1. Painted Tree (North Central McKinney)
Why it's on the list: Painted Tree pulled 787 single family permits in 2024, more than any other subdivision in McKinney by a wide margin.
Painted Tree covers about 1,100 acres off Lake Forest Dr, Wilmeth Rd, and Hardin Blvd, and Community Impact reported in July 2025 that it's planned for about 3,800 homes with more than 10 builders, plus townhomes and multifamily. It's in McKinney ISD. Coventry Homes' Painted Tree page (checked October 2026) lists 50 foot lots from $529,990, 60 foot lots from $649,990, and 70 foot lots from $788,888, and describes a 20 acre lake, about 25 miles of trails connecting toward Bonnie Wenk Park and Erwin Park, and a food truck court.
What to watch: it's still a construction zone in many sections. I didn't find a published MUD or PID for Painted Tree in the sources I checked, but don't take that as a guarantee. Ask the builder or title company for the specific tax and assessment breakdown on any lot before you sign. See new construction and new construction communities in McKinney.
2. Trinity Falls (Far North McKinney)
Why it's on the list: 380 permits in 2024, and 336 closed sales in the 12 months to October 2026 at a median of $555,000 (NTREIS MLS).
Trinity Falls is a roughly 2,000 acre master plan along the East Fork of the Trinity River, run by Johnson Development since 2016. Builders active in October 2026 include Highland, Perry, Drees, Chesmar, Coventry, and Del Webb, which runs a 55 and over section with new homes from $351,990. Frazier Elementary opened inside the community in 2023 and was rated A for 2024 to 2025.
What to watch: Trinity Falls has a McKinney address but the City says it is not in the City of McKinney tax jurisdiction. Owners pay McKinney MUD No. 1 (0.9847 per $100 for 2025) or MUD No. 2 instead of the city rate, which puts the total well above in city neighborhoods. Full breakdown on my Trinity Falls page.
3. Honey Creek and the Erwin Park Area (Northwest McKinney)
Why it's on the list: In September 2024 the City Council approved a development agreement for Honey Creek that allows up to 10,500 homes, including single family and multifamily, west of US 75 and north of US 380 near Erwin Park. The developer is Republic Property Group, and the agreement leads to McKinney's first Municipal Management District. The deal requires at least 80 acres of commercial land.
The early sections are already moving: Honey Creek Addition (128 permits) and Preserve at Honey Creek (120 permits) were both in the 2024 top ten. Next door, Erwin Farms (136 permits) is a roughly 185 acre, 196 home neighborhood next to the 212 acre Erwin Park, with Pulte and Wyatt James building and McKinney ISD schools.
What to watch: a Municipal Management District can levy its own tax or assessment. Ask for the exact rate before you buy, and expect years of construction as a 10,500 home plan builds out.
4. The Prosper ISD Side of McKinney (Aster Park and Highland Lakes)
Why it's on the list: two of the top ten permit subdivisions in 2024 are in McKinney but zoned to Prosper ISD.
- Aster Park: over 1,100 homes on more than 500 acres, gated, with single family, townhome, and multifamily product. Starwood Capital Group acquired it in April 2025. 120 permits in 2024.
- Highland Lakes: 1,374 homes on 451 acres just east of Prosper, built by Taylor Morrison and Pulte, with completion expected in 2028. 110 permits in 2024.
For buyers who want Prosper ISD but not Prosper prices, this is the part of McKinney to look at. Prosper's median sale price was $840,125 for the three months ending September 2026 (Redfin), well above McKinney's $511,000 in August 2026. See McKinney vs Prosper and gated communities.
5. The US 380 Bypass Corridor (North McKinney)
Why it's on the list: TxDOT finalized the US 380 alignment in September 2023 and has been buying right of way since. The McKinney portion is planned as an eight lane controlled access freeway with frontage roads. In December 2024 Community Impact reported TxDOT documents showing nearly $8 billion in US 380 work countywide, a McKinney segment "ready to let" in 2027, and the first project expected to be awarded in 2027. TxDOT projects US 380 will carry 114,400 daily drivers by 2050.
