Head-to-Head · City Comparison
Arlington, TX
VS
Grand Prairie, TX
🏆 Arlington leads 11 of 21 categories
Arlington
Texas
11
wins
Cost of Living Index
103.3⚠ High
Median Household Income
$71,736
Violent Crime Index
127⚠ High
Population
393,469 ✓ Larger
Grand Prairie
Texas
10
wins
Cost of Living Index
103.3⚠ High
Median Household Income
$76,626 ✓ Higher
Violent Crime Index
58 ✓ Safer
Population
197,279
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 $84/mo less ($1,297 vs $1,381)
Cons
Violent crime (482.9/100k) is above the U.S. average of 380
Median income trails Grand Prairie by $4,890/yr
Grand Prairie, TX
Pros
54% less violent crime than Arlington
Violent crime is well below the national average (221.2 vs 380/100k)
Stronger job market — unemployment is 0.6 pts lower (5.0%)
Households earn $4,890 more per year on average
Cons
Higher rents — median is $1,381/mo
Key Differences at a Glance
Both cities
Cost of Living
≈ Equal
Both near 103.3 on the COL index
Grand Prairie
Median Income
$4,890
$76,626 vs $71,736/yr
Grand Prairie
Violent Crime
54% lower
221.2 vs 482.9 per 100k
Grand Prairie
Unemployment
0.6 pp lower
5.0% vs 5.6% unemployment
Full Data Comparison
| Metric | Arlington, TX | Grand Prairie, TX |
|---|---|---|
| 💰 Cost of Living | ||
| Cost of Living Index National avg = 100 · lower = cheaper | 103.3⚠ High | 103.3⚠ High |
| Median Home Value | $251,300 | $242,900 ✓ Lower |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,297 ✓ Lower | $1,381⚠ High |
| 📈 Income & Economy | ||
| Median Household Income | $71,736 | $76,626 ✓ Higher |
| Unemployment Rate | 5.6%⚠ High | 5.0%⚠ High ✓ Lower |
| Avg Commute Minutes each way | 26.9 min ✓ Shorter | 28.1 min⚠ High |
| Work From Home % | 9.8% ✓ Higher | 9.1% |
| 🔒 Safety | ||
| Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer · 60% violent / 40% property | 122⚠ High | 65 ✓ Safer |
| Violent Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 127⚠ High | 58 ✓ Safer |
| Property Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 115⚠ High | 76 ✓ Safer |
| 🎓 Education | ||
| School Quality 100 = national avg · grad rate, staffing & attainment | B+ (105) ✓ Better | B- (92) |
| Student-Teacher Ratio Lower = smaller classes | 13.8:1 ✓ Smaller | 15.1:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 32.4% ✓ Higher | 26.9% |
| High School or Higher | 85.9% ✓ Higher | 81.3% |
| School District Name only — no quality rating available | ARLINGTON ISD | GRAND PRAIRIE ISD |
| 🌤 Weather | ||
| Avg High — January | 57.9°F | 58.3°F ✓ Warmer |
| Avg High — July | 95.9°F ✓ Warmer | 95.5°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 36.2" ✓ Drier | 40.3" |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.8" | 0.8" |
| 👥 Demographics | ||
| Population | 393,469 ✓ Larger | 197,279 |
| Median Age | 33.1 | 33.7 ✓ Older |
| Homeownership Rate | 54.9% | 59.2% ✓ Higher |
| Under 18 | 25.3% | 27.6% ✓ More |
| Over 65 | 11.1% ✓ More | 10.3% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Arlington's cost of living index is 103.3 vs Grand Prairie's 103.3 (US average = 100).
Both have a similar overall cost of living.
Based on the 21 decided categories above, Arlington leads 11 of 21 categories. Arlington wins 11 and Grand Prairie 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 Grand Prairie or relocating the other way, focus on the biggest gaps: housing ($251,300 vs $242,900 median home), income ($71,736 vs $76,626), safety, and schools — all covered in the full table above.
Arlington, TX and Grand Prairie, TX are about 6 miles apart (straight-line distance). Driving distance will be longer depending on the route.