For the second consecutive year, McKinney landed at No. 1 in RentCafe’s 2026 Best Cities for Renters ranking, which compared 150 of the largest and fastest-growing U.S. cities across housing, economic and quality-of-life factors.
McKinney isn’t the only Collin County city to make a strong showing. Plano ranked No. 18 overall, placing two Collin County communities among the nation’s top 20 for renters.
McKinney Holds On To No. 1
McKinney first topped RentCafe’s national ranking in 2025, when the city stood out for its combination of housing, economic opportunities and quality of life. A year later, it remains at the top.
In the 2026 study, McKinney ranked third nationally for cost of living and housing and ninth for quality of life. RentCafe also highlighted a 35.9% increase in renter household income, highly rated schools and access to more than 3,000 acres of parks and open space…