Collin County, Texas

Collin County
Collin County
County
	The Collin County Courthouse in McKinney
	Flag Seal
	Location within the U.S. state of Texas
	Texas's location within the U.S.
	Coordinates: 33°11′N 96°35′W / 33.18°N 96.58°W / 33.18; -96.58
Country	United States
State	Texas
Founded	1846
Named for	Collin McKinney
Seat	McKinney
Largest city	Plano
Area
• Total	886 sq mi (2,290 km2)
• Land	841 sq mi (2,180 km2)
• Water	45 sq mi (120 km2) 5.1%
Population (2020)
• Total	1,064,465
• Estimate (2021)	1,109,462
• Density	1,200/sq mi (460/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional districts	3rd, 4th, 32nd
Website	www.collincountytx.gov

Collin County is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. It is part of the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metropolitan statistical area, and a small part of Dallas is in the county. At the 2020 United States census, the county's population was 1,064,465, making it Texas's sixth-most populous county and the 43rd-largest county by population in the United States.^[1] Its county seat is McKinney.^[2]

History

Both the county and the county seat were named after Collin McKinney (1766-1861),^[3] one of the five men who drafted the Texas Declaration of Independence and the oldest of the 59 men who signed it.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of 886 square miles (2,290 km²), of which 841 square miles (2,180 km²) is land and 45 square miles (120 km²) (5.1%) is covered by water.^[4]

Lakes

Lavon Lake

Adjacent counties

Grayson County (north)
Fannin County (northeast)
Hunt County (east)
Rockwall County (southeast)
Dallas County (south)
Denton County (west)

Communities

Cities (shared with other counties)

Carrollton (mostly in Dallas and Denton counties)
Celina (small part in Denton County)
Dallas (mostly in Dallas County with small parts in Denton, Kaufman, Rockwall and Collin counties)
Frisco (partly in Denton County)
Garland (mostly in Dallas County and a small part in Rockwall County)
Josephine (small part in Hunt County)
Plano (small part in Denton County)
Prosper (partly in Denton County)
Richardson (mostly in Dallas County)
Royse City (mostly in Rockwall County and partly Hunt County)
Sachse (mostly in Dallas County)
Van Alstyne (mostly in Grayson County)
Wylie (small parts in Rockwall and Dallas counties)

Cities

Towns

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

Historical communities

Ghost towns

Demographics

In 2000, the U.S. Census Bureau determined 491,675 people resided in Collin County.^[9] With the economic and population growth of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, its population increased to 1,064,465 at the 2020 U.S. census.^[1] The population density as of 2019 was 1,229.8 people per square mile (474.8 people/km²).^[10] Among the population, its median age was 37.3, up from the statewide median age of 35.1. Linguistically, 11.6% of the county spoke Spanish as their household language, followed by Asian and Pacific Islander languages.^[11] Altogether 29.7% of Collin County spoke a language other than English at home, contributed in part by its large foreign-born population which made up 22% of the population according to 2019 estimates from the American Community Survey.^[12]

The median income for a household in the county as of 2019 was $96,134, up from $70,835 in 2000.^[13] Families had a median household income of $113,471, married-couple families $127,575, and non-family households $53,986. An estimated 6.3% of Collin County's residents lived at or below the poverty line from 2014 to 2019.^[14] In 2000, about 3.30% of families and 4.90% of the population lived at or below the poverty line, including 5.10% of those under age 18 and 7.10% of those aged 65 and older.

