Head-to-Head · City Comparison
Sugar Land, TX
VS
Tyler, TX
🏆 Sugar Land leads 16 of 23 categories
Sugar Land
Texas
16
wins
Cost of Living Index
100.2⚠ High
Median Household Income
$132,247 ✓ Higher
Violent Crime Index
21 ✓ Safer
Population
110,077 ✓ Larger
Tyler
Texas
7
wins
Cost of Living Index
92.4 ✓ Cheaper
Median Household Income
$63,056
Violent Crime Index
103⚠ High
Population
106,440
Pros & Cons
Auto-generated from official data — head-to-head differences and gaps vs the national average.
Sugar Land, TX
Pros
Households earn $69,191 more per year on average
80% less violent crime than Tyler
More college-educated — 61.3% hold a bachelor's or higher
Violent crime is well below the national average (78.0 vs 380/100k)
Milder winters — January highs near 64°F vs 58°F
Cons
Pricier housing — median home is $387,900
Higher rents — median is $1,868/mo
Longer commutes — 30.0 min average each way
Cost of living runs 8% higher than Tyler
Tyler, TX
Pros
Homes cost $183k less ($205,200 vs $387,900)
Rent averages $755/mo less ($1,113 vs $1,868)
Commutes run 9 min shorter each way
Living costs sit below the national average (index 92.4)
8% cheaper overall cost of living than Sugar Land
Cons
Median income trails Sugar Land by $69,191/yr
Key Differences at a Glance
Sugar Land
Median Income
$69,191
$132,247 vs $63,056/yr
Sugar Land
Violent Crime
80% lower
78.0 vs 391.2 per 100k
Tyler
Cost of Living
8% cheaper
COL index 92.4 vs 100.2 (100 = US avg)
Tyler
Median Home Value
$183k less
$205,200 vs $387,900
Full Data Comparison
| Metric | Sugar Land, TX | Tyler, TX |
|---|---|---|
| 💰 Cost of Living | ||
| Cost of Living Index National avg = 100 · lower = cheaper | 100.2⚠ High | 92.4 ✓ Cheaper |
| Median Home Value | $387,900⚠ High | $205,200 ✓ Lower |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,868⚠ High | $1,113 ✓ Lower |
| 📈 Income & Economy | ||
| Median Household Income | $132,247 ✓ Higher | $63,056 |
| Unemployment Rate | 5.0%⚠ High ✓ Lower | 5.3%⚠ High |
| Avg Commute Minutes each way | 30.0 min⚠ High | 20.6 min ✓ Shorter |
| Work From Home % | 16.8% ✓ Higher | 6.1% |
| 🔒 Safety | ||
| Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer · 60% violent / 40% property | 39 ✓ Safer | 98 |
| Violent Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 21 ✓ Safer | 103⚠ High |
| Property Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 66 ✓ Safer | 91 |
| 🎓 Education | ||
| School Quality 100 = national avg · grad rate, staffing & attainment | A (125) ✓ Better | B (97) |
| Student-Teacher Ratio Lower = smaller classes | 16.0:1 | 15.3:1 ✓ Smaller |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 61.3% ✓ Higher | 31.1% |
| High School or Higher | 94.9% ✓ Higher | 87.7% |
| School District Name only — no quality rating available | FORT BEND ISD | TYLER ISD |
| 🌤 Weather | ||
| Avg High — January | 64.1°F ✓ Warmer | 57.9°F |
| Avg High — July | 94.2°F ✓ Warmer | 93.1°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 54.2" | 47.7" ✓ Drier |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0" ✓ Less | 0.5" |
| 👥 Demographics | ||
| Population | 110,077 ✓ Larger | 106,440 |
| Median Age | 42.5 ✓ Older | 34.9 |
| Homeownership Rate | 81.2% ✓ Higher | 54.9% |
| Under 18 | 22.6% | 22.9% ✓ More |
| Over 65 | 18.1% ✓ More | 16.3% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Sugar Land's cost of living index is 100.2 vs Tyler's 92.4 (US average = 100).
Tyler is 8% less expensive overall.
Based on the 23 decided categories above, Sugar Land leads 16 of 23 categories. Sugar Land wins 16 and Tyler 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 Sugar Land to Tyler or relocating the other way, focus on the biggest gaps: housing ($387,900 vs $205,200 median home), income ($132,247 vs $63,056), safety, and schools — all covered in the full table above.
Sugar Land, TX and Tyler, TX are about 189 miles apart (straight-line distance). Driving distance will be longer depending on the route.