Head-to-Head · City Comparison
Plano, TX
VS
Visalia, CA
🏆 Plano leads 15 of 23 categories
Plano
Texas
15
wins
Cost of Living Index
103.3⚠ High
Median Household Income
$105,679 ✓ Higher
Violent Crime Index
40 ✓ Safer
Population
284,948 ✓ Larger
Visalia
California
8
wins
Cost of Living Index
101.3⚠ High ✓ Cheaper
Median Household Income
$75,658
Violent Crime Index
115⚠ High
Population
141,466
Pros & Cons
Auto-generated from official data — head-to-head differences and gaps vs the national average.
Plano, TX
Pros
65% less violent crime than Visalia
Households earn $30,021 more per year on average
More college-educated — 58.4% hold a bachelor's or higher
Violent crime is well below the national average (151.6 vs 380/100k)
Stronger job market — unemployment is 1.2 pts lower (4.4%)
Smaller class sizes — 13.7:1 student-teacher ratio
Cons
Higher rents — median is $1,699/mo
Pricier housing — median home is $412,500
Cost of living runs 2% higher than Visalia
Visalia, CA
Pros
Rent averages $410/mo less ($1,289 vs $1,699)
Homes cost $96k less ($316,600 vs $412,500)
Commutes run 4 min shorter each way
2% cheaper overall cost of living than Plano
Cons
Median income trails Plano by $30,021/yr
Higher unemployment (5.6% vs 4.4%)
Key Differences at a Glance
Plano
Median Income
$30,021
$105,679 vs $75,658/yr
Plano
Violent Crime
65% lower
151.6 vs 435.3 per 100k
Plano
Unemployment
1.2 pp lower
4.4% vs 5.6% unemployment
Visalia
Cost of Living
2% cheaper
COL index 101.3 vs 103.3 (100 = US avg)
Visalia
Median Home Value
$96k less
$316,600 vs $412,500
Full Data Comparison
| Metric | Plano, TX | Visalia, CA |
|---|---|---|
| 💰 Cost of Living | ||
| Cost of Living Index National avg = 100 · lower = cheaper | 103.3⚠ High | 101.3⚠ High ✓ Cheaper |
| Median Home Value | $412,500⚠ High | $316,600⚠ High ✓ Lower |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,699⚠ High | $1,289 ✓ Lower |
| 📈 Income & Economy | ||
| Median Household Income | $105,679 ✓ Higher | $75,658 |
| Unemployment Rate | 4.4%⚠ High ✓ Lower | 5.6%⚠ High |
| Avg Commute Minutes each way | 25.8 min | 21.8 min ✓ Shorter |
| Work From Home % | 22.3% ✓ Higher | 6.4% |
| 🔒 Safety | ||
| Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer · 60% violent / 40% property | 52 ✓ Safer | 109⚠ High |
| Violent Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 40 ✓ Safer | 115⚠ High |
| Property Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 70 ✓ Safer | 101⚠ High |
| 🎓 Education | ||
| School Quality 100 = national avg · grad rate, staffing & attainment | A+ (134) ✓ Better | C+ (88) |
| Student-Teacher Ratio Lower = smaller classes | 13.7:1 ✓ Smaller | 21.5:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 58.4% ✓ Higher | 23.3% |
| High School or Higher | 93.6% ✓ Higher | 86.2% |
| School District Name only — no quality rating available | PLANO ISD | Visalia Unified |
| 🌤 Weather | ||
| Avg High — January | 55.9°F ✓ Warmer | 55.3°F |
| Avg High — July | 94.3°F ✓ Warmer | 93.8°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 40.7" | 10.3" ✓ Drier |
| Annual Snowfall | 2.6" | 0.1" ✓ Less |
| 👥 Demographics | ||
| Population | 284,948 ✓ Larger | 141,466 |
| Median Age | 38.9 ✓ Older | 33.0 |
| Homeownership Rate | 56.7% | 60.0% ✓ Higher |
| Under 18 | 21.7% | 28.2% ✓ More |
| Over 65 | 13.7% ✓ More | 13.2% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Plano's cost of living index is 103.3 vs Visalia's 101.3 (US average = 100).
Visalia is 2% less expensive overall.
Based on the 23 decided categories above, Plano leads 15 of 23 categories. Plano wins 15 and Visalia wins 8. 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 Plano to Visalia or relocating the other way, focus on the biggest gaps: housing ($412,500 vs $316,600 median home), income ($105,679 vs $75,658), safety, and schools — all covered in the full table above.
Plano, TX and Visalia, CA are about 1,300 miles apart (straight-line distance). Driving distance will be longer depending on the route.