# Central Plano, TX Apartment Locator | Free, Prices Checked Weekly > Free help from our Central Plano apartment locator team: older garden apartments on Custer and Independence in Plano ISD, near the Red Line, with prices checked every week. URL: https://apartmentlocatordallas.com/neighborhoods/central-plano/ Serving Central Plano and surrounding areas # Central Plano Apartment Locator: Plano ISD at Lower Rent Central Plano is the middle of the city, west of US-75 and east of the Tollway. Older garden communities line Custer, Independence and Park, inside Plano ISD, and they often rent for less than the newer buildings to the west. Downtown Plano Station sits just across US-75 if you'd rather ride than drive. Get My List [/get-my-list/ →](/get-my-list/) Call (945) 800-3851 [tel:+19458003851 →](tel:+19458003851) Areas covered 5 We reply Mon to Fri, 9:00am to 6:00pm Cost to you $0 Credit pull None - Costs you nothing Your list and our help are free - No credit pull We never touch your screening report - We reply during our hours Mon to Fri, 9:00am to 6:00pm. Your budget and move date are all we need. - TREC #562021 Spirit Real Estate Group The gap ## Central Plano apartments by size this week We checked 12 places in Central Plano on November 6, 2026. Prices count any firm free rent, spread over the lease, and are before fees. - Studio: $1,299 a month typical, from $1,270, 3 places with one available, 2 with a special - 1 Bedroom: $1,361 a month typical, from $1,020, 12 places with one available, 5 with a special - 2 Bedroom: $1,903 a month typical, from $1,278, 12 places with one available, 5 with a special - 3 Bedroom: $2,616 a month typical, from $2,210, 5 places with one available, 2 with a special ## Central Plano rents this week We check these numbers every week. Updated November 6, 2026. Where a place has a firm move-in special, its rent counts the free rent spread evenly over the lease. Rents are before fees. 12 communities in Central Plano had homes available; 5 listed a move-in special. Method: https://apartmentlocatordallas.com/rent-data-methodology/ Our read this week: Count their free rent, and newer buildings here cost only about $4 a month more than middle age ones ($1,488 vs. $1,484 for a 1 bedroom). That's not much extra for a newer home. The typical 3 bedroom dropped $62 since November 1. You get more space for your money with a 2 bedroom here: about $1.71 a square foot, compared with $1.93 for a 1 bedroom. | Size | Communities with available apartments | Lowest rent | Middle half | Typical starting rent | Typical $/sq ft | Since November 1 | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Studio | 3 | $1,270 | n/a | $1,299 | $2.34 | down $25 | | 1 bed | 12 | $1,020 | $1,112 to $1,514 | $1,361 | $1.93 | up $5 | | 2 bed | 12 | $1,278 | $1,583 to $2,061 | $1,903 | $1.71 | down $5 | | 3 bed | 5 | $2,210 | $2,383 to $2,768 | $2,616 | $1.84 | down $62 | | Building class | Communities | Typical 1 bed | $/sq ft | With a special | Typical weeks free | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Newer (Class A) | 6 | $1,488 | $2.14 | 50% | 4 | | Middle (Class B) | 3 | $1,484 | $1.75 | 33% | n/a | | Older (Class C) | 3 | $1,051 | $1.61 | 33% | n/a | - Cheapest 1 bedroom here: 1 bed listed from $1,051 (699 sq ft), Class C - Cheapest 2 bedroom here: 2 bed listed from $1,278 (826 sq ft), Class C. Special: $1,500 Off or Up To; 1 Month Free on Select Homes If Applied by End of November - Cheapest studio here: Studio listed from $1,270 (602 sq ft), Class A. Special: 1 Month Free; 1 Month Free on Select Floorplans - Cheapest 3 bedroom here: 3 bed listed from $2,411 (1450 sq ft), Class A. Special: 1 Month Free + $99 App & Admin. About $2,210/mo net effective over a 12 month lease - Could be the cheapest studio: Studio listed from $1,299 (554 sq ft), Class B. Special: Up to 4 Weeks Free Rents are the lowest listed price for an available apartment of each size in our weekly check. We leave out income restricted, tax credit, 55+ and student communities. Prices can change any day, so get the final price in writing from the building before you apply. ## Areas we cover in and around Central Plano - **Downtown Plano Arts District**: Downtown Plano centers on 15th Street just east of US-75, where Downtown Plano station on the Red and Orange lines sits next to