A More Sophisticated Version of Mayberry, Allen is Safe and Prosperous Says Realtor Cathy Browne

Photo: City of Allen

According to Movoto’s recent report on the safest cities in Texas, you have a 1 in 20 chance of being victimized by a criminal in Dallas. In Allen? It’s about 1 in 1,500. The community was ranked fifth in the top 10 safest Texas cities, behind Flower Mound, Keller, Friendswood, and Little Elm.

Here’s what Movoto said about Allen

This Collin County city had one of the lowest rates of violent crime among our top 10, with just 62 per 100,000 people in 2012. Of those 62, there were 35 assaults, 15 robberies, 12 rapes, and no murders.

Additionally, Allen had a reported 50 vehicle thefts, 1,321 thefts, and 242 burglaries, for a total of 1,613 property crimes, and a grand total of just 1,675 crimes per 100,000 people, ranking it 10th in this category.

Sure, Allen is a prosperous suburb where you’ll find excellent schools and a friendly atmosphere, but great shopping and good schools a safe community do not make. So what’s the deal in Allen?

“I think part of it is that they’ve done a good job of planning the city,” said Allen resident and Ebby Halliday Realtor Cathy Browne of Allen’s city officials. “It feels like a small town where you can get a really, really nice home for not a lot of money.”

Of course, when I think of “small town” living, I immediately think of Mayberry. “It’s a little more sophisticated than Mayberry,” said Browne with a laugh. “But it’s a real family community and has a great atmosphere.”

With high-end shopping and master-planned communities, Allen certainly fits the bill of a prosperous drive-in-drive-out suburb. With a population of about 90,000 people that have a median household income of $107,000 and an average home value of $199,000, Allen is definitely a suburb where you’ll find established professionals.

And did we mention the award-winning schools? Allen has several high-achieving elementary campuses and a state-recognized high school, and it’s known for retaining top teacher talent.The city has been focusing on public safety, too, adding a new fire station and working to improve response times. It’s all about strategic growth while maintaining the atmosphere that attracts great people to Allen.

“I’ve been here since 2002, so for 12 years, and it’s just a great place to live,” Browne said. “Allen has a good reputation for still having that small town feeling. It still has that feeling of a tight-knit community, where everyone knows their neighbors.”

And they watch out for them, too.