McKinney New Construction Trends in 2026

Is McKinney still a strong new-construction market in 2026?

McKinney remains one of the most active new-construction markets in North Texas in 2026. The city’s own development data confirms ongoing residential permitting activity, and a June 2026 market roundup placed the median asking price near $525,000 with homes averaging 43 days on market. Conditions have shifted from the frenzied pace of prior years, but builders are still building, and buyers who understand the current landscape have real leverage to work with.

Key Takeaways

• The City of McKinney reported more than $1.5 billion in permitted construction value in 2025, signaling the scale of development momentum heading into 2026.
• A June 2026 market roundup placed McKinney’s median asking price at $525,000, with an average of 43 days on market, based on Realtor.com portal data.
• Zillow’s average home value for McKinney was $482,599 as of June 2026, down 6.7% year over year, a sign of market stabilization after several years of rapid appreciation.
• The most authoritative source for McKinney new-construction activity is the city’s own Development Reports page, which tracks residential permits by month, not portal snapshots.
• Builder incentives are more common in 2026 than they were at the market’s peak, giving buyers meaningful room to negotiate on price, rate buydowns, and upgrades.

What does McKinney’s new-construction data actually show in 2026?

The most reliable place to start is the source the portals can’t replicate: the city itself. The City of McKinney’s Residential Activity report tracks monthly construction figures for both 2025 and 2026, making it the most authoritative local dataset available. If you want to know whether builders are actually pulling permits and breaking ground, that document tells you more than any portal snapshot.

What the city’s data confirms is that McKinney isn’t slowing down the way some national headlines about the housing market might suggest. According to Community Impact’s coverage of McKinney development, the city issued permits for projects totaling more than $1.5 billion in construction value in 2025 alone. That number includes both residential and nonresidential projects, but it signals the kind of sustained development momentum that doesn’t evaporate in a single quarter.

For buyers and investors, that matters. A city still issuing permits at that volume is a city where builders are confident enough to keep committing capital. It also means competition among builders, which is one of the things working in buyers’ favor right now.

How do portal figures fit into the picture?

Portal data gives you a real-time pulse, but treat it as secondary context rather than primary market truth. According to a June 2026 McKinney market roundup, Realtor.com counted 2,711 homes for sale in McKinney and reported a median asking price of $525,000, with an average of 43 days on market. Zillow’s pending time clocked in at about 28 days as of June 30, 2026.

The same roundup reported Zillow’s average home value at $482,599, down 6.7% year over year. That’s not a collapse, it’s stabilization after years of outsized appreciation. Homes are still selling, but sellers and builders are competing harder for buyers, and that’s a meaningful shift from where the market stood two or three years ago.

The gap between the Realtor.com median asking price ($525,000) and the Zillow average home value ($482,599) is worth noting. Asking prices and actual transaction values don’t always align, especially when builder incentives and price adjustments are factored in. I always walk my clients through both numbers before we start comparing new builds to resale, the spread tells you something about where negotiating room exists.

Where are the real opportunities for buyers and investors right now?

The shift in McKinney’s market has created openings that simply didn’t exist at the peak. Here’s where I’m seeing the most meaningful opportunities in 2026.

Builder incentives are real and worth negotiating

When builders have standing inventory, homes that are finished or near-finished and sitting without a contract, they have strong motivation to move them. In 2026, that means rate buydowns, closing cost contributions, design upgrade packages, and in some cases outright price reductions. These incentives don’t always appear on the builder’s website or in the listing price. They’re negotiated, and having an experienced buyer’s agent at the table is the difference between leaving money on the table and capturing it.

If you’re comparing a new build to a resale home in communities like emerging Collin County neighborhoods such as Painted Tree, Tucker Hills, or Union Park, factor the incentives into your total cost of ownership, not just the list price.

