Head-to-Head · City Comparison
Garden Grove, CA
VS
Garland, TX
🏆 Garland leads 15 of 23 categories
Garden Grove
California
8
wins
Cost of Living Index
115.5⚠ High
Median Household Income
$86,139 ✓ Higher
Violent Crime Index
73
Population
171,637
Garland
Texas
15
wins
Cost of Living Index
103.3⚠ High ✓ Cheaper
Median Household Income
$71,044
Violent Crime Index
61 ✓ Safer
Population
244,026 ✓ Larger
Pros & Cons
Auto-generated from official data — head-to-head differences and gaps vs the national average.
Garden Grove, CA
Pros
Households earn $15,095 more per year on average
Milder winters — January highs near 69°F vs 56°F
Cooler summers — July highs near 83°F vs 94°F
Cons
Pricier housing — median home is $702,600
Higher rents — median is $1,887/mo
Living costs are well above the U.S. average (index 115.5)
Cost of living runs 12% higher than Garland
Garland, TX
Pros
Homes cost $474k less ($229,000 vs $702,600)
Rent averages $466/mo less ($1,421 vs $1,887)
16% less violent crime than Garden Grove
Violent crime is well below the national average (232.7 vs 380/100k)
Stronger job market — unemployment is 0.6 pts lower (5.2%)
12% cheaper overall cost of living than Garden Grove
Cons
Median income trails Garden Grove by $15,095/yr
Key Differences at a Glance
Garden Grove
Median Income
$15,095
$86,139 vs $71,044/yr
Garland
Cost of Living
12% cheaper
COL index 103.3 vs 115.5 (100 = US avg)
Garland
Violent Crime
16% lower
232.7 vs 276.6 per 100k
Garland
Median Home Value
$474k less
$229,000 vs $702,600
Garland
Unemployment
0.6 pp lower
5.2% vs 5.8% unemployment
Garland
Summer Heat
11.8°F warmer
July avg high 94.3°F vs 82.5°F
Full Data Comparison
| Metric | Garden Grove, CA | Garland, TX |
|---|---|---|
| 💰 Cost of Living | ||
| Cost of Living Index National avg = 100 · lower = cheaper | 115.5⚠ High | 103.3⚠ High ✓ Cheaper |
| Median Home Value | $702,600⚠ High | $229,000 ✓ Lower |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,887⚠ High | $1,421⚠ High ✓ Lower |
| 📈 Income & Economy | ||
| Median Household Income | $86,139 ✓ Higher | $71,044 |
| Unemployment Rate | 5.8%⚠ High | 5.2%⚠ High ✓ Lower |
| Avg Commute Minutes each way | 29.1 min⚠ High ✓ Shorter | 29.7 min⚠ High |
| Work From Home % | 8.7% | 9.4% ✓ Higher |
| 🔒 Safety | ||
| Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer · 60% violent / 40% property | 77 | 75 ✓ Safer |
| Violent Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 73 | 61 ✓ Safer |
| Property Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 84 ✓ Safer | 95 |
| 🎓 Education | ||
| School Quality 100 = national avg · grad rate, staffing & attainment | C+ (87) | C+ (89) ✓ Better |
| Student-Teacher Ratio Lower = smaller classes | 22.9:1 | 15.0:1 ✓ Smaller |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 23.5% | 24.1% ✓ Higher |
| High School or Higher | 75.4% | 78.6% ✓ Higher |
| School District Name only — no quality rating available | Garden Grove Unified | GARLAND ISD |
| 🌤 Weather | ||
| Avg High — January | 69.3°F ✓ Warmer | 55.9°F |
| Avg High — July | 82.5°F | 94.3°F ✓ Warmer |
| Annual Precipitation | 12.5" ✓ Drier | 41.8" |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0" ✓ Less | 0.2" |
| 👥 Demographics | ||
| Population | 171,637 | 244,026 ✓ Larger |
| Median Age | 39.2 ✓ Older | 34.4 |
| Homeownership Rate | 54.0% | 62.0% ✓ Higher |
| Under 18 | 21.2% | 25.8% ✓ More |
| Over 65 | 14.3% ✓ More | 12.4% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Garden Grove's cost of living index is 115.5 vs Garland's 103.3 (US average = 100).
Garland is 12% less expensive overall.
Based on the 23 decided categories above, Garland leads 15 of 23 categories. Garden Grove wins 8 and Garland wins 15. 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 Garden Grove to Garland or relocating the other way, focus on the biggest gaps: housing ($702,600 vs $229,000 median home), income ($86,139 vs $71,044), safety, and schools — all covered in the full table above.
Garden Grove, CA and Garland, TX are about 1,230 miles apart (straight-line distance). Driving distance will be longer depending on the route.