Plano, Texas

What is it like to live in Plano, TX?

Pretty great. I grew up there, and now live in a city adjacent to Plano.

Pros: Quiet, affluent, good schools, wide streets, nice people.

Cons: Sometimes it’s a little too quiet; everything closes early. Unless you’re on the east side of Plano, the Plano society is known a little uppity. Plano is surprisingly large; so, it takes like 30 minutes to drive from one end to the other (i.e. E-W, not N-S because most highways running through Plano travel N-S).

When I was growing up, Plano was a little far from anywhere fun. But since then, the Shops at Legacy have blown a breath of hipness and modernity into the city, and the city seems to be developing northward. Property values used to be amazing, but there isn’t much available land anymore, and a lot of people are moving to DFW now. So, values have likely appreciated significantly since I was younger.

What is it like to live in Plano, TX?

Plano is fantastic for couples hoping to raise a family. The public education system in Plano is fantastic. Plano is also incredibly safe - it was ranked the safest placed to live twice since 2010.

While Plano is pretty quiet there are fun places to go, specifically the Shops at Legacy, which is in west Plano, and downtown Plano, which is in east Plano. Those two scenes attract a lot of young professionals looking for a more lively atmosphere.

There are also a bunch of great restaurants in Plano for foodies. Some of my favorites are Densetsu, Mash'd, Urban Crust, and Platia's.

Thinking about moving to Plano. Have some questions.

I'm from California and moved here 4 years ago. I'm not sure which part of CA you are from, but weather is one of the hardest adjustment for me(from SD), but if you are inland CA it shouldn't be too bad of an adjustment. This summer is definitely the hottest summer i've experienced since living here. Summers here are long and hot (end of May to Oct)! So if you need to do outdoor activities , you have to do them early in the morning or later in the evening. The 4 years i've been here, i've have to replace my roof and home window once, but there have been hailstorms every year. There has been one tornado 30mins southeast of Plano couple years ago, but not in Plano. Be prepared to pay hefty home insurance (double that of CA) bc of severe weather.

Political climate is conservative, but i haven't personally experienced any extremes. You do hear some some crazy stories in the news occasionally.

The demographic in Plano is one of the most diverse in the metroplex IMO. Plano is a very family friendly city. Generally you won't find many young people who party into the night, maybe because there isn't a university in Plano. The neighborhoods get pretty quiet after 8pm.

Many people, like all parts of Texas love their guns and they like protecting that right. I think you are perfectly safe without a gun. Plano is a very safe city.

Plano is a great city for you if you have a family. Their local amenities are very abundant, handful of rec centers, libraries and parks. The plano independent school destrict is very well known and highly rated. Also there are many crazy and reckless drivers here! So be prepared to pay high car insurance too!

Thinking about moving to Plano. Have some questions.

hailstorms occur every few years. they happen but too often. summers are brutal - i was born and raised here and still hate going outside; the only time when its tolerable is early mornings and late evenings. winters are ok, mild, rarely snows but it has happened before!

politically conservative but I've never encountered super expressive people. most keep to themselves especially with the more diverse population.

population is pretty diverse as i said before. in recent years, I've noticed more Asians especially Chinese moving in (I'm Asian myself and I grew up with many other Asian peers at school). There's been a lot of new cute resturants and cafes opening that students have been going to but there isnt really that much of a night life going on. We weren't ranked as one of the most boring cities in the States for no reason lol.

Plano is known to be very safe. Gun violence has never been a problem until recent years. You don't NEED one but owning a gun is very common in TX.

Haven't heard of opioid crisis but drugs are a known issue in high school (then again this isnt an unique problem) especially on the West side. i went to a school known as the 'pharmacy' where weed was dealt freely and drugs were found in restrooms so 🤷‍♂️

Living in Plano, Texas [EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW]