Moving to Plano: The Worst Things About Living in Plano

Plano is the 9th most populous city in the state of Texas and is located approximately 20 miles from Downtown Dallas.

Out of 280k population, many people work in Dallas and return to Plano in the evening. This is why Plano is also known as Dallas’ bedroom.

Plano is home to 56 neighborhoods with a median household income of $83000, higher than the national average.

Moving to Plano: The worst things about living in the city

Although there are many pros of living in Plano, we will discuss some of the major cons of living in Plano, TX here.

Consider Traffic Congestion before moving to Plano

 

Although I am not saying that there’s tons of traffic within Plano because currently this is not the case.

However, if you are moving between Plano and Dallas, the traffic congestion is real and there is a good chance you might get caught up in this traffic.

Suppose that you live in Plano and travel to Downtown Dallas for work regularly. With no traffic on the roads, you can reach the Plano border from Downtown Dallas in less than 20 minutes.

However, with lifting COVID restrictions and traffic congestion at Dallas North Tollway and Highway 75, the commute can take up to an hour. An accident on Highway 75 can make things worse for you.

If you live in East Plano, you can bypass some of the traffic. But then you will have to rely on the train station to reach your destination. So, you are always better off living where you work.

With that being said, Plano city itself is a major job center in the DFW area with headquarters of several corporate companies.

Big corporations like Tesla are moving their headquarters to Texas. In the last year, more than 200K people moved to the DFW area and this number is expected to rise further.

So, if you work in Plano, there is no better place than Plano to live and commute to your office or workstation without any trouble.

Car dependency

 

In Plano, car dependency is real and you need a car for almost everything in the city.

Plano, TX is basically a suburb and there are very few walkable areas where you can eat and roam around without a car.

Moreover, you’ll need a car to reach such pedestrian-friendly areas in the first place. Since Plano is a suburb, public transport is not reliable enough.

Although public transport does exist in the city, you will have a hard time in the city without a car. So, car dependency is one of the worst things about living in Plano, Texas.

If you are thinking of moving to Plano in the near future, consider moving with a car at your disposal.

Extreme Weather

 

If you’re coming from the northeast Midwest or places like Las Vegas or Phoenix, you will like the weather in Plano, TX.

If you are a snowbird, you’ll be happy to know that winters are mild here and snow is not much of a problem here.

The coldest month in Plano is January when the temperature ranges between 37°F and 56°F. The downside of living in Plano, however, is that summers can get really hot in this place.

In July and August, the temperature can go as high as 96°F in Plano. Nonetheless, the weather here is not as humid as in Houston or as hot as you feel in Las Vegas or Phoenix.

If you’re coming from the Pacific, it will take some time before you can adjust to the weather in Plano. For instance, tornadoes are a real possibility here.

Although there are plenty of warning systems in place for the safety of residents and casualties are pretty rare, property damage does happen due to these tornadoes.

So, if you are moving to Plano, make sure that you are mentally ready for these tornadoes and you have a safe place in your home to remain safe when the alarms go off.

Hailstorms are another problem that might disturb you in Plano.

Takeaway

To avoid any problem, you should check the forecast regularly and stay at home in case of any expected hailstorm.

Otherwise, if you are caught off guard in a hailstorm, it can be a terrible experience for you with your car looking like it has come through a war zone.

Talking about extreme weather, it is also pertinent to mention here that garages and covered parking spaces are a necessity in Plano suburbs.

So, you should be careful while choosing a home in the Plano area.

However, there is not much to worry as nearly all the suburbs in Plano have homes with garages and covered parking spaces.

Due to the hailstorms, especially in north Plano suburbs, roofs in the DFW area receive hail damage. Nonetheless, the damage will be covered by your property insurance.

Consider the Rising Housing Prices before moving to Plano

 

Median price of homes in Plano has doubled in the last 10 years. The massive influx of population into Texas, especially the Dallas Metroplex, is no secret.

Plano suburbs surrounding the Plano metro area are seeing a surge in housing prices.

Moreover, Plano itself has lots of job opportunities and the unemployment rate is considerably lower than other urban areas and older neighborhoods in the United States of America.

Apart from being a center of job opportunities in the DFW area, Plano TX is home to some of the best public schools, and private schools, in the area.

Due to great schools at walking distance, many families consider Plano as one of the best suburbs. Consequently, housing prices have surged.

Nonetheless, Plano is still known for its affordable single-family homes. It is true that you could have found a great home at a much cheaper price in Plano in the past, but it is still affordable for most residents.

If you are looking for affordable housing in Plano, you should stay away from West Plano and focus more on Central Plano and East Plano for your dream home.

If you want more specifics about housing prices in Plano, I have a video explaining the cost of living in Plano.

You can check the video to get an idea of what options you have in different price ranges in the Plano area.

Lack of nightlife