Freeways bring retail, offices, and medical buildings to their interchanges. The 2024 Annual Development Report already noted significant nonresidential development along US 380. They also bring years of construction and noise for homes that back up to the route, and some businesses in the path have already closed or relocated.
What to watch: if you're buying near the alignment, look up the TxDOT schematic for that exact stretch. A home two streets away from a future frontage road is a different purchase than one backing to it.
6. McKinney National Airport and the East Side
Why it's on the list: commercial flights start in November 2026. Avelo Airlines is scheduled to begin service from McKinney National Airport (DTX) between November 11 and 19, 2026, to Las Vegas, Orlando, Tampa, Fort Lauderdale, and Fort Myers. The new terminal is 46,000 square feet with four gates, expandable to six, and a 980 space parking lot. Avelo says it will base two aircraft there and create more than 100 jobs.
The McKinney Economic Development Corporation has also bought 180 acres next to the airport to attract advanced manufacturing (Bisnow, May 2026). Nearby, TxDOT's Spur 399 widening started in 2025, with the first segment expected to be done in summer 2029, and the long range plan is to extend Spur 399 around the city to US 380.
What to watch: flight paths. Commercial jets are louder than the general aviation traffic the airport has handled until now. Drive the area, and check where approach and departure routes run before you buy close to the airport. More on the job side in McKinney economy and top employers.
7. East of Highway 5: Downtown's East Side
Why it's on the list: the city moved its own headquarters here. McKinney's new municipal complex opened in January 2025 on the former Big Bass Towing site at Main and Virginia streets, funded by a $50 million bond voters approved in 2019. Tupps Brewery opened in the historic grain site at Greenville Road and Dungan Street, a project backed by an $11 million McKinney Community Development Corp. grant. The 2024 Annual Development Report also notes the East McKinney Learning Garden and a planned Virginia Street extension to Airport Road.
On the west side of the square, the former City Hall and Development Services buildings were slated for demolition in early 2026, with Hunt, Tennessee, and Lamar street reconstruction running through the end of 2027. The city has said it will explore office redevelopment of the old City Hall site with the McKinney EDC.
East McKinney is one of the city's oldest neighborhoods, and much of it falls inside the Historic Neighborhood Improvement Zone (bounded by US 75, US 380, Airport Dr, and Industrial Blvd and Wilson Creek Pkwy). Mayor George Fuller called the balance between investment and rising taxes on existing residents "a fragile balance" back in 2021. For buyers, that means older homes and infill lots at lower prices than west McKinney, with real redevelopment nearby. See historic downtown McKinney.
8. McKinney Address Communities Outside City Limits (Simpson Crossing and Eastridge)
Why it's on the list: these are the lowest priced new construction communities with McKinney mailing addresses and McKinney ISD schools, and they're selling in volume.
| Community |
City limits |
Closed sales, 12 months to Oct 28, 2026 |
Median price |
Price per sq ft |
PID (annual, approx.) |
| Simpson Crossing (75069) |
Lowry Crossing |
82 |
$346,609 |
About $154 |
About $3,430 to $4,610 per lot, 2026 to 2027 |
| Eastridge (75071) |
Princeton |
63 |
$325,990 |
About $153 |
About $2,256 to $2,527 on Improvement Area 4 lots |
Sales and price data are from NTREIS MLS. Simpson Crossing is a Meritage community just south of US 380 near Simpson Rd, built 2024 to 2025. Eastridge is a Green Brick development with Meritage and Trophy Signature Homes, with new homes from about $259K and HOA dues around $780 a year.
