Collin County families must earn an average of $7,553 per month to be considered self-sufficient, according to a new report.
A recent study published by the Texas Workforce Commission noted that residents in Collin County must make $7,553 per month to be able to afford the average cost of living in the county. The annual report studies every Texas county to calculate how much it costs individuals and families to meet their basic needs “while maintaining self-sufficiency,” AKA without any assistance.
The Texas Workforce Commission first calculated the average size of a Texas family—around 1.6 children—before determining what a living wage looks like in each individual county. For Collin, the number is staggering: Families must earn a minimum of $90,635 per year to be deemed self-sufficient, and individuals must earn at least $21.46 an hour. Given that the minimum wage in the Lone Star States sits at $7.25 an hour, it’s difficult to imagine how people can meet this threshold.
Even accounting for Collin County’s population of 1,297,179, which is the sixth-biggest in the state after Harris, Dallas, Tarrant, Bexar, and Travis, it’s still an eye-opening statistic to grapple with. Plano Magazine notes that Collin County residents need to earn about $15,000 more per year than residents in Harris County and $10,000 more than those in Dallas County.
Let’s take a closer look at what’s contributing to this higher self-sufficiency price tag.
Monthly household costs in Collin County are on the rise
When taking a closer look at Collin County’s cost of living, it becomes easier to understand why residents have to make so much money to be deemed self-sufficient. For starters, housing costs an average of $2,194 per month, which is only a slight increase from 2025’s average of $2,150. Childcare has also increased since last year, with most families paying around $1,215 for this service in 2026 compared to $1,059 last year.
Food has actually decreased from $985 to $945 per month, and transportation costs are listed as $785 for 2025 and $786 for 2026, but it’s unclear as to whether recent increases in gas prices were taken into consideration before the report was released. Healthcare costs have increased for most Collin County families—they’re paying about $952 per month now compared to $813 last year. Healthcare premiums have similarly increased from $574 to $661, as have out-of-pocket medical expenses from $239 to $291.
The self-sufficient wage for Collin County wasn’t much better last year, all things considered. Families needed to earn about $86,147 annually to afford their lifestyle there and individuals had to earn at least $20.39 an hour. Collin County was named the Best Place To Live In Texas for 2025, so it’s worth the hefty price tag, though it’s hard to imagine how some families can make those exorbitant ends meet.
