
23 Allen, TX 110,265 $130,901 $493,531
24 Lavon, TX 6,498 $131,303 $349,797
25 Hickory Creek, TX 5,611 $148,852 $494,276
26 Celina, TX 34,268 $170,894 $546,742
27 Prosper, TX 37,869 $195,281 $784,350
28 Mckinney, TX 210,600 $124,215 $481,963
29 Melissa, TX 20,136 $138,763 $434,769
30 Rockwall, TX 51,168 $115,580 $480,553
31 Bartonville, TX 2,112 $149,071 $1,403,731
32 Sachse, TX 30,491 $131,808 $433,036
33 Northlake, TX 8,283 $123,469 $497,060
34 The Colony, TX 45,454 $114,511 $406,282
35 Sunnyvale, TX 8,336 $170,348 $631,290
36 Aubrey, TX 7,396 $101,574 $363,613
37 Fairview, TX 10,783 $109,347 $660,165
38 Addison, TX 17,290 $73,854 $490,587
39 Rowlett, TX 65,463 $112,081 $371,473
40 Fate, TX 22,884 $132,752 $361,761
41 Wylie, TX 60,334 $119,522 $421,547
42 Grapevine, TX 51,139 $111,376 $552,148
43 Bedford, TX 49,085 $83,971 $374,676
44 Carrollton, TX 133,740 $101,396 $406,039
45 Lake Dallas, TX 7,822 $76,879 $347,096
46 Van Alstyne, TX 5,952 $102,469 $433,827
47 Richardson, TX 118,731 $98,111 $440,400
48 Princeton, TX 25,229 $105,200 $294,071
49 Roanoke, TX 10,286 $97,295 $428,020
50 Anna, TX 24,330 $105,593 $349,537
51 Lewisville, TX 131,080 $89,233 $393,895
52 Farmers Branch, TX 36,645 $91,186 $377,733
53 Little Elm, TX 54,820 $119,219 $403,396
54 Hurst, TX 39,861 $72,210 $337,203
55 Lakewood, TX 62,937 $74,720 $521,148
56 Hackberry, TX 2,979 $109,769 $441,786
57 Caddo Mills, TX 3,340 $107,067 $315,940
58 Josephine, TX 5,842 $91,000 $287,282
59 Euless, TX 60,421 $82,167 $357,017
60 Cross Roads, TX 2,035 $124,145 $337,284
61 Forney, TX 31,532 $104,112 $311,401
62 Irving, TX 256,492 $81,830 $341,503
63 Denton, TX 152,866 $76,019 $354,135
64 Garland, TX 246,844 $76,320 $286,805
65 Grand Prairie, TX 201,883 $81,619 $316,526
66 Duncanville, TX 39,683 $76,457 $277,367
67 Dallas, TX 1,307,930 $70,518 $309,420
68 Pilot Point, TX 5,332 $97,933 $329,619
69 Mesquite, TX 149,299 $72,537 $262,121
70 Balch Springs, TX 27,255 $66,942 $224,768
71 Hutchins, TX 7,496 $47,829 $249,516
72 Cockrell Hill, TX 3,703 $52,292 $216,650
73 Farmersville, TX 4,018 $81,036 $338,460
74 Seagoville, TX 19,352 $66,743 $272,216
Chris Kolmar
About the author

Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.

He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.

If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.

You can find out more about him on LinkedIn or his website.

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