Of its residential properties, the median value of an owner-occupied housing unit was $354,100 in 2019, with a total of 8% of owner-occupied housing units ranging from less than $100,000 up to $200,000.^[10] In 2007, Collin County was ranked No. 21 for high property taxes in the U.S. as percentage of the homes' value on owner-occupied housing.^[15] It also ranked in the top 100 for amount of property taxes paid and for percentage of taxes of income. Part is this is due to the Robin Hood plan school financing system in Texas.^[16]

Race and ethnicity

At the 2000 census, the racial and ethnic makeup of the county was 81.39% White, 4.79% Black or African American, 0.47% Native American, 6.92% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 4.26% from other races, and 2.11% from two or more races; 10.27% of the population were Hispanic or Latino American of any race. In 2019, the American Community Survey estimated its non-Hispanic white population now represented 55%, reflecting a national demographic trend of diversification.^[10]^[21] The Black or African American population grew to 10%, Asian Americans made up 16% of the population, and Hispanic or Latino Americans increased to 16% of the total population in 2019; multiracial Americans made up an estimated 2% of the county population.^[10] The largest European ancestry groups from 2014 to 2019 were Germans, English Americans, and Irish and Italian Americans.^[12] By the publication of the 2020 census, the racial and ethnic makeup of Collin County was 50.96% non-Hispanic white, 10.16% Black or African American, 0.36% American Indian or Alaska Native, 17.70% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.46% some other race, 4.41% multiracial, and 15.89% Hispanic or Latino American of any race.^[20]

Religion

Christianity has historically been the predominant religious affiliation among the county's residents as part of the Bible Belt. According to the 2020 Public Religion Research Institute study, non-Christian religions are present and have been growing, largely due to migration into the county; among the non-Christian population, 3% were Hindu, 2% Muslim and 2% Jewish.^[22] Overall among its Christian population, Baptists, Methodists, Catholics and non- or inter-denominational Christians have been prominent.

Government, courts, and politics

Government

Collin County, like all counties in Texas, is governed by a Commissioners Court. The court is chaired by a county judge (equivalent to a county executive in other states) who is elected county-wide, and four commissioners who are elected by the voters in each of four precincts.^[23]

County Judge & Commissioners

County Officials

Justices of the Peace

Politics

Like most suburban Texas counties, Collin County has consistently supported Republican candidates in presidential and congressional elections since the 1960s. The last Democrat to win the county was native Texan Lyndon Johnson in 1964. By 2020, Collin County was considered a highly competitive bellwether county due to its demographic changes and the shift of college-educated voters away from the Republicans.^[25] Despite this, it remains very Republican downballot; Republicans hold all of the county-level offices and all but one of the county's seats in the state legislature.^[26]

United States House of Representatives

Texas State Representatives

Texas State Senators

State Board of Education member

Education

K-12 education

The following school districts lie entirely within Collin County:^[30]

The following districts lie partly within the county:

Bland Independent School District (very small part only)
Blue Ridge Independent School District
Celina Independent School District
Community Independent School District
Frisco Independent School District
Gunter Independent School District (very small part)
Leonard Independent School District (very small part only)
Prosper Independent School District
Rockwall Independent School District
Royse City Independent School District
Trenton Independent School District (very small part only)
Van Alstyne Independent School District (very small part only)
Whitewright Independent School District (very small part only)

In the 1990s Plano ISD received many non-Hispanic white families leaving urban areas. From circa 1997 and 2015 the number of non-Hispanic white children in K-12 schools in the county increased by 40,000 as part of a trend of white flight and suburbanization by non-Hispanic white families; however the same number of Plano ISD in particular decreased by 10,000 in that period.^[31]

Colleges and universities

Collin College opened its first campus on Highway 380 in McKinney in 1985.^[32] The college has grown to seven campuses/locations—two in McKinney and two in Plano and as well as Frisco, Allen, Rockwall, Wylie, Farmersville, and Celina.^{[citation needed]} Collin College's official service area includes all of Collin County.^[33]

Dallas Baptist University also has an extension site in Frisco, DBU Frisco, as well as the University of North Texas's extension side, UNT Frisco.^[34]

The majority of the University of Texas at Dallas campus in Richardson, Texas lies within Collin County.^[35] While the main campus' address is officially within the jurisdiction of Richardson and Collin county, approximately one-third of the college is physically located within the border of Dallas county.^[36]

