If you were to visualize the growth trajectory of Collin County, a booming suburban area north of Dallas, the first images that come to mind might be of busy construction sites or moving vans unloading in front of new homes.
But a better visual might be a simple line curving up and up … and up.
Something like this:
Collin County’s growth began to pick up speed in the 1980s and ’90s and then greatly accelerated in the new century, nearly doubling. Its gross domestic product has increased approximately fivefold since the beginning of the century. Neither trend shows signs of slowing down.
Multiple factors are at play, but investment by the tech sector and other well-paying employers has been a major economic contributor, complemented by the area’s reputation for good schools and high quality of life.
“Technology investments and the number of technology jobs in Texas are accelerating,” Jason Schenker, president of Prestige Economics, commented in a study from the Texas Association of Business. “Even modest increases in tech employment are expected to generate substantial contributions to real GDP, particularly in fast-growing regions like Collin County.”
TAB projected that businesses in Collin County will account for 10% of Texas’ gross domestic product by 2050 — surpassing the current size of some other states’ entire economies — and that the area will be home to 7% of the Texas workforce.
“North Texas — and Collin County, specifically — are the benefactors of businesses moving from New York, California and other states eager to be in a business-friendly environment,” Cindy Simpson, co-regional managing principal of the south-central region for Gensler, wrote in an op-ed in D magazine titled “What’s So Great About Collin County?”
Simpson noted that property value per capita in Collin County was approximately $189K as of 2024, and the local economy had grown at a pace of 1.3% over the preceding five years.
“As many of us in commercial real estate, design/planning, and development have seen over the past several years, North Texas has been the economic engine driving the state forward,” she wrote.
To answer the question raised by Simpson’s provocative headline, Bisnow spoke with several economic development executives for Collin County communities to get their boots-on-the-ground perspectives in the county’s major cities of McKinney, Allen, Frisco and Plano.
We asked what continues to drive growth in their cities, what are the steps being taken to maintain momentum, and what do they envision for the future of Collin County and its residents.
An outsider might speculate that lucky local officials need only wait for their phones to ring with calls from businesses eager to relocate to Collin County. However, the reality is much more nuanced, particularly if the county is to continue as a “strategic driver of statewide economic momentum,” as Schenker has called it.
Leaders of economic development corporations for local cities such as McKinney said constant outreach, continuous efforts to understand business and community needs, and even a degree of cooperation among the EDCs are all important to keeping this local version of the Texas Miracle alive.
“The fact that we are a region all pulling in the same direction to improve the quality of life for our citizens and to inspire job growth in our communities is so important,” said Michael Kowski, president and CEO of the McKinney EDC. “I mean, other states are begging for that type of attitude among local officials.”
McKinney: A Magnet For Talent
While they’re all pulling in the same direction, each community has its own history, asset mix and factors that attract new residents and businesses.
“Our thesis is that once people come to McKinney and plant the smallest of roots, they won't want to leave because it's so fertile here,” Kowski said.
Fertile indeed: McKinney's population has more than quadrupled since 2020, reaching nearly 230,000 residents. Even prior to 2020, the Dallas suburb was already one of the fastest-growing cities in America. Recently, WalletHub declared McKinney the best real estate market in the country, adding that the city boasts the 11th-highest job growth rate in the nation.
Kowski said multiple factors contribute to the boom in McKinney and Collin County.
“It certainly begins with the quality of life here, represented not only in what you see in McKinney and across Collin County, but in the school districts, regional universities and in the opportunities here,” he said. “Talent follows talent, and people want to be part of that energy. That makes us a magnet for ideas, people, resources and capital.”
Much of the town’s population growth is due to expanding employment opportunities, but the dynamic works two ways, resulting in a sort of self-sustaining boom loop.
“If I am a decision-maker at a corporation looking to locate here, and I'm going to ask my employees to follow me across city lines or state lines, I’d better have a compelling argument to get people to pack their families up and move,” Kowski said. “That argument typically will revolve around: ‘What is the benefit for these families?’ If it’s a great spot for a workforce to plant roots and grow, guaranteeing a talented workforce in the future, that's a compelling argument.”
It’s an argument that has won over a lot of employers. Recent big corporate moves include insurer Globe Life’s plans to relocate more than 3,000 employees and its headquarters to McKinney. Electrical manufacturer Encore Wire announced it would invest $500M to expand its operations in the city, adding an estimated 120 jobs.
And, in a move that reflects the growing status of McKinney and other Collin County communities, McKinney National Airport, currently a general aviation facility serving private plane owners, broke ground on a $79M expansion that will allow it to accommodate commercial flights by 2026.
