Princeton Apartment Locator: US-380 Rents East of McKinney
Free help from your Princeton apartment locator: we checked 5 places this week, from $937 a month after free rent. Princeton is one of Collin County's cheaper places to rent, out on US-380 between McKinney and Farmersville. New apartment communities keep opening along the highway, and streets of homes built to rent fill the subdivisions west of town. The old town core still has rental houses and duplexes whose owners make their own calls on credit. The catch is the drive west at 8am.
- Typical 1 bedroom
- $985/mo
- Places with homes available
- 5
- With a special
- 80%
- Our help costs you
- $0
After free rent, before fees. Checked . See this week's deals
-
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
Princeton apartments by size this week
We checked 5 places in Princeton on November 6, 2026. Prices count any firm free rent, spread over the lease, and are before fees. Pick your size to see the best deals.
This week in Princeton
80%
of places here have a move-in special
Most cover only some homes. Ask us which ones, and we'll look it up.
−$50
typical 2 bedroom since November 1
Prices here are easing. A good week to look.
Renting a house or an apartment in Princeton?
A 3 bedroom house here runs about $162 a month more than a 3 bedroom apartment after free rent.
With a house you usually get a yard, more room and no shared walls. You often pay water, trash and yard care yourself, and deposits can run higher.
With an apartment you pay community fees each month for things like parking, trash and amenities. Free rent usually needs a lease of 12 months or more, and the staff on site handles repairs.
House rents: Rentometer, Oct 2026, houses rented in Princeton, TX in the past 12 months. Apartment prices: our check of 5 communities this week, after free rent and before fees.
Our picks in Princeton
Places we like right now, in each kind of building. Tell us your budget, and we'll send the names and floor plans.
Middle age buildings
Mostly built 1995 to 2014
1 / 81 Bedroom from $937/moUp to 8 weeks freeOur takeGood for pets with a dog wash station, and most work orders get finished the same day.Get the name →
1 / 61 Bedroom from $985/moUp to 8 weeks freeOur takeThe grounds stay tidy and the homes feel roomy, with a pool and gym for after work.Get the name →
Find your best deal in Princeton
Pick what you want. We compare each deal with buildings like it here: same size, about the same age.
Circles show the general area, not the building. Numbers match the deals below.
- 1 / 8
Top deal on this list
★ Our pick$48 below similar 1 bedrooms here
Up to 8 weeks free on some homes
$937
/mo
1 bed · 622 sq ft · $1.51 per sq ft
Class B · Built 2022 · 4+ stars on Google
Up $25 since November 1 · 11 homes available this week
Get the name and floor plan - 1 / 6★ Our pick
$76 below similar 2 bedrooms here
2 bed · 1,122 sq ft · $1.06 per sq ft
Class B · Built 2020 · 4+ stars on Google
Down $30 since November 1 · 9 homes available this week
Up to 8 weeks free on some homes
$1,194/moGet the name
Prices are rent only. Monthly fees and the deposit are extra. Ask for your list, and we'll send the names and floor plans.
Nothing here matches all of that this week. Tell us what you want and we'll look for buildings that fit.
Why our prices are lower than what the community quotes
When a community gives free rent, we spread it over the whole lease and show what you pay a month on average. The community quotes the full rent, and many take the free rent off your first months. You pay the same total either way. Our way lets you compare one deal with another. Fees and the deposit are extra.
See all the numbers: prices by size, newer vs. older, week by week
Prices by size
"Middle half" is the range half the places here start in. A price under it beats about 3 in 4 places.
| Size | Typical | Cheapest | Middle half | Per sq ft | Since November 1 | Places open |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 bed | $985 | $937 | n/a | $1.51 | no change | 3 |
| 2 bed | $1,270 | $1,194 | $1,203 to $1,675 | $1.26 | down $50 | 5 |
| 3 bed | $1,788 | $1,437 | $1,628 to $1,799 | $1.32 | down $11 | 5 |
| 4 bed | n/a | $2,124 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 2 |
Newer vs. older buildings
Newer means built or redone since 2015. Middle means mostly 1995 to 2014. Older means built before 1995. Prices are for a 1 bedroom. How we sort them
| Buildings | Typical 1 bed | With a special | Usual weeks free | Per sq ft | Places |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middle (Class B) | $985 | 80% | n/a | $1.32 | 5 |
Prices week by week
The typical price from each weekly check since Oct 28. A line heading down means prices here are easing.
Each place's price is its lowest listed available apartment of that size, after any firm free rent and before fees. We leave out income restricted, tax credit, 55+ and student housing. Prices can change any day, so get the final price in writing from the building before you apply.
Areas we cover inside Princeton
Downtown PrincetonThe original center of town just south of US-380, with older houses and the city's municipal buildings.
McKinney is about a 15 minute drive west.
US-380 CorridorUS-380 runs through Princeton between McKinney and Farmersville, with newer retail along it.
Traffic is heavy at peak hours, and most of the newer subdivisions branch off it.
Original town corePrinceton's older streets near downtown have smaller lots and older houses.
Rentals here are houses and the occasional duplex, and US-380 is close.
Lake Lavon areaPrinceton's south side runs toward Lavon Lake, with Corps of Engineers parks along the shore.
Rentals near the lake are mostly houses.
West Princeton subdivisionsNewer subdivisions west of downtown along US-380 toward McKinney.
Rentals here are newer houses, many built to rent, with quicker access to McKinney.
