Plano, TX

1 in 4 Plano residents are foreign born

Plano ranks slightly higher than Dallas in ethnic diversity, according to a new study by WalletHub, a personal finance website, making it one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the nation.

WalletHub's study used three key indicators — ethnicity and race, language and birthplace — to rank more than 500 of the largest U.S. cities. Each category was graded on a 100-point scale, with 100 representing the most ethnic diversity. The study then calculated each city's weighted average across all metrics to determine its "Ethnic Diversity Score."

Plano ranked 46th nationally by scoring 78 in ethnicity and race, 54 in language and 57 in birthplace.  Wallethub's study states that it used figures from U.S. Census data to determine rankings. The most recent census estimates show that Plano is 65.6% white, 20.4% Asian, 15.2% Hispanic or Latino and 8.4% black or African American.  In its Plano Tomorrow plan, the city says its white population is decreasing while minority populations are increasing. By 2030, Plano is expected to have a white population of just over 50%. The Hispanic population is projected to rise to 19%, and all other races will represent 22%.

An estimated 1 in 4 Plano residents were born in another country, according to the city's website.  The diversification of the U.S. is expected to continue, according to WalletHub.  "The U.S. today is a melting pot of cultures, thanks to increasing ethnic and racial diversification," the website reads. "If the trend continues, America will be more colorful than ever by 2045, at which point no single ethnic group will constitute the majority in the U.S. for the first time."

• Dallas Morning News, March 3, 2020

 New office campuses by Toyota, shown above, FedEx Office, JPMorgan Chase, Liberty Mutual Insurance

and others have brought thousands of jobs to the Legacy business park and surrounding areas. 

135,000 workers – Legacy 121/DNT Area by 2021

141,000 workers – Downtown Dallas by 2021

Plano's booming Legacy business park during the next few years will grow to have almost as many workers as downtown Dallas.  That's what a new forecast by commercial real estate firm Jones Lang LaSalle predicts for the business district that is now home to huge employers including Toyota Motor Corp., JPMorgan Chase, FedEx Office and Liberty Mutual Insurance. The numbers include employers in the area and south Frisco.  "Overall, we estimate that greater Legacy's job base has increased by 15,000 since 2015," JLL managing director Jack Crews said in a new report about the Legacy area. "This includes real move-ins to Toyota and JPMorgan, as well as companies taking smaller footprints like Fannie Mae, FedEx, Capital One and NTT Data.   "We estimate that the daytime workforce is up to around 100,000 today," he said. "Looking out over the next few years, Legacy will continue to intensify as a business hub."  JLL predicts that the Legacy area employment base will grow to nearly 135,000 by the end of 2021. Along with newcomers to the area, the job totals include workers for longtime West Plano employers including Frito-Lay, Bank of America, USAA and others.

• Dallas Morning News, March 26, 2018