Head-to-Head · City Comparison
Arlington, TX
VS
Garland, TX
🏆 Arlington leads 12 of 22 categories
Arlington
Texas
12
wins
Cost of Living Index
103.3⚠ High
Median Household Income
$71,736 ✓ Higher
Violent Crime Index
127⚠ High
Population
393,469 ✓ Larger
Garland
Texas
10
wins
Cost of Living Index
103.3⚠ High
Median Household Income
$71,044
Violent Crime Index
61 ✓ Safer
Population
244,026
Pros & Cons
Auto-generated from official data — head-to-head differences and gaps vs the national average.
Arlington, TX
Pros
More college-educated — 32.4% hold a bachelor's or higher
Rent averages $124/mo less ($1,297 vs $1,421)
Cons
Violent crime (482.9/100k) is above the U.S. average of 380
Garland, TX
Pros
52% less violent crime than Arlington
Violent crime is well below the national average (232.7 vs 380/100k)
Homes cost $22k less ($229,000 vs $251,300)
Cons
Higher rents — median is $1,421/mo
Key Differences at a Glance
Arlington
Median Income
$692
$71,736 vs $71,044/yr
Both cities
Cost of Living
≈ Equal
Both near 103.3 on the COL index
Garland
Violent Crime
52% lower
232.7 vs 482.9 per 100k
Garland
Median Home Value
$22k less
$229,000 vs $251,300
Full Data Comparison
| Metric | Arlington, TX | Garland, TX |
|---|---|---|
| 💰 Cost of Living | ||
| Cost of Living Index National avg = 100 · lower = cheaper | 103.3⚠ High | 103.3⚠ High |
| Median Home Value | $251,300 | $229,000 ✓ Lower |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,297 ✓ Lower | $1,421⚠ High |
| 📈 Income & Economy | ||
| Median Household Income | $71,736 ✓ Higher | $71,044 |
| Unemployment Rate | 5.6%⚠ High | 5.2%⚠ High ✓ Lower |
| Avg Commute Minutes each way | 26.9 min ✓ Shorter | 29.7 min⚠ High |
| Work From Home % | 9.8% ✓ Higher | 9.4% |
| 🔒 Safety | ||
| Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer · 60% violent / 40% property | 122⚠ High | 75 ✓ Safer |
| Violent Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 127⚠ High | 61 ✓ Safer |
| Property Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 115⚠ High | 95 ✓ Safer |
| 🎓 Education | ||
| School Quality 100 = national avg · grad rate, staffing & attainment | B+ (105) ✓ Better | C+ (89) |
| Student-Teacher Ratio Lower = smaller classes | 13.8:1 ✓ Smaller | 15.0:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 32.4% ✓ Higher | 24.1% |
| High School or Higher | 85.9% ✓ Higher | 78.6% |
| School District Name only — no quality rating available | ARLINGTON ISD | GARLAND ISD |
| 🌤 Weather | ||
| Avg High — January | 57.9°F ✓ Warmer | 55.9°F |
| Avg High — July | 95.9°F ✓ Warmer | 94.3°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 36.2" ✓ Drier | 41.8" |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.8" | 0.2" ✓ Less |
| 👥 Demographics | ||
| Population | 393,469 ✓ Larger | 244,026 |
| Median Age | 33.1 | 34.4 ✓ Older |
| Homeownership Rate | 54.9% | 62.0% ✓ Higher |
| Under 18 | 25.3% | 25.8% ✓ More |
| Over 65 | 11.1% | 12.4% ✓ More |
Frequently Asked Questions
Arlington's cost of living index is 103.3 vs Garland's 103.3 (US average = 100).
Both have a similar overall cost of living.
Based on the 22 decided categories above, Arlington leads 12 of 22 categories. Arlington wins 12 and Garland wins 10. 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 Arlington to Garland or relocating the other way, focus on the biggest gaps: housing ($251,300 vs $229,000 median home), income ($71,736 vs $71,044), safety, and schools — all covered in the full table above.
Arlington, TX and Garland, TX are about 32 miles apart (straight-line distance). Driving distance will be longer depending on the route.