Inventory levels give buyers more time to decide

With 2,711 active listings reported by Realtor.com in June 2026 and homes averaging 43 days on market, buyers have more time to do proper due diligence than they did during the compressed market of a few years ago. That means you can actually read the purchase agreement carefully, get an independent inspection on a new build (yes, new homes need inspections too), and compare builder contracts side by side before committing.

For investors specifically, the combination of sustained city-level permitting activity and a more measured pace of absorption is worth watching closely. McKinney’s official development reports are the right tool for tracking whether supply is outpacing demand in any given quarter, and I check them regularly for clients who are evaluating long-term investment positions.

New construction versus resale: the trade-offs are different in 2026

New builds come with builder warranties, modern energy efficiency, and no deferred maintenance, but they also come with builder contracts that heavily favor the builder, longer timelines, and a list price that may not reflect the final negotiated value. Resale homes in established McKinney communities like Stonebridge Ranch, Craig Ranch, or Stonebriar often offer more square footage per dollar and a known neighborhood character, but may require updates or repairs that add to your actual cost.

The right answer depends on your timeline, budget, and priorities. For a deeper breakdown of how to evaluate new construction specifically across Collin County, the Collin County New Construction: 2026 Buyer Guide walks through the key decision points in detail.

Every situation is different, and the only way to know which path makes more financial sense for you is to run the numbers with someone who knows this market. That’s exactly the kind of analysis I do with clients before they ever set foot in a model home.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is McKinney still seeing strong new construction in 2026?

Yes, the City of McKinney’s own development data confirms ongoing residential permitting activity in 2026, and the city reported more than $1.5 billion in permitted construction value in 2025 alone. Building has moderated from the peak years, but McKinney remains one of the most active new-construction markets in North Texas, with multiple master-planned communities still in active development phases.

Are new-build homes in McKinney cheaper than resale homes right now?

Not automatically, but the gap has narrowed. A June 2026 market roundup placed the median asking price across McKinney at $525,000, and builder incentives, including rate buydowns and closing cost contributions, can make a new build more competitive on total cost than the list price alone suggests. The comparison depends heavily on the specific community, the builder’s current inventory position, and what a resale home in the same area would require in updates or repairs.

Which McKinney neighborhoods have the most new construction?

Master-planned communities on McKinney’s northern and eastern growth corridors have seen the most sustained activity, including Painted Tree, Tucker Hills, Union Park, and Lilyana. The city’s Residential Activity report tracks permit data by development area and is the most reliable source for understanding where building is actually concentrated in any given month.

Are builders offering incentives on McKinney new homes in 2026?

Yes, and more consistently than they were at the market’s peak. With homes averaging 43 days on market as of June 2026 and builders managing standing inventory, incentives like mortgage rate buydowns, design upgrade credits, and closing cost assistance are actively available. These are negotiated, not advertised, which is why having a buyer’s agent who works new construction regularly makes a real difference in what you ultimately capture.

What should investors watch in McKinney’s new-construction market?

The most important signal is the relationship between permit activity and absorption rate, how fast new homes are selling relative to how many are being built. The City of McKinney’s monthly development reports are the right primary source for that data. A market where permits continue at a high pace but days on market are rising warrants caution; one where permits are steady and absorption is healthy points to durable demand. Pairing city data with a local agent’s read on specific communities gives you the clearest picture.

McKinney’s new-construction market in 2026 rewards buyers and investors who know where to look and how to read the data. If you want a current picture of what’s available, what builders are offering, and how specific communities compare, I’m happy to walk you through it. Schedule a consultation with me directly and we’ll start with the numbers that actually matter for your situation.

Equal Housing Opportunity. Jason Feller is licensed as a Real Estate Broker in the State of Texas. This article is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, or financial advice. Market figures cited are from third-party portal and city sources and may not reflect current MLS data. Readers should confirm their own numbers with their title company, tax advisor, or lender. Texas Real Estate Commission Consumer Protection Notice | Texas Real Estate Commission Information About Brokerage Services.