By Mosaic RE Dallas | Market Update by Janelle Rawlston | Dallas-Fort Worth | Dallas, Collin & Denton Counties | MBA · Certified Senior Advisor · Relocation | Founder, Mosaic RE Group

What the Airport, the Freeway, and a $919 Million Investment Actually Mean for Buyers

It isn’t one project. Four things arrived on McKinney at roughly the same time — commercial air service, a freeway realignment, a wave of corporate investment, and enough new entertainment to start pulling visitors in from outside the county. They landed on a city of more than 235,000 people that still had room to build.

Here’s the part that catches people off guard, though. While all of that is going up, prices are coming down.

The Market and the Headlines Are Moving in Opposite Directions

According to Redfin, over the three months ending June 2026, the median sale price in McKinney was about $510,000 — down 4.7% from the same period a year earlier. Homes averaged 42 days on market, two days longer than last year, and closed at 97.8% of list price. Roughly 44% of listings took a price cut before they sold. Volume held up, though: 811 homes changed hands in June, up slightly from 785 the June before.

So buyers have real negotiating room in a city that’s simultaneously getting an airport, a freeway, and a $919 million manufacturing campus. That gap between what the headlines say and what the market is doing is the whole opportunity, and it’s worth understanding before it closes.

If you’re buying, 42 days on market means you can inspect properly and negotiate rather than waiving your way into a contract. That is a very different experience from buying here in 2021. If you’re selling, price to the data and not the development news — your buyer is reading the same reports you are. Homes are still moving. They’re moving at realistic numbers.

The Airport Changes the Math

McKinney National Airport has been a general aviation field for over forty years. On November 11, 2026, it starts flying passengers, with Avelo Airlines running nonstops to Las Vegas, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, and Fort Myers.

What matters for property is the weight behind it. Per the city’s 2024 impact study, the airport already generates more than $299 million a year for the region, and the city expects roughly another $400 million once commercial service is running. That’s the kind of figure developers underwrite against.

One detail that gets left out of most coverage: McKinney voters did not approve a $200 million bond for this terminal in 2023. The city found another route through sales tax revenue bonds, TIRZ funds, and federal and state sources. So if you voted on that measure and you’ve been watching a terminal go up anyway, that isn’t a contradiction — it’s a different funding structure.

Practically, airport proximity moves the needle for two groups: frequent travelers, and out-of-state families who visit often. If that’s you, the east side of McKinney deserves a longer look than it would have gotten two years ago.

The Freeway Is Deciding Where Developers Buy

TxDOT’s US 380 bypass is planned as an eight-lane freeway routed through north McKinney, part of a Collin County corridor program valued near $8 billion. The alignment was settled in 2023, right-of-way acquisition is underway, and several businesses along the existing corridor have already closed because of it.

On timing, we’d rather give you TxDOT’s own words than a developer’s. TxDOT has said the first US 380 construction project is set to be awarded in 2027, with sections proceeding based on traffic needs and available funding. You’ll see some announcements describe the corridor as under construction — that usually refers to separate, earlier US 380 work, not the north McKinney bypass. It’s an easy thing to conflate, and it matters if you’re making a decision around a date.

This is the most misunderstood factor in McKinney right now. The bypass is causing genuine disruption for businesses in its path, and it’s also the reason the city’s two largest developments chose their sites. If you’re buying near that corridor, ask exactly where the right-of-way line falls relative to the property. “Near the bypass” is going to mean something very different in 2027 than it does today.

Then the Money Followed

In July 2026, LITEON Technology chose McKinney for its North American manufacturing campus — $919 million and at least 600 high-wage jobs, one of the largest private investments in the city’s history.

The shape of that deal tells you more than the number does. LITEON isn’t building on raw land; it’s taking over existing industrial space and fitting it out. Which means McKinney had already built product a global manufacturer could walk straight into. That doesn’t happen in markets developers are unsure about. LITEON joins Globe Life, Encore Wire, and RTX.

The permit data points the same direction. According to the city’s 2025 Annual Development Report, McKinney issued more than $1.5 billion in construction value last year, driven by a record year on the commercial side. Add a 20,000-seat amphitheater and a resort development, both slated to open in 2027, and the city starts looking less like a place people commute out of and more like somewhere people drive to on a Saturday.

Where the New Homes Are Going

The city issued 1,639 single-family permits in 2025, concentrated in Painted Tree, Trinity Falls, Aster Park, and Hidden Lakes — all in the north and northwest. Two much larger master-planned communities, Huntington Park and Long Branch, are approved behind them near the future bypass, both phased over years rather than months.

The headlines miss something here. McKinney’s Development Services director has described 1,500 to 2,000 annual permits as a sustainable pace for the city, and single-family permits actually came down in 2025 compared to 2024. This isn’t a runaway housing surge. The commercial side is what set records.

So if you want new construction, the inventory sits north and northwest. If you want mature trees, walkability, and a shorter run into Dallas, you’re looking at the historic district and the older southwest quadrant — a genuinely different McKinney, at a different price.

What This Means for You

It comes down to your timeline, and we’d rather give you the honest version than the exciting one.

If you’re buying to hold five years or more, the case is strong. An airport, a freeway, and a $919 million campus are structural changes, not seasonal ones, and buying into that while prices soften is good timing. If you’re buying to flip, or expect to move again in two years, be more careful — prices are still adjusting, bypass construction is ahead of us rather than behind us, and the 2027 openings land after your exit. And if you’re selling, the softening is real but so is the demand.

Are Home Prices Dropping in McKinney Right Now?

Yes. Over the three months ending June 2026, the median sale price was about $510,000, down 4.7% year over year, with roughly 44% of listings taking a price cut before selling. Development activity and short-term pricing are moving in opposite directions, which is exactly what makes this window worth paying attention to.

When Do Commercial Flights Start at McKinney National Airport?

Avelo Airlines begins service on November 11, 2026, with nonstops to Las Vegas, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, and Fort Myers. Public dedication of the new terminal is anticipated in fall 2026.

Is the US 380 Bypass Under Construction in McKinney Yet?

Not the north McKinney bypass. TxDOT settled the alignment in 2023 and right-of-way acquisition is underway, but TxDOT has said the first US 380 construction project is set to be awarded in 2027. Some coverage refers to separate US 380 work already in progress, so confirm which project is being discussed before making a decision that depends on the timing.

McKinney is changing quickly, and the difference between a good move and a stressful one usually comes down to timing and local detail — which corridor, which phase, which trigger. If you’re weighing McKinney against its neighbors, we broke the numbers down side by side in Plano vs. Frisco vs. McKinney: Which Fits You Best?, and if you’re moving from out of state, here’s what that process actually looks like. We’re always in your corner — reach out and we’ll walk you through what this means for your budget, your commute, and your timeline.

Let’s connect.

Warmest, Janelle, Kaity & Kristi

Blog Article by Janelle Rawlston | with Mosaic RE Group at Compass, Kaity Gonzalez and Kristi Stacy

Let Mosaic RE Group guide you through your next move, and make your experience seamless. Call us at 469-360-2161 or email us at mosaicregroup@compass.com.