Transportation

With the Red Line operated by Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) ending with its northern terminus at Parker Road Station in Plano, most of Collin County is not served by any public transit agencies as of 2023.^[37] The Texoma Area Paratransit System (TAPS) transit service provided bus routes for a short period from 2013 until Collin County bus service was suspended in 2015.^[38]^[39] The North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) in a 2022 meeting discussed the possibility of expansion of the Red Line corridor from Plano through Allen to McKinney. Either the Red Line or Silver Line could be extended north.^[40] While the Red Line could be expanded further north into Allen, Allen is currently unable to levy the 1% sales tax required to become a DART member city.^[41]

Major highways

Parks

Media

Collin County is part of the Dallas/Fort Worth media market. Local media outlets are: KDFW-TV, KXAS-TV, WFAA-TV, KTVT-TV, KERA-TV, KTXA-TV, KDFI-TV, KDAF-TV, and KFWD-TV. Other nearby stations that provide coverage for Collin County come from the Sherman/Denison market and they include: KTEN-TV and KXII-TV.

Newspapers in the Collin County area include the Allen American, Celina Record, Farmersville Times, Frisco Enterprise, McKinney Courier-Gazette, and the Plano Star-Courier. Nearby publications The Dallas Morning News and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram also provide news coverage of cities in the county.

Notable people

Collin McKinney (1766-1861) Politician, businessman, and co-author of the Texas Declaration of Independence
Griff Barnett (1884-1958) Actor born in Blue Ridge
Josh Blaylock (Born 1990) Actor and photographer born in Plano
Samuel Bogart (1797-1861)
Casey Dick (Born 1986) Football player born in Lucas
Russell E. Dickenson (1923-2008) Park ranger born in Melissa
Julie Doyle (Born 1996) Soccer player for Sky Blue FC (NWSL) born in Fairview
Devin Duvernay (Born 1997) Football player for Baltimore Ravens born in Sachse
King Fisher (1853-1884) Texas rancher and gunfighter born in Collin County
James R. Gough (1860-1916) Texas State Senator born in Collin County
Frank Shelby Groner (1877-1943) Lawyer, pastor, and educator born near Weston
Aubrey Otis Hampton (1900-1955) Radiologist born in Copeville
Warren Glenn Harding Sr. (1921-2005) Texas State Treasurer born in Princeton
Jimmie C. Holland (1928-2017) Founder of the field of psycho-oncology, born in Nevada
Sam Johnson (1930-2020) Politician who represented Collin County and Texas's 3rd District in US House of Representatives
Kyler Murray (Born 1997) Football player for Arizona Cardinals from Allen
Bumper Pool, Football player born in Lucas
Jason Ralph (Born 1986), Actor born in McKinney
James W. Throckmorton (1825-1894) 12th Governor of Texas, lived and is buried in McKinney

