McKinney receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
DeSoto
McKinney
Opportunity
50 · Bottom 37%
vs68 · Top 26%
Growth
50 · Top 50%
vs76 · Top 9%
Climate
68 · Bottom 41%
vs65 · Bottom 33%
Physical resilience
52 · Bottom 45%
vs67 · Top 40%
Housing affordability
76 · Bottom 43%
vs90 · Top 31%
Schools
16 · Bottom 6%
vs82 · Top 12%
Access
95 · Top 36%
vs89 · Bottom 38%
Economic stability
71 · Top 27%
vs78 · Top 11%
Measured values
| Metric | DeSoto | McKinney | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 56,211 | 210,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $82,782 | $124,215 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $39,003 | $55,643 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,598/sq mi | 3,081/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $319,400 | $471,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,666 | $1,901 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 69.6% | 63.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 6.3% | 4.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.4% | -0.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 30.1% | 54.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 7.6% | 5.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 137 | 3,065 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.4 | 14.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -19.9% | -2.9% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 96°F | 95°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 38°F | 34°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 37.7" | 38.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 17 mi | 27 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 33.5 min | 29.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 41.9 | 36.9 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 13 | 52 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 17.49 | 14.55 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 22.2% | 54.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 30.2% | 58.3% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 67.8% | 28.0% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
DeSoto
Elevated or high exposure: hail, tornado.
McKinney
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
Full profiles: DeSoto, TX · McKinney, TX · How this is calculated: methodology