The Story Behind This Texas City’s Surging Growth

The population of McKinney, Texas, has quadrupled in just two decades, a testament to this picturesque city’s widespread appeal. With its small-town vibe and thriving business ecosystem, it is consistently ranked as one of the best places to live in the U.S.

At the heart of the community is McKinney’s lovingly preserved historic downtown—one of Texas’ oldest—with its streetside café culture, boutique stores and art galleries. Across the city, open green spaces, hiking trails and biking paths bring people together throughout the year. With more than 200,000 residents, it’s one of the fastest-growing cities in America; hundreds of people move to McKinney every month, and thousands of homes are constructed annually to keep up with demand.

The McKinney Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) is a champion of the city’s prosperity. It supported defense contractor Raytheon Intelligence & Space in constructing its 178,000-square-foot innovation and manufacturing center. It has also backed the expansion of Encore Wire, a world leader in copper and aluminum wire production that started in a small McKinney warehouse in 1989 and now operates a 460-acre campus.

But while many corporations call McKinney home, forwardthinking start-ups are just as crucial. “We give the same amount of love to every level of business, every size business across the board,” said MEDC president and CEO Michael Kowski. McKinney’s innovation fund offers the next generation of disruptors an edge by distributing grants of up to $50,000 to get their ideas off the ground without giving up any equity. “We are just a hotbed of activity,” Kowski said, “because good things breed good things. … We’re on a great trajectory.”

The tech industry has taken note: Global innovation platform Plug and Play recently announced a strategic partnership with the city, opening a new office to connect startups and investors, with an initial focus on enterprise and AI.

Talent is vital to expanding businesses, and the wider Collin County has a workforce of more than 600,000 people. MEDC works closely with Collin College and the State of Texas—acting as a conduit to assist corporations in solving their training and upskilling challenges. The city’s quality of life also helps attract and retain these highly educated workers, and Kowski said many homegrown graduates return to the city because it has “everything they need.”

“I get very excited to help businesses grow from one or two people to hundreds of people,” said Kowski. “There’s nothing more satisfying to have happen in McKinney because it also means that the company owners are probably more inclined to live in McKinney, raise their family in McKinney and become champions of the McKinney ‘brand.’ McKinney is where everyone can win. The corporations win, the citizens win, our organization wins.”

The city’s regional and national links elevate its appeal; two major highways connect it to downtown Dallas, just 30 miles away, while city-owned McKinney National Airport is the home to several corporate fleets. “It’s a large selling point for many large companies who need to traverse the country using their airplanes. … Having a national airport separates us from our neighboring cities in a great way.”

Kowski said connections between individuals can be most important, and his team thrives on bringing together leaders across the spectrum—from C-suite executives at legacy corporations to startup entrepreneurs. He said many businesses are looking to North Texas, and MEDC’s role is to help them

pick McKinney. His final advice to companies is clear: “If you’re a big corporation, a middle-segment business or a startup, call

us first.”

“Having a national airport separates us from our neighboring cities in a great way.” Michael Kowski, President And CEO, McKinney Economic Development Corporation