Haggard Park. Midsize apartment buildings stand beside brick storefronts, and the Silver Line's 12th Street station is a few blocks south. - **Custer Road Corridor**: Custer Road runs north and south through central Plano west of US-75, with garden complexes from the 1980s and shopping centers at the big crossings. It's in Plano ISD, with Spring Creek Parkway and the Bush Turnpike as the quick ways across town. - **Independence Parkway Area**: One major road west of Custer, Independence Parkway runs from the Bush Turnpike north past Park Boulevard and Spring Creek Parkway. Rentals are older garden apartments and leased houses, and the Tollway is a few miles farther west. - **Park Boulevard Corridor**: Park Boulevard crosses Plano from the Tollway to east of US-75, and its middle stretch near Custer and Independence has older apartments and strip centers. Downtown Plano and the Red Line are a short, direct drive east. ## Central Plano Apartments With More Room Than the Tollway Side - Floor plans on Custer and Independence compared with west Plano, with size and price side by side - We ask about water and trash billing at the older buildings, where a split bill can wipe out a lower rent - Buildings within a walk of Downtown Plano Station pointed out if you want the Red Line ## Getting Around Central Plano: DART Red Line and US-75 Access US-75 forms the east edge, so a run south to Richardson or north to Allen is quick from almost any address. Park Boulevard and Spring Creek Parkway carry traffic across town, and the Bush Turnpike caps the south end for trips to Garland or the Tollway. The train is the big difference from the rest of the northern suburbs. Downtown Plano Station, beside Haggard Park, puts the Red Line within reach of the older streets just across the freeway. Parker Road Station, where the line ends, sits by US-75 at the north end. A short walk to either one makes going without a second car realistic. ## Older Garden Apartments on Custer and Independence: What to Check Most apartments here were built in the 1980s and 1990s along Custer Road, Independence Parkway and Park Boulevard. Units often run larger than in the newer Tollway buildings. The tradeoff? Older kitchens, surface parking and fewer amenities. Screening at these communities follows set rules, but many will take a lease guarantee company, a bigger deposit or a co-signer when income is solid and credit is not. The newer buildings near Downtown Plano Station and along US-75 screen tighter and add amenity fees. Ask how water and trash are billed, since it's easy to miss. A number of the older Custer and Independence buildings divide one bill among all the units by formula, so your share moves with the building's use, not just yours. ## Everyday life in central Plano Central Plano runs from the older streets west of Independence east to US-75 and Downtown Plano. It's roomier and older, with a creek trail through the middle and trains at 15th Street. ### Central Plano by car and bike By our drive times, most of central Plano is about 20 minutes from Legacy West at 8am, and Downtown Dallas is about 46. DFW Airport is about 37. The Bush Turnpike crosses the south end of Plano and is the quick way west toward the airport. For short trips, the Chisholm Trail's underpasses let you bike north and south without crossing a major road. - **Chisholm Trail** (trail): Ride it to Downtown Plano for dinner on a weekend evening; the underpasses mean no waiting at big intersections. ### The creek trail through the middle The Chisholm Trail follows Spring Creek through central Plano, a wide paved path that ducks under Parker Road, Alma Drive and Park Boulevard instead of crossing them. It ends at East 15th Street, just west of US-75, near Downtown Plano. Big Lake Park and Copper Creek Park sit along it. The tunnel under Parker Road closes when the creek floods. - **Haggard Park** (park): Downtown Plano's green square by the train; sit out with takeout on 15th Street or come for the December tree lighting. - **Big Lake Park** (park): A stop along the creek trail for a lap around the water or a rest in the shade on a long ride. ### Downtown Plano nights Downtown Plano's 15th Street has the area's best walking strip of restaurants and bars, set in old brick storefronts a few steps from the train. Haggard Park