If you want to do more than live, but live big, consider renting in Plano, Texas. This “blue ribbon community” has received numerous honors as the one of the country’s best places to live.
First of all, designated 2008’s “Most Affluent City” by the United States Census Bureau, the city of Plano, Texas is a community steeped in both a rich past and an expansive future. A suburb just north of Dallas, it is recognized as the ninth largest city in Texas as its population reached more than 255,000 this year. Amongst its other attributes, Plano has been honored by CNN’s Money magazine as the best place to live in the Western United States in 2005 and the 11th best place to live in America in 2006. In addition, the city boasts of sophisticated living, a plethora of business and industry and top-notch schools.
Early settlers arrived in what is now Plano around 1840, having recognized its potential for growth and development. Almost immediately, many businesses, including stores, a gristmill and a sawmill sprung up. Soon after, a post office was established, the area was named “Plano” from the Spanish word for “flat,” and the city was incorporated in 1873. The region saw growth again as the Houston and Texas Railroad passed through the city, bringing jobs and an increase in population. And, despite an 1881 fire that destroyed nearly all the businesses within city limits, Plano was rebuilt and continued to thrive.
Due to the area’s flat topography, proximity to Dallas and efficient city planning, Plano caught the attention of several large corporations in the 1980’s. An industrial boom occurred and the city now houses the corporate headquarters for some of America’s largest companies. These include JC Penney, Dr. Pepper/Snapple, Frito-Lay, Rent-A-Center, Rug Doctor and Safety-Kleen. As a result of its growth and desirability, Plano was designated an All-American City in 1994.
Because Plano is located within the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area (Metroplex), it subsequently attracts many business travelers and tourists. Major thoroughfares pass through the city, making travel manageable and relatively straightforward. The city itself was amongst the first in the area to implement a road system master plan that includes multi-lane divided highways, a tollway and a turnpike. In addition, Plano participates in the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) system of public transportation. This system provides easy access around the Metroplex through use of bus lines and light rail stations.
The traits that have attracted business and industry to Plano have also provided residents the opportunity to live a first-rate lifestyle in a highly sought-after community. Local amenities include an annual hot air balloon festival, up-scale shopping/residential complexes, a luxury Wal-Mart Supercenter, and the city’s extravagant convention center, a hotspot for community meetings, conferences, athletic activities and special events. The wealth of enterprises, resources and opportunities resulted in the city having one of the lowest poverty rates in the nation this year at only 6.3 percent. In addition, the median income per household is $84,942, the highest in America.
Along with positive recognition, however; Plano also has been in the spotlight for its high incidents of teenage suicides over the years. In the early 1980’s, nine students made national headlines for succumbing to self-inflicted gunshot wounds as well as carbon monoxide poisoning. Ten years later, NBC’s Dateline and MTV’s Wasted aired stories about the heroin epidemic in Plano that resulted in more than a dozen deaths and a multitude of conditions associated with the drug use. Most recently, in 2003, news emerged of a Plano high school student who committed suicide due to a connection between his steroid use and depression. Nonetheless, an increase in national awareness programs emerged from these instances. Among them were multiple investigations into drug use among teenagers and major coverage by both the media and government agencies. A Congressional Subcommittee even heard testimonies from several well-known athletes as well as parents regarding the extensive use of steroids in America’s high schools.
Despite its brief infamy of young people and drug use, Plano has positioned itself as a mecca of quality education. The city is home to 70 public schools, 16 private schools, two colleges and six public libraries. Over the years, the Plano Independent School District, formed in 1895 and serving most of the city, has seen an explosion in student enrollment numbers. In response, the district implemented a distinctive system in which grades 9-10 attend a high school and grades 11-12 attend a senior high school. The system efficiently serves the needs of its students and the district boasts of its unparalleled education, producing some of the highest numbers of seniors selected as National Merit Semifinalists. Please read more about Plano apartments today.
