Head-to-Head · City Comparison
Dallas, TX
VS
Garland, TX
🏆 Dallas leads 12 of 22 categories
Dallas
Texas
12
wins
Cost of Living Index
103.3⚠ High
Median Household Income
$63,985
Violent Crime Index
173⚠ High
Population
1,300,642 ✓ Larger
Garland
Texas
10
wins
Cost of Living Index
103.3⚠ High
Median Household Income
$71,044 ✓ Higher
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.
Dallas, TX
Pros
More college-educated — 36.5% hold a bachelor's or higher
Commutes run 3 min shorter each way
Rent averages $116/mo less ($1,305 vs $1,421)
Cons
Violent crime (658.2/100k) is above the U.S. average of 380
Property crime (3351.9/100k) runs high vs the U.S. average
Median income trails Garland by $7,059/yr
Garland, TX
Pros
65% less violent crime than Dallas
Violent crime is well below the national average (232.7 vs 380/100k)
Homes cost $42k less ($229,000 vs $270,700)
Households earn $7,059 more per year on average
Cons
Higher rents — median is $1,421/mo
Longer commutes — 29.7 min average each way
Key Differences at a Glance
Both cities
Cost of Living
≈ Equal
Both near 103.3 on the COL index
Garland
Median Income
$7,059
$71,044 vs $63,985/yr
Garland
Violent Crime
65% lower
232.7 vs 658.2 per 100k
Garland
Median Home Value
$42k less
$229,000 vs $270,700
Full Data Comparison
| Metric | Dallas, TX | Garland, TX |
|---|---|---|
| 💰 Cost of Living | ||
| Cost of Living Index National avg = 100 · lower = cheaper | 103.3⚠ High | 103.3⚠ High |
| Median Home Value | $270,700 | $229,000 ✓ Lower |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,305 ✓ Lower | $1,421⚠ High |
| 📈 Income & Economy | ||
| Median Household Income | $63,985 | $71,044 ✓ Higher |
| Unemployment Rate | 5.0%⚠ High ✓ Lower | 5.2%⚠ High |
| Avg Commute Minutes each way | 26.4 min ✓ Shorter | 29.7 min⚠ High |
| Work From Home % | 11.9% ✓ Higher | 9.4% |
| 🔒 Safety | ||
| Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer · 60% violent / 40% property | 168⚠ High | 75 ✓ Safer |
| Violent Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 173⚠ High | 61 ✓ Safer |
| Property Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 160⚠ High | 95 ✓ Safer |
| 🎓 Education | ||
| School Quality 100 = national avg · grad rate, staffing & attainment | B+ (106) ✓ Better | C+ (89) |
| Student-Teacher Ratio Lower = smaller classes | 14.9:1 ✓ Smaller | 15.0:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 36.5% ✓ Higher | 24.1% |
| High School or Higher | 80.2% ✓ Higher | 78.6% |
| School District Name only — no quality rating available | DALLAS ISD | GARLAND ISD |
| 🌤 Weather | ||
| Avg High — January | 57.7°F ✓ Warmer | 55.9°F |
| Avg High — July | 96.9°F ✓ Warmer | 94.3°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 41.4" ✓ Drier | 41.8" |
| Annual Snowfall | 1.7" | 0.2" ✓ Less |
| 👥 Demographics | ||
| Population | 1,300,642 ✓ Larger | 244,026 |
| Median Age | 33.1 | 34.4 ✓ Older |
| Homeownership Rate | 41.9% | 62.0% ✓ Higher |
| Under 18 | 24.4% | 25.8% ✓ More |
| Over 65 | 11.0% | 12.4% ✓ More |
Frequently Asked Questions
Dallas'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, Dallas leads 12 of 22 categories. Dallas 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 Dallas to Garland or relocating the other way, focus on the biggest gaps: housing ($270,700 vs $229,000 median home), income ($63,985 vs $71,044), safety, and schools — all covered in the full table above.
Dallas, TX and Garland, TX are about 11 miles apart (straight-line distance). Driving distance will be longer depending on the route.