References

^ a b "2020 Population and Housing State Data". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on August 12, 2021. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. p. 87.
^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved April 21, 2015.
^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
^ "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades". US Census Bureau.
^ "Texas Almanac: Population History of Counties from 1850–2010" (PDF). Texas Almanac. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved April 21, 2015.
^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 30, 2011. Retrieved December 9, 2013.
^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
^ a b c d "Census profile: Collin County, TX". Census Reporter. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
^ "2019 Household Languages". data.census.gov. Archived from the original on October 21, 2021. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
^ a b "2019 Selected Social Characteristics". data.census.gov. Archived from the original on October 21, 2021. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
^ "2019 Annual Income Statistics". data.census.gov. Archived from the original on October 21, 2021. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
^ "2019 Poverty Statistics". data.census.gov. Archived from the original on October 21, 2021. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
^ "Tax Foundation". Tax Foundation.
^ Postrel, Virginia (October 7, 2004). "A Public Policy Failure". The New York Times.
^ "Texas: 1990, Part 1" (PDF). Retrieved July 15, 2024.
^ "P004 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Collin County, Texas". United States Census Bureau.
^ "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Collin County, Texas". United States Census Bureau.
^ a b "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Collin County, Texas". United States Census Bureau.
^ "Census data: US is diversifying, white population shrinking". AP NEWS. August 13, 2021. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
^ "Americans make use of their religious freedom". Dallas News. August 11, 2021. Archived from the original on August 11, 2021. Retrieved October 21, 2021. Collin County scored slightly lower on the PRRI religious diversity scale than Dallas, but Collin County is 3% Hindu, 2% Muslim, and 2% Jewish, compared to 1% for those religions in Dallas County.
^ "Commissioners Court". www.collincountytx.gov. Retrieved November 3, 2017.
^ a b "Government". www.collincountytx.gov. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
^ Wasserman, David (October 6, 2020). "Opinion | The 10 Bellwether Counties That Show How Trump Is in Serious Trouble". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
^ "Democrat Mihaela Plesa Wins Purple Collin County Texas House Seat, Defeating Republican Jamee Jolly". The Texan. November 9, 2022. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
^ a b c d "collincountytx.gov". Retrieved January 28, 2023.
^ a b c "Texas Redistricting". www.tlc.state.tx.us. Archived from the original on October 19, 2017. Retrieved November 3, 2017.
^ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Collin County, TX" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved June 30, 2022. - Text list
^ Nicholson, Eric (May 3, 2016). "In Dallas, White Flight Never Ends". Dallas Observer. Retrieved October 29, 2019.
^ "Homepage - Collin College". www.collin.edu.
^ "EDUCATION CODE CHAPTER 130. JUNIOR COLLEGE DISTRICTS". statutes.capitol.texas.gov.
^ "Welcome to DBU Frisco". www.dbu.edu. Archived from the original on March 9, 2011.
^ Mercury, The (September 17, 2018). "County divide to have implications for elections". The Mercury. Retrieved April 21, 2019.
^ "The Tale of a Happy Union between UTD and Richardson – UT Dallas Magazine – The University of Texas at Dallas". www.utdallas.edu. Retrieved April 21, 2019.
^ McFarland, Susan (September 25, 2023). "Would Collin County, D-FW growth support a regional transit system?". Dallas Morning News. Archived from the original on January 5, 2024.
^ Acree, Dan (July 3, 2013). "TAPS Public Transit begins service in Collin County". North Texas e-News. Archived from the original on April 11, 2024.
^ "TAPS Suspends Bus Service in Collin County Indefinitely". NBC DFW. November 14, 2015. Archived from the original on June 21, 2021.
^ Pirayesh, Erick (February 17, 2022). "Regional Transportation Council looks to extend DART rail line from Plano to McKinney". Community Impact. Community Impact Newspaper. Archived from the original on August 18, 2023.
^ "Public Transit". Allen, Texas. Archived from the original on April 9, 2024. Retrieved April 9, 2024.

External links

Collin County government's website
1846 Plat of Buckner the first county seat of Collin County, from the Collin County Historical Society, hosted by the Portal to Texas History
Life in Collin County
Collin County in Handbook of Texas Online at the University of Texas
Collin Chronicles hosted by the Portal to Texas History
Texas State Election History
Collin County, Texas at Curlie

33°11′N 96°35′W / 33.18°N 96.58°W / 33.18; -96.58

[:1-1] "2020 Population and Housing State Data". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on August 12, 2021. Retrieved August 20, 2021.

[GR6-2] "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.

[3] Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. p. 87.

[GR1-4] "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved April 21, 2015.

[USCensusEst2023-5] "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 14, 2024.

[DecennialCensus-6] "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades". US Census Bureau.

[7] "Texas Almanac: Population History of Counties from 1850–2010" (PDF). Texas Almanac. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved April 21, 2015.

[QF-8] "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 30, 2011. Retrieved December 9, 2013.

[GR8-9] "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.

[:2-10] "Census profile: Collin County, TX". Census Reporter. Retrieved October 21, 2021.