The tax math is different. Lowry Crossing's 2026 city rate is 0.160953 per $100 and Princeton's is 0.472959, compared with McKinney's 0.412284. Add McKinney ISD (1.0664), Collin County (0.151414), and Collin College (0.081220), and the base total is about 1.46 in Simpson Crossing and about 1.77 in Eastridge, before the PID. Simpson Crossing's PID runs into the 2050s. The lower base rate in Lowry Crossing is offset by a larger PID. My guide to McKinney PIDs and MUDs walks through the full numbers.
What "Up and Coming" Means for Buyers
- More supply, more competition among builders. McKinney's median sale price was down 3.5% year over year in August 2026 (Redfin). In growth areas, builders are the ones competing.
- Taxes vary more in growth areas. MUDs, PIDs, and management districts are how new infrastructure gets paid for. Get the full rate stack for the specific address.
- School assignments move. McKinney ISD approved new attendance zones in December 2025 after the closure decision. In fast growing areas, assume your zoned school could change.
- Road construction is coming. US 380 and Spur 399 will improve access long term, but plan on years of work.
How I Chose These Areas
I used the City of McKinney's 2024 Annual Development Report for permit counts and project status, Community Impact and TxDOT coverage for road projects and development agreements, the City's own releases for the airport, McKinney ISD decisions for school growth, and NTREIS MLS data for sales in Simpson Crossing, Eastridge, and Trinity Falls. I left out areas where the only evidence was marketing copy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What part of McKinney is growing the fastest?
North McKinney. Painted Tree and Trinity Falls accounted for 1,167 of the city's 2,310 single family permits in 2024, and most of the rest of the top ten were also north or northwest.
Is Trinity Falls in the City of McKinney?
No. It has McKinney addresses and McKinney ISD schools, but the City says it's outside the city tax jurisdiction. Owners pay a MUD instead of the city rate.
When does McKinney National Airport start commercial flights?
Avelo Airlines is scheduled to start between November 11 and 19, 2026, with five nonstop routes from DTX.
When will the US 380 bypass be built in McKinney?
TxDOT documents reported in December 2024 showed the McKinney segment ready to let in 2027, with the first project expected to be awarded that year. Construction will take years after that.
What is the cheapest new construction with a McKinney address?
Eastridge (Princeton city limits) had a $325,990 median over the past 12 months, and Simpson Crossing (Lowry Crossing) had $346,609. Both are McKinney ISD, and both carry PID assessments.
Is east McKinney a good place to buy?
It depends on what you want. East McKinney has older homes and lower prices, the new City Hall, Tupps Brewery, and the airport. It also has more mixed blocks and more change ahead. Walk the specific street before you decide.
Can I get Prosper ISD in McKinney?
Yes. Aster Park, Highland Lakes, Tucker Hill, and newer parts of Westridge are in Prosper ISD. Always verify by address.
Want to Look at One of These Areas?
I can pull current sales for any of these areas, get you the tax and assessment breakdown for a specific lot, and run the monthly payment with everything included. Send me a note through the contact form on this site with the areas you're considering. You can also browse McKinney homes for sale or see how growth is changing McKinney's housing market.
Sources: City of McKinney 2024 Annual Development Report; Community Impact, north McKinney housing projects; Community Impact, Painted Tree; Coventry Homes, Painted Tree; Johnson Development, Trinity Falls; Del Webb at Trinity Falls; City of McKinney tax information; McKinney MUD No. 1; Community Impact, Honey Creek; Community Impact, US 380 bypass; Community Impact, Spur 399; City of McKinney, Avelo at DTX; Aviation Pros, DTX routes; Bisnow, McKinney EDC; Community Impact, east of Highway 5; Community Impact, former City Hall; Community Impact, Historic Neighborhood Improvement Zone; Community Impact, McKinney ISD closures; Community Impact, McKinney ISD attendance zones; Redfin McKinney; Redfin Prosper; Collin County Tax Assessor; Simpson Road PID 2026 Service Plan; City of Princeton budget; NTREIS MLS data, 12 months to October 28, 2026.