Kowski called the airport project a “game-changer” for the additional local investment it is expected to help jumpstart.
“McKinney EDC just purchased over 180 acres of land next to the airport’s future commercial terminal,” he said. “That opens up opportunities for advanced manufacturing or aeronautical uses that dovetail with the airport.”
The McKinney EDC is a significant local landowner of parcels that Kowski said are ripe for future high-end commercial development. And, like other EDCs in the county, it has a toolbox of ways to attract and retain businesses. These include staying engaged with the local business community as well as reaching out to others who might consider moving operations to the city.
“It’s a matter of being proactive instead of reactive,” Kowski said. “We get out there and spread the McKinney gospel as much as we can.”
Other tools include economic incentives such as the city’s Innovation Fund, whose $200K grants in the past six years have helped fund nearly 50 local tech-oriented startups worth more than $455M.
But Kowski said the EDC doesn’t view these as one-off deals, especially as the goal is to help businesses plant deep local roots. Rather, he said, McKinney is in it for the long run.
“We don’t provide just incentives and we don't look at these as transactions,” he said. “We are forming long-term relationships to inspire a company to be here for many years, and we are aware that it’s a big commitment on both sides of the aisle.”
As important as jobs are, the McKinney EDC also recognizes that other factors contribute to a community’s quality of life, such as recreation and entertainment. The $300M Sunset Amphitheater under construction is expected to be ready to host performances in 2026. It will seat up to 20,000 people and have 300 suites available for purchase.
“This public-private partnership on land the EDC purchased decades ago is a major investment in our city,” Kowski said. “We broke ground this summer, and the community and corporate leaders here are so excited by it that more than 200 suites are already purchased.”
Kowski said the McKinney EDC is committed to ensuring the city continues to grow and attract residents and businesses.
“Any test of a city is when people want to stay, grow and expand there,” he said. “All the projects and expansions underway here are great examples of why McKinney is special.”
Allen: Making A Real Difference
A short drive south from McKinney on U.S. 75, the city of Allen is also experiencing rapid development, although it looks a little different for this community of 114,000. Located deeper inside the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, and thus having experienced in-migration earlier than McKinney, Allen’s single-family home stock is mostly built out, said Dan Bowman, director of the city’s economic development corporation.
But that doesn’t mean there is no place for growth in Allen.
“We have a tremendous amount of space left for mixed-use projects, and those come with urban living opportunities like townhomes and multifamily,” Bowman said. “There's a huge amount of growth here in the office, retail and entertainment markets.”
Allen is becoming a sort of inner-ring suburb of Dallas, Bowman said, but with an important distinction thanks to the thriving local economy: “We’re keeping up with maintaining our roads and infrastructure, unlike some older suburbs.”
That investment is crucial to retain residents and attract new employers, especially as State Highway 121 is an important corridor for commuters who travel to jobs in Allen from other towns.
“Our city council invests millions of dollars every year to maintain the roads,” Bowman said. “That can be a challenge for other cities that are built out, but we are seeing new commercial development every year, which brings in new tax revenue.”
Allen encourages the redevelopment of existing commercial properties to accommodate expanding businesses, he said. One of them is automotive semiconductor manufacturer Onsemi, which recently moved its regional design operations from Richardson, Texas, to a 1990s-era building that had sat vacant since the pandemic.
“To their great credit, Onsemi said to us, ‘If you can help us solve certain problems with the infrastructure of this building, we’ll spend $35M to overhaul it,’” Bowman said. “To see a building that could have been a teardown instead become an epicenter for automotive technology [research and development] is a great example of how we are reinvesting in Allen and bringing in new high-paying jobs.”
He said it’s also an example of what the Allen EDC does best: solving problems.
“We're where the government and private sector come together to make a difference and deploy resources in a smart way to solve real-world problems — whether it concerns workforce training or a parcel’s ingress/egress issue — that might stop a company from investing here,” Bowman said. “Sometimes, people say that economic development is just a government handout. I’m sure there are places where it's done that way, but that's not how it's done here. In Collin County, it's done to make a real difference for residents.”
TKI: Cleared For Takeoff
An indication of how much the county has matured is its airport, which is transitioning from a general aviation facility serving mostly corporate jets to a commercial airport supplementing DFW’s aviation infrastructure.
Director Ken Carley said the economic impact of McKinney National Airport — or TKI — grew from about $44M in 2012 to more than $200M prior to the pandemic. Currently, he said, the impact is approaching $300M.
“The other interesting thing about the airport is it's self-sustaining,” he said. “We don't take any funds from the city's general fund, and the revenues we generate from leases and the fees we collect for aeronautical services basically pay for the maintenance and operation of the airport.”