[11] "2019 Household Languages". data.census.gov. Archived from the original on October 21, 2021. Retrieved October 21, 2021.

[:3-12] "2019 Selected Social Characteristics". data.census.gov. Archived from the original on October 21, 2021. Retrieved October 21, 2021.

[13] "2019 Annual Income Statistics". data.census.gov. Archived from the original on October 21, 2021. Retrieved October 21, 2021.

[14] "2019 Poverty Statistics". data.census.gov. Archived from the original on October 21, 2021. Retrieved October 21, 2021.

[15] "Tax Foundation". Tax Foundation.

[16] Postrel, Virginia (October 7, 2004). "A Public Policy Failure". The New York Times.

[17] "Texas: 1990, Part 1" (PDF). Retrieved July 15, 2024.

[2000CensusP2-18] "P004 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Collin County, Texas". United States Census Bureau.

[19] "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Collin County, Texas". United States Census Bureau.

[2020CensusP2-20] "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Collin County, Texas". United States Census Bureau.

[21] "Census data: US is diversifying, white population shrinking". AP NEWS. August 13, 2021. Retrieved October 21, 2021.

[22] "Americans make use of their religious freedom". Dallas News. August 11, 2021. Archived from the original on August 11, 2021. Retrieved October 21, 2021. Collin County scored slightly lower on the PRRI religious diversity scale than Dallas, but Collin County is 3% Hindu, 2% Muslim, and 2% Jewish, compared to 1% for those religions in Dallas County.

[23] "Commissioners Court". www.collincountytx.gov. Retrieved November 3, 2017.

[:0-24] "Government". www.collincountytx.gov. Retrieved December 4, 2017.

[25] Wasserman, David (October 6, 2020). "Opinion | The 10 Bellwether Counties That Show How Trump Is in Serious Trouble". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 6, 2023.

[26] "Democrat Mihaela Plesa Wins Purple Collin County Texas House Seat, Defeating Republican Jamee Jolly". The Texan. November 9, 2022. Retrieved January 10, 2023.

[27] Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved July 20, 2018.

[collincountytx.gov-28] "collincountytx.gov". Retrieved January 28, 2023.

[Texas_Redistricting-29] "Texas Redistricting". www.tlc.state.tx.us. Archived from the original on October 19, 2017. Retrieved November 3, 2017.

[30] "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Collin County, TX" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved June 30, 2022. - Text list

[31] Nicholson, Eric (May 3, 2016). "In Dallas, White Flight Never Ends". Dallas Observer. Retrieved October 29, 2019.

[32] "Homepage - Collin College". www.collin.edu.

[33] "EDUCATION CODE CHAPTER 130. JUNIOR COLLEGE DISTRICTS". statutes.capitol.texas.gov.

[34] "Welcome to DBU Frisco". www.dbu.edu. Archived from the original on March 9, 2011.

[35] Mercury, The (September 17, 2018). "County divide to have implications for elections". The Mercury. Retrieved April 21, 2019.

[36] "The Tale of a Happy Union between UTD and Richardson – UT Dallas Magazine – The University of Texas at Dallas". www.utdallas.edu. Retrieved April 21, 2019.

[37] McFarland, Susan (September 25, 2023). "Would Collin County, D-FW growth support a regional transit system?". Dallas Morning News. Archived from the original on January 5, 2024.

[38] Acree, Dan (July 3, 2013). "TAPS Public Transit begins service in Collin County". North Texas e-News. Archived from the original on April 11, 2024.

[39] "TAPS Suspends Bus Service in Collin County Indefinitely". NBC DFW. November 14, 2015. Archived from the original on June 21, 2021.

[40] Pirayesh, Erick (February 17, 2022). "Regional Transportation Council looks to extend DART rail line from Plano to McKinney". Community Impact. Community Impact Newspaper. Archived from the original on August 18, 2023.

[41] "Public Transit". Allen, Texas. Archived from the original on April 9, 2024. Retrieved April 9, 2024.