Plano ( / ˈ p l eɪ n oʊ / PLAY-noh ) is a city in the state of  Texas , located mostly within  Collin County . The city’s population was 269,776 at the  2010 census , making it the  ninth most populous city in the  state  of  Texas  ( Corpus Christi  is ranked at #8 and  Laredo  is ranked at #10) and the  70th most populous  city in the  United States . [4]  Plano is located within the  metropolitan area commonly referred to as the  Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex . The city is home to many  corporate headquarters :  Alliance Data ,  Cinemark Theatres ,  Dell Services ,  Dr Pepper Snapple Group , Ericsson ,  Frito-Lay ,  HP Enterprise Services ,  Huawei ,  J. C. Penney ,  Pizza Hut ,  Rent-A-Center ,  Traxxas ,  Siemens PLM Software , and  Toyota Motors USA .

In 2005, 2006, and 2011, Plano was designated the best place to live in the Western United States by  CNN Money  magazine. In 2006, Plano was selected as the 11th best place to live in the United States by CNN Money magazine. [5]  It was also selected as the safest city in America in 2010 [6]  and 2011 by Forbes. [7]  Plano schools consistently score among the highest in the nation. [8]  It has been rated as the wealthiest city in the United States by CNN Money, [9]  and the  United States Census Bureau  declared Plano the wealthiest city of 2008 by comparing the median household income for all U.S. cities whose populations were greater than 250,000. [10]  In 2008,  Forbes.com  selected Plano,  University Park , and  Highland Park  as the three “Top Suburbs To Live Well” of  Dallas . [11]  The annual  Plano Balloon Festival  and the Plano International Festival are two of the city’s premiere cultural and entertainment events.