The $79M airport expansion has drawn headlines, but Carley said the value of all projects underway at TKI, including runway extensions and taxiway improvements, actually amount to $200M.
To Carley, TKI is a prime illustration of Collin County’s phenomenal growth.
“This airport has been here since 1979, and its economic output today is awesome, but it took about 40 years to get to this point,” he said. “However, the growth has been a lot more exponential in the last 10 years, and now we're looking at a project that will eclipse what it's taken 40-some years to get to.”
Even as it transitions to serving commercial flights, TKI is likely to remain an important hub for corporate users. Texas Instruments, for example, maintains its flight department there.
But aside from TKI’s economic importance to the region, Carley said it also supports community services such as law enforcement, medical transport and aviation education.
“I’m proud that we are a true asset to the community,” he said.
Frisco: Vibrant, Walkable Communities
How important is mixed-use development to the area? Jason Ford, president of Frisco’s EDC, calls it “essential” and notes that the city is home to more than 10 current mixed-use projects covering a projected 15M SF of commercial and office space worth over $15B.
“Mixed-use development is essential to Frisco, Collin County and the entire region’s long-term success,” Ford said. “It creates vibrant, walkable communities that support economic resilience, reduce traffic congestion and enhance overall quality of life.”
Ford said existing mixed-use developments in Frisco — including The Star, which serves as headquarters for the Dallas Cowboys, and Hall Park, home to 15 office, multifamily and other buildings as well as public greenspace — are economic engines for a city that had fewer than 34,000 residents at the turn of the century. Today, Frisco's population is more than 240,000.
“These developments are not just places of business and jobs; they are destinations that bring people together and help position Frisco as a model for smart, sustainable growth,” he said.
Frisco, which is also home to the mixed-use PGA headquarters campus, offers performance-based incentives.
“That means companies must deliver on job creation, capital investment or infrastructure milestones before incentives are paid out,” Ford said. “It’s about accountability and outcomes.”
One of the Frisco EDC’s top priorities is to be a partner to the business community.
“Our growth is driven by vision, planning and partnerships,” Ford said. “We work hand in hand with companies to ensure their investment is a win for both their business and our community, including the schools, students, residents and visitors. We also collaborate closely with state partners to layer in additional support.”
Ford said several upcoming Frisco projects will help the city and Collin County retain momentum. These include Fields West, a 55-acre development that will have retail, entertainment, office, multifamily and hospitality properties, and Firefly Park, a 217-acre “urban village” featuring nearly 2,000 residential units, 230 townhomes, and retail, office and entertainment venues.
“These projects reflect Frisco’s commitment to creating spaces where people want to be, companies want to invest and culture can thrive,” Ford said.
Plano: ‘A Niche We’re Really Good At’
If, as McKinney’s Kowski said, the goal of economic development is to help businesses and residents grow deep roots, then the seeds might have been planted in Collin County 40 years ago in Plano by businessman Ross Perot.
Today, Plano is the county’s largest city, but in 1985, it was still a small town near the border with Dallas County where Perot purchased 2,700 acres of land to house the new headquarters of Electronic Data Systems.
That move began to pull DFW’s center of gravity north into Collin County, said Doug McDonald, director of economic development at the city of Plano. EDS was soon joined by Frito-Lay and JCPenney and then followed over the decades by other corporate heavyweights, such as Liberty Mutual and JPMorgan Chase.
McDonald said that while there is friendly competition among Plano and nearby cities, all communities in the county are focused on the bigger picture, an attitude that helps keep the growth spigot flowing.
“The mentality among the cities is that all of us need to be strong and for our county to be strong to bring in big companies,” he said.
Today, the Plano EDC is focused on business retention and redevelopment of existing sites for new tenants. An example is the former EDS campus, which is being rebranded as Texas Research Quarter, a life sciences and advanced manufacturing hub.
McDonald said the quarter will address a shortage of life sciences manufacturing facilities in North Texas and, in the process, encourage technologies and businesses that were developed there from moving out of state. It is also an example of the can-do spirit and creative thinking that Collin County EDCs have mastered to stay competitive with other, longer-established Texas regions.
“This is probably just me being biased, but Collin County is what's rocking and rolling the state,” he said. “We have a niche here that we're really good at, and the results show the power of Collin County to bring any type of investment forward to keep the Texas Miracle alive.”
This article was produced in collaboration between McKinney Economic Development Corporation and Studio B. Bisnow news staff was not involved in the production of this content.
Studio B is Bisnow’s in-house content and design studio. To learn more about how Studio B can help your team, reach out to studio@bisnow.com.
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