Rockwall vs McKinney (Dallas, Plano, Richardson: apartments, rental, how much)

[20Hope20]

What are the and cons of living in either town? Which one looks better in long term? Does Rockwall is as saturated with rental properties as McKinney or is it more of a primary residence community.

[RonnieinDallas]

Rockwall’s cons: Being located on I-30 is it’s major con. If that bridge gets shut down you’re stuck.

McKinney’s cons: It’s located in outer space, it’s big and projected to grow a lot more

Rocwall > McKinney IMO

[JlkajwlNsn]

Rockwall is nice but far away, feels isolated from rest of DFW. Very pretty though but rough commute to anywhere. McKinney feels new and more connected to rest of Collin county. More stores, more people. Rockwall has stunning lake scenery.

[citidata18]

Not really a fan of either suburb. Both places are still extremely family-oriented, and they both have kooky local leaders.

McKinney has a much nicer town square, and while it's way out there from the heart of the Metroplex, it is still in relatively close proximity to the upscale retailers/restaurants and job hubs along Highway 75 and at Legacy.

Rockwall has the lake, but as someone else mentioned, it's pretty isolated from the desirable parts of DFW.

[Leonard123]

Living there myself, I would say McKinney's 60 square miles is mostly built out except a tiny patch or two on the north, so it won't grow too much. The cities to the north are growing quite a bit though. The vast majority of people here DO own. There are some apartments on the far south and east sides along the highways but not like you would see in Plano, Richardson, or Dallas. It's really not much different from Frisco. About the same land area, population and proximity to retail/corporate development.

I actually drove out to Rockwall for the first time ever a couple weeks ago. I didn't go on a bridge. I came in from the north through Wylie and Lavon, so there is an alternative to crossing the lake; but it was exhausting. However, the road going south from there into Rockwall (Goliad) is not for the faint of heart. It's one lane in each direction with high speeds and a lot of traffic that will only worsen, and I don't think there's room to widen it. There was a lot of open land though, primarily on the east side.

The land area, population, and state of development in Rockwall is different, so you're comparing apples to oranges with regard to apartments. I would suggest checking the city's zoning maps if you are concerned about future development.

I felt isolated and stranded out there, and much of what I saw there seemed old. McKinney has more retail options but also a larger population and less open land. On the other hand, you do have a marginally lower property tax rate in Rockwall and reasonably priced housing, and you are close to a lake if you like that kind of thing.

[ChristieP]

Rockwall is very family-oriented and is one of the fastest-growing cities in Texas. It is kind of isolated by Lake ray Hubbard, but the community is great. My parents have lived in the area since 2011, and (before COVID) I frequently visited and attended community events with them. Rockwall is still growing, and the schools are excellent, so it attracts lots of families. It is not saturated with rental properties, and there are still many new subdivisions being built. As for retail and restaurants, it has all sorts of retail including a Costco.

Personally, I think Rockwall is much nicer than McKinney.

[Katana49]

Originally Posted by RonnieinDallas

Rockwall’s cons: Being located on I-30 is it’s major con. If that bridge gets shut down you’re stuck.

McKinney’s cons: It’s located in outer space, it’s big and projected to grow a lot more

Rocwall > McKinney IMO

LOL What?


When was the last time you were in McKinney, 20 years ago? McKinney is now built out to the borders, it's a seamless transition between Allen, Plano, Frisco, and Prosper.


Anyone who looks on a map can see that Rockwall is the city that's away from everything.

[NP78]

Originally Posted by Katana49

LOL What?


When was the last time you were in McKinney, 20 years ago? McKinney is now built out to the borders, it's a seamless transition between Allen, Plano, Frisco, and Prosper.


Anyone who looks on a map can see that Rockwall is the city that's away from everything.

True. That would be the plus to Rockwall from my perspective. It is still busy of course, but feels a little bit less so than Dallas/Collin County.

[NoClueWho]

Originally Posted by Katana49

LOL What?


When was the last time you were in McKinney, 20 years ago? McKinney is now built out to the borders, it's a seamless transition between Allen, Plano, Frisco, and Prosper.


Anyone who looks on a map can see that Rockwall is the city that's away from everything.

LOL!!! I was wondering the same thing...

[biafra4life]

Originally Posted by Leonard123

Living there myself, I would say McKinney's 60 square miles is mostly built out except a tiny patch or two on the north, so it won't grow too much. The cities to the north are growing quite a bit though. The vast majority of people here DO own. There are some apartments on the far south and east sides along the highways but not like you would see in Plano, Richardson, or Dallas. It's really not much different from Frisco. About the same land area, population and proximity to retail/corporate development.

I actually drove out to Rockwall for the first time ever a couple weeks ago. I didn't go on a bridge. I came in from the north through Wylie and Lavon, so there is an alternative to crossing the lake; but it was exhausting. However, the road going south from there into Rockwall (Goliad) is not for the faint of heart. It's one lane in each direction with high speeds and a lot of traffic that will only worsen, and I don't think there's room to widen it. There was a lot of open land though, primarily on the east side.

The land area, population, and state of development in Rockwall is different, so you're comparing apples to oranges with regard to apartments. I would suggest checking the city's zoning maps if you are concerned about future development.

I felt isolated and stranded out there, and much of what I saw there seemed old. McKinney has more retail options but also a larger population and less open land. On the other hand, you do have a marginally lower property tax rate in Rockwall and reasonably priced housing, and you are close to a lake if you like that kind of thing.

Well part of the reason for your feeling of isolation was probably the route you took to get there. I live in Wylie and I wouldnt go through Highway 78 and 205 to get to Rockwall (which is probably what you took). Takes too long and it's a bunch of one way country roads. You should have just done 75 to George Bush all the way to 30. Would have been a much easier drive and quicker too. Neither here nor there though.

The key thing with Rockwall, Rowlett and Heath is how you feel about living near a lake. Some people hate it so Rockwall would be a definite no, others love it and Rockwall would be a yes. Others are ambivalent and then other factors would come into play.

Having family in Rockwall and several friends in McKinney, I've been to both cities regularly. To me the key thing would have to be commute. They are located too far apart to be substitutes for each other. If you work in Plano or Addison or Richardson, then McKinney would be the winner hands down. Now if you work in Down Town Dallas, then I think Rockwall is generally a better commute (unless there is a wreck on 30).

Other than that, both cities have a ton of shopping and entertainment (people sleep on how much retail is in Rockwall). And schools in both cities are good. I personally if I had to choose would pick Rockwall just because I think it's fairly unique in the metroplex with the lake access. McKinney to me is just part of the big Collin county blob. You wouldnt even notice when leaving McKinney to either Allen or Frisco. They all just blend into each other. Not saying that means McKinney is bad at all. You get the same quality lifestyle that you would get in the rest of Collin County.