Head-to-Head · City Comparison
College Station, TX
VS
Visalia, CA
🏆 College Station leads 16 of 23 categories
College Station
Texas
16
wins
Cost of Living Index
90.7 ✓ Cheaper
Median Household Income
$52,397
Violent Crime Index
45 ✓ Safer
Population
120,451
Visalia
California
7
wins
Cost of Living Index
101.3⚠ High
Median Household Income
$75,658 ✓ Higher
Violent Crime Index
115⚠ High
Population
141,466 ✓ Larger
Pros & Cons
Auto-generated from official data — head-to-head differences and gaps vs the national average.
College Station, TX
Pros
61% less violent crime than Visalia
More college-educated — 58.3% hold a bachelor's or higher
Violent crime is well below the national average (170.5 vs 380/100k)
Stronger job market — unemployment is 0.9 pts lower (4.7%)
Rent averages $160/mo less ($1,129 vs $1,289)
Commutes run 5 min shorter each way
Cons
Median income trails Visalia by $23,261/yr
Visalia, CA
Pros
Households earn $23,261 more per year on average
Cons
Cost of living runs 11% higher than College Station
Higher unemployment (5.6% vs 4.7%)
Key Differences at a Glance
College Station
Cost of Living
11% cheaper
COL index 90.7 vs 101.3 (100 = US avg)
College Station
Violent Crime
61% lower
170.5 vs 435.3 per 100k
College Station
Median Home Value
$11k less
$305,800 vs $316,600
College Station
Unemployment
0.9 pp lower
4.7% vs 5.6% unemployment
Visalia
Median Income
$23,261
$75,658 vs $52,397/yr
Full Data Comparison
| Metric | College Station, TX | Visalia, CA |
|---|---|---|
| 💰 Cost of Living | ||
| Cost of Living Index National avg = 100 · lower = cheaper | 90.7 ✓ Cheaper | 101.3⚠ High |
| Median Home Value | $305,800⚠ High ✓ Lower | $316,600⚠ High |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,129 ✓ Lower | $1,289 |
| 📈 Income & Economy | ||
| Median Household Income | $52,397 | $75,658 ✓ Higher |
| Unemployment Rate | 4.7%⚠ High ✓ Lower | 5.6%⚠ High |
| Avg Commute Minutes each way | 16.9 min ✓ Shorter | 21.8 min |
| Work From Home % | 11.3% ✓ Higher | 6.4% |
| 🔒 Safety | ||
| Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer · 60% violent / 40% property | 48 ✓ Safer | 109⚠ High |
| Violent Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 45 ✓ Safer | 115⚠ High |
| Property Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 53 ✓ Safer | 101⚠ High |
| 🎓 Education | ||
| School Quality 100 = national avg · grad rate, staffing & attainment | A (129) ✓ Better | C+ (88) |
| Student-Teacher Ratio Lower = smaller classes | 14.9:1 ✓ Smaller | 21.5:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 58.3% ✓ Higher | 23.3% |
| High School or Higher | 95.3% ✓ Higher | 86.2% |
| School District Name only — no quality rating available | COLLEGE STATION ISD | Visalia Unified |
| 🌤 Weather | ||
| Avg High — January | 61.7°F ✓ Warmer | 55.3°F |
| Avg High — July | 95.4°F ✓ Warmer | 93.8°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 46.2" | 10.3" ✓ Drier |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0" ✓ Less | 0.1" |
| 👥 Demographics | ||
| Population | 120,451 | 141,466 ✓ Larger |
| Median Age | 22.9 | 33.0 ✓ Older |
| Homeownership Rate | 36.3% | 60.0% ✓ Higher |
| Under 18 | 16.5% | 28.2% ✓ More |
| Over 65 | 6.8% | 13.2% ✓ More |
Frequently Asked Questions
College Station's cost of living index is 90.7 vs Visalia's 101.3 (US average = 100).
College Station is 11% less expensive overall.
Based on the 23 decided categories above, College Station leads 16 of 23 categories. College Station wins 16 and Visalia wins 7. 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 College Station to Visalia or relocating the other way, focus on the biggest gaps: housing ($305,800 vs $316,600 median home), income ($52,397 vs $75,658), safety, and schools — all covered in the full table above.
College Station, TX and Visalia, CA are about 1,382 miles apart (straight-line distance). Driving distance will be longer depending on the route.