Austin, TX vs Plano, TX

Side-by-side comparison of housing, income, commute, safety, and quality of life.

Score Snapshot

No universal winner

Scores summarize the published model. Use the objective metric differences below and your own priorities to choose.

Austin

68.3

#1322 nationally

Plano

72.6

#865 nationally

Plano leads in cost of living index (107 vs 129). Plano leads in school rating (8.5 vs 7.2). Plano leads in median household income ($99,936 vs $91,461).

Metric-by-Metric Breakdown

Metric	Austin, TX	Plano, TX
WhereAtHome Score	68.3 (#1322)	72.6 (#865)
Population	967,862	287,339
Typical Home Value (ZHVI)	$504,148	$499,723
Median Household Income	$91,461	$99,936
Average Commute	26.8 min	27.6 min
Walk Score	42	39
Crime Level	Moderate	Low
School Rating	7.2	8.5
Cost of Living Index	129	107
Political lean County 2024 presidential margin — context only, not scored	D+39.3	R+11.2