Head-to-Head · City Comparison
Allen, TX
VS
Irving, TX
🏆 It's a dead heat — 11 categories each
Allen
Texas
11
wins
Cost of Living Index
103.3⚠ High
Median Household Income
$121,259 ✓ Higher
Violent Crime Index
28 ✓ Safer
Population
105,444
Irving
Texas
11
wins
Cost of Living Index
103.3⚠ High
Median Household Income
$76,686
Violent Crime Index
72
Population
254,962 ✓ Larger
Pros & Cons
Auto-generated from official data — head-to-head differences and gaps vs the national average.
Allen, TX
Pros
Households earn $44,573 more per year on average
61% less violent crime than Irving
Violent crime is well below the national average (106.4 vs 380/100k)
More college-educated — 55.2% hold a bachelor's or higher
Cons
Pricier housing — median home is $390,200
Higher rents — median is $1,747/mo
Irving, TX
Pros
Homes cost $131k less ($259,500 vs $390,200)
Rent averages $324/mo less ($1,423 vs $1,747)
Commutes run 3 min shorter each way
Cons
Median income trails Allen by $44,573/yr
Key Differences at a Glance
Allen
Median Income
$44,573
$121,259 vs $76,686/yr
Allen
Violent Crime
61% lower
106.4 vs 275.4 per 100k
Both cities
Cost of Living
≈ Equal
Both near 103.3 on the COL index
Irving
Median Home Value
$131k less
$259,500 vs $390,200
Full Data Comparison
| Metric | Allen, TX | Irving, TX |
|---|---|---|
| 💰 Cost of Living | ||
| Cost of Living Index National avg = 100 · lower = cheaper | 103.3⚠ High | 103.3⚠ High |
| Median Home Value | $390,200⚠ High | $259,500 ✓ Lower |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,747⚠ High | $1,423⚠ High ✓ Lower |
| 📈 Income & Economy | ||
| Median Household Income | $121,259 ✓ Higher | $76,686 |
| Unemployment Rate | 4.3%⚠ High | 4.1%⚠ High ✓ Lower |
| Avg Commute Minutes each way | 27.0 min | 23.8 min ✓ Shorter |
| Work From Home % | 21.4% ✓ Higher | 14.0% |
| 🔒 Safety | ||
| Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer · 60% violent / 40% property | 34 ✓ Safer | 85 |
| Violent Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 28 ✓ Safer | 72 |
| Property Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 42 ✓ Safer | 105⚠ High |
| 🎓 Education | ||
| School Quality 100 = national avg · grad rate, staffing & attainment | A (125) ✓ Better | B+ (109) |
| Student-Teacher Ratio Lower = smaller classes | 16.2:1 | 15.5:1 ✓ Smaller |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 55.2% ✓ Higher | 40.5% |
| High School or Higher | 95.8% ✓ Higher | 79.7% |
| School District Name only — no quality rating available | ALLEN ISD | IRVING ISD |
| 🌤 Weather | ||
| Avg High — January | 55.5°F | 56.5°F ✓ Warmer |
| Avg High — July | 95.0°F | 95.6°F ✓ Warmer |
| Annual Precipitation | 40.8" | 37.0" ✓ Drier |
| Annual Snowfall | 2.6" | 1.6" ✓ Less |
| 👥 Demographics | ||
| Population | 105,444 | 254,962 ✓ Larger |
| Median Age | 37.8 ✓ Older | 32.4 |
| Homeownership Rate | 70.9% ✓ Higher | 37.2% |
| Under 18 | 25.9% | 26.4% ✓ More |
| Over 65 | 10.4% ✓ More | 8.3% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Allen's cost of living index is 103.3 vs Irving's 103.3 (US average = 100).
Both have a similar overall cost of living.
Based on the 22 decided categories above, It's a dead heat — 11 categories each. Allen wins 11 and Irving wins 11. The right choice depends on your priorities — use the Pros & Cons and full table above to weigh what matters to you.
Whether you're moving from Allen to Irving or relocating the other way, focus on the biggest gaps: housing ($390,200 vs $259,500 median home), income ($121,259 vs $76,686), safety, and schools — all covered in the full table above.
Allen, TX and Irving, TX are about 24 miles apart (straight-line distance). Driving distance will be longer depending on the route.