Princeton Apartments Among Collin County's Lower Rents
- The westbound US-380 crawl through McKinney, with the drive time from each address, since it decides whether the savings hold
- Owners in the old town core who may look past a low score, a rare find in Collin County
- Whether each address gets co-op power or Oncor, looked up first
US-380 west and the 8am question
US-380 is the only real road in and out, west to McKinney and US-75, east to Farmersville. There's no DART service or rail. Central McKinney is about 8 miles west, but at 8am that stretch backs up badly, and a Plano job adds far more. Growth here has run ahead of the road work.
At rush hour, two addresses a mile apart can drive very differently, so drive the route from each one. Lavon Lake is a short trip south for weekends, and Lowry Crossing sits between Princeton and McKinney.
New communities, homes built to rent and the old town core
The market is growing fastest in the newer apartment communities along US-380 and the houses built to rent west of town. They use standard applications. Is your income solid? Then they may approve you with a bigger deposit, a co-signer or a guarantor company.
The old town core near Downtown Princeton works differently. Owners of older houses and duplexes there are more willing to hear you out on a low score (rare in Collin County at these rents).
Part of Princeton is on a co-op, which sells power directly, so there's no plan to shop. The rest is on Oncor, where you can shop for a plan. We look up the service address to tell you which.
Living in Princeton
Princeton is a fast growing town on US-380 east of McKinney, with Lavon Lake to the south. Life is simple here: lake parks, a spring onion festival and a lot of new building.
Princeton drive times
By our count, it's about 45 minutes to Legacy West at 8am, 70 to DFW Airport and close to 80 to Downtown Dallas. US-380 carries nearly every trip. The Princeton Town Center shopping project is going up at Beauchamp Boulevard, so expect construction there for now.
US-380 Princeton
The road west to McKinney for work and big errands; leave before 7am to miss the worst of the morning backup.
- McKinney trips
- Work commutes
Lavon Lake parks
Lavon Lake, south of town, is lined with Corps of Engineers parks. East Fork Park is the main Corps campground, with hookup sites and a boat ramp with a courtesy dock. Collin Park, run by a private marina, has campsites too. Brockdale Park is a day use spot with a ramp on the lake's Trinity River arm.
Lavon Lake
Launch a boat or fish from shore on a weekday morning, when the ramps are quiet.
- Shore fishing
- Boat launches
East Fork Park
Camp a night by the water close to home, or use the boat ramp and dock for a quick launch.
- Lakeside camping
- Dock access
The Onion Festival
The Princeton Onion Festival, run by the Princeton Lions Club, comes every April, at Princeton High School. It's the town's big spring day, with vendors, food, a stage show and crowds that grow each year. Parking fills near the school, so arrive early.
Princeton Onion Festival
Go in late April for the vendors and food; it's the one spring Saturday most of the town turns out.
- Spring outings
- Local vendors
Groceries and what's coming
Kroger is building a Marketplace store at Princeton Town Center, at Beauchamp Boulevard and the highway, with Home Depot in the same project. Until it opens, most big grocery runs head west on US-380 toward McKinney.
Princeton Town Center
The new Kroger and Home Depot site on US-380; until it opens, plan big runs in McKinney.
- Future groceries
- Home projects
Princeton questions
How slow is US-380 west of Princeton at 8am?
Slow. Central McKinney is only about 8 miles off, but rush hour makes the trip much longer than that sounds, and it won't get better soon. Try it once at that hour before you choose.
Which Princeton streets are on co-op power?
Some are. Co-op homes buy power from the co-op, so there's no plan to shop. Oncor homes can pick a plan. We look up the service address for you.
Where can I rent in Princeton with bad credit?
Start with the older rental houses and duplexes in the original town core, where owners can make a judgment call. Companies renting the newer houses built to rent go by standard rules, but often approve with a bigger deposit or a co-signer.
Which school district serves my address?
Princeton ISD has most of town. A few streets at the edges belong to neighboring districts, so we check the district for each address.
How much cheaper is this market than McKinney?
Noticeably, especially per square foot for houses. McKinney charges more for its shops, finished roads and wider choice of rentals. The trade works best when your job is east or along US-380, and not so well if you drive far west. Our weekly numbers have Princeton two bedrooms near $1,270 and McKinney's at $1,702.
Are there real apartments here or mostly houses?
Both. New apartment communities keep opening along US-380 for less than McKinney prices, and houses built to rent make up a big share. Older homes in the town core round it out. What's open changes from month to month.
Is there an apartment locator near Princeton?
Yes. We cover the US-380 corridor from McKinney east through Lowry Crossing to Farmersville. In Princeton, that includes owners in the town core who look at credit one person at a time, not just the new communities on the highway.
Near Princeton
McKinney is the next city west on US-380, Farmersville sits east, Wylie lies south past Lavon Lake, and Celina is across the county.
McKinney
Craig Ranch · Adriatica Village · Historic Downtown McKinney
View McKinneyWylie
Downtown Wylie · FM-544 Corridor · SH-78 Corridor
View WylieCelina
Light Farms · Downtown Celina · Preston Road Corridor
View CelinaFarmersville
Historic Downtown Farmersville · US-380 Corridor · East Farmersville
View FarmersvilleLooking in Princeton?
Give us a budget and a job location; we'll sort Princeton places by whether the US-380 drive still pays off.
low credit options · new building specials on US-380 · what renting costs monthly
Free to renters · No credit pull · Brokered by Spirit Real Estate Group, TREC #562021