McKinney, Texas

McKinney is a city in the county seat of Collin County, Texas, United States. It is the third-largest city in Collin County, after Plano and Frisco. McKinney is a suburb of the big Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, located about 32 miles north of Dallas.

From 2010 to 2019, McKinney grew very quickly and was ranked the fourth fastest-growing large city in the United States by the Census Bureau. In 2020, the city had a population of 195,308 people. By July 2022, the population had grown to about 207,507, making McKinney the 15th-most populous city in Texas and the 110th most populous in the United States.

The Census Bureau also groups McKinney and Frisco together as a special urban area separate from the main Dallas–Fort Worth area. In 2020, this McKinney–Frisco urban area had a population of 504,803 people, ranking 83rd in the United States.

History

McKinney became the county seat of Collin County in 1848 because the old county seat was too far away. In 1849, a landowner named William Davis gave land for the town. The railroad arrived in 1872, which helped McKinney grow quickly. The town became an important place for farming, especially for crops like corn, wheat, and cotton.

Over time, McKinney grew from a small town into a busy suburb near Dallas. By 2019, the city had over 187,000 people. The city and the county are named after Collin McKinney, a signatory of the Texas Declaration of Independence.

Geography

McKinney covers an area of 62.9 square miles (162.9 km²), with a small part of that being water. The city has a humid subtropical climate, meaning it has hot, wet summers and mild, cooler winters. July is usually the warmest month, while January is the coolest. The area can get quite rainy, especially in the spring, and sometimes sees snow.

The city is located in the Texas blackland prairies and the Sun Belt region, which means it often has hot, dry summers with high humidity making it feel even warmer.

Demographics

Racial and ethnic composition

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, McKinney had a population of 195,308. This shows steady growth from 131,117 residents in 2010 and 54,369 in 2000. The median age was 35.6 years, with 28.0% of residents under the age of 18 and 10.4% aged 65 or older. For every 100 females, there were 94.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.0 males age 18 and over.

Almost all residents, 99.6%, lived in urban areas, while only 0.4% lived in rural areas. There were 68,366 households, with 43.2% having children under 18 living in them. Most households, 58.8%, were married couples, while 13.3% had a male householder without a spouse present, and 23.2% had a female householder without a spouse present. About 20.2% of households were made up of individuals, and 6.0% had someone living alone who was 65 or older.

There were 72,876 housing units, with 6.2% being vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.6%, and the rental vacancy rate was 9.2%.

American Community Survey

In 2019, according to the American Community Survey, 59.8% of the 68,458 households were married couples living together. The average household size was 2.88, and the average family size was 3.36. The median income in the city that year was $89,828, and the mean income was $111,588.

2010 census

In 2010, there were 28,186 households. About 45.1% had children under 18 living with them, and 63.6% were married couples living together. About 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.2% were not families. Around 19.0% of households were made up of individuals, and 5.3% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.89, and the average family size was 3.29.

The median income for a household was $63,366, and for a family, it was $72,133. Males earned a median income of $50,663, while females earned $32,074. The per capita income was $28,185. About 4.9% of families and 8.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.2% of those under age 18 and 7.9% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census

According to the 2000 U.S. census, 64% of foreign-born residents in McKinney came from Mexico.

Migration and growth

Since 2009, 70% of McKinney's foreign-born population arrived in the U.S. during the 1990s. In May 2017, the U.S. Census Bureau reported that McKinney was the third fastest-growing city in the United States, with a growth rate of 5.9% between 2015 and 2016.

Economy

McKinney started out as a place where people grew crops like corn and wheat, not cotton, because there were no railroads to help move cotton. When railroads came in 1872, the city grew a lot in the cotton business and became an important spot for cotton farmers. After World War II, McKinney began to change from farming to more factories and industry.

The money that people in McKinney make has been going up. From 2014 to 2023, the amount of money each person made grew from $32,849 to $46,671. In the same time, the money that families made together went from $81,118 to $98,317. In 2023, only 3.7% of people in McKinney did not have jobs.