sits beside it, with the Interurban Railway Museum at its edge. Park once and walk the few blocks, or take the Red Line in and skip parking. - **Downtown Plano** (dining street): Walk 15th Street on a Friday night for dinner and drinks, then catch the train home from the station on the same block. ### Groceries and what's coming Plano's H-E-B sits at Preston Road and Spring Creek Parkway, west of central Plano. Closer in, the old Collin Creek Mall site on US-75 is being rebuilt as a neighborhood of homes, offices and shops that opens in phases. - **Collin Creek** (shopping center): The old mall site on US-75 is turning into shops and homes; check which stores are open before you count on it. ### Balloons in fall and lights in December Dickens in Historic Downtown Plano lights the tree in Haggard Park on a Saturday in early December, with readings of The Polar Express at the Interurban Railway Museum. In September, the Plano Balloon Festival fills Oak Point Park in east Plano, with balloons up in the early mornings and evenings. - **Oak Point Park** (park): Go for the balloon festival in September, or walk its trails on a cool morning the rest of the year. ### What we tell renters here Balloon festival weekend brings heavy traffic on Spring Creek Parkway near Oak Point Park, mostly early mornings and evenings when the balloons go up. Collin Creek construction along US-75 near Plano Parkway means lane shifts and trucks for now. The Dickens tree lighting fills the 15th Street blocks that Saturday evening, so park early or ride the train in. ## Central Plano questions Can I get Plano ISD for less than west Plano prices? Often, at the older garden communities. The ones on Custer, Independence and Park sit in Plano ISD and usually rent for less than the newer Tollway buildings. Newer buildings near Downtown Plano cost more. The district's boundary doesn't match the city limits, so confirm the street first. How much apartment do I get here versus west Plano? Often more, in the older buildings. Their two and three bedroom plans often top 1,100 square feet. Compare the actual floor plans you're quoted, since sizes swing from one complex to the next. This week, two bedrooms in this part of town go for about $1,903 after specials. Can I get by here without a car? Only near the rail stops. An address within a walk of Downtown Plano or Parker Road Station gets you the Red Line south to Richardson and Dallas; farther west toward Independence, plan on driving. Map the walk from the actual building before you count on it. Is water metered per unit or split across residents? That varies by building. Some older Custer and Independence communities split water and trash by formula instead of metering each unit, so your bill rises with your neighbors' use. Ask how it's billed and add it to the rent before you compare. Which properties work with low credit here? The older communities along Custer, Independence and Park are the best bet. They screen by written rules, but many will say yes with conditions, such as a guarantor, a larger deposit or a co-signer, if pay is solid. Our [low credit guide](/bad-credit-accepted/) explains each route. Is there an apartment locator near Central Plano? There is. We keep notes on the garden communities between Custer and US-75, including which ones split water bills and which have taken a guarantor. That helps your list skip places that likely won't work. Tell us your budget and whether the Red Line matters. ## Near Central Plano For newer buildings, look west toward the Tollway; for more rail stops and the Telecom Corridor, look south to Richardson. ### Plano Legacy West · Downtown Plano · Spring Creek [Plano →](/neighborhoods/plano/) ### West Plano Legacy West · Windhaven Meadows · Parker Road Area [West Plano →](/neighborhoods/west-plano/) ### Richardson Telecom Corridor · CityLine · Canyon Creek [Richardson →](/neighborhoods/richardson/) ## Looking in Central Plano? Give us a budget and a bedroom count, and we'll send the Custer and Independence places with the most space for it. [renting with low credit](/bad-credit-accepted/) · [counting split utility bills](/true-monthly-cost/) · [this week's Dallas rents](/dallas-rent-report/) [Get my list →](/get-my-list/) Free to renters · No credit pull · Brokered by Spirit Real Estate Group, TREC #562021