Plano, TX vs Walnut Creek, CA

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.

Plano

72.6

#865 nationally

Walnut Creek

61.4

#1910 nationally

Plano leads in cost of living index (107 vs 197). Walnut Creek leads in median household income ($129,971 vs $99,936). Plano leads in average commute (27.6 min vs 35.1 min).

Metric-by-Metric Breakdown

Metric	Plano, TX	Walnut Creek, CA
WhereAtHome Score	72.6 (#865)	61.4 (#1910)
Population	287,339	69,152
Typical Home Value (ZHVI)	$499,723	$1,032,096
Median Household Income	$99,936	$129,971
Average Commute	27.6 min	35.1 min
Walk Score	39	41
Crime Level	Low	7.7
School Rating	8.5	N/A
Cost of Living Index	107	197
Political lean County 2024 presidential margin — context only, not scored	R+11.2	D+38.0