The biggest places that employ people in McKinney are listed below.

Culture

McKinney, Texas, has many fun events and places to explore. Each year, the city holds special festivals like Krewe of Barkus for dog lovers, Arts in Bloom for art fans, and Texas Music Revolution with live country music. There are also holiday events such as the Red White and Boom Parade & Fireworks Festival and Oktoberfest with German food and music.

The city has wonderful arts spaces, like the McKinney Performing Arts Center in the old Collin County courthouse, which hosts plays, comedy shows, and concerts. Museums such as the Collin County History Museum and the Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary offer interesting exhibits about the area's past and nature. Erwin Park provides a great spot for camping and biking, and the McKinney Farmers Market is a popular place to find fresh food every Saturday morning. The city also has two libraries that lend out millions of books and other items each year.

Sports

McKinney has been the home of the AT&T Byron Nelson golf tournament at the TPC Craig Ranch golf course since 2020.

The football stadium for the McKinney Independent School District can hold 12,000 people and is used for the college Division II National Championship game.

Government

McKinney has a city council with seven members. Two members and the mayor are chosen by all voters, and four members are chosen by specific areas of the city. The city manager helps carry out the council’s decisions.

McKinney is part of the North Central Texas Council of Governments, which helps nearby cities work together.

McKinney’s police department is led by Chief Joe Ellenburg. It has many officers and workers who help keep the city safe. The department has received special awards for doing good work.

Education

See also: Collin College and McKinney Independent School District

Colleges

McKinney is home to the McKinney Campus of Collin College, which opened in 1985. The Collin Higher Education Center in southern McKinney opened in 2010 and offers special degree programs with several universities.

Public school districts

Most McKinney students go to the McKinney Independent School District. Others attend schools in Frisco Independent School District, Prosper Independent School District, Allen Independent School District, Melissa Independent School District, Lovejoy Independent School District, or Celina Independent School District. Many of these districts are highly ranked in the nation.

Public high schools

Students in McKinney ISD usually attend McKinney High School, McKinney North High School, or McKinney Boyd High School. Others attend high schools in the nearby districts, such as Emerson High School in Frisco ISD or Allen High School in Allen ISD. Some of these schools have been well ranked in national lists.

Public charter schools

Imagine International Academy of North Texas is a free public charter school for grades K–12 in McKinney. It is open to students from any district and is independently run.

Private schools

McKinney has two private schools for grades K–12: McKinney Christian Academy and Cornerstone Christian Academy. Both are connected to non-denominational Christianity.

Media

See also: List of newspapers in Texas, List of radio stations in Texas, and List of television stations in Texas

The McKinney Courier-Gazette is a daily newspaper published in McKinney. It covers Collin County and is owned by American Community Newspapers. The paper has about 4,400 readers each day and 26,400 readers on Sundays.

Infrastructure

McKinney has many roads to help people travel. Two important highways, US 75 and US 380, go through the city. There is also a toll road called the Sam Rayburn Tollway that connects to the big airport in Dallas/Fort Worth.

The city has a transit service called Collin County Transit. It helps older people, those who cannot walk well, or people who do not have much money to travel around McKinney and nearby towns.

McKinney also has an airport called McKinney National Airport where small planes can land. There is another small airport called Aero Country Airport where mostly single-engine planes fly in and out.

The city has train tracks, but they are only used for moving goods, not for people to ride.

Notable people

McKinney, Texas, has been home to many well-known individuals from various fields. Some of these people include Len Akin, a professional football player, and Mike Bolsinger, a professional baseball pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays.

Other notable figures are Larry Brantley, an actor and comedian famous for voicing Wishbone on the PBS series, and Hollie Cavanagh, a singer who competed on the 11th season of American Idol. The city has also produced athletes like Tom Kite, a professional golfer, and Guinn Smith, who won a gold medal in pole vaulting at the 1948 Summer Olympics. Additionally, Karthik Nemmani gained recognition as the 2018 Scripps National Spelling Bee champion.