Head-to-Head · City Comparison
Sugar Land, TX
VS
Visalia, CA
🏆 Sugar Land leads 17 of 23 categories
Sugar Land
Texas
17
wins
Cost of Living Index
100.2⚠ High ✓ Cheaper
Median Household Income
$132,247 ✓ Higher
Violent Crime Index
21 ✓ Safer
Population
110,077
Visalia
California
6
wins
Cost of Living Index
101.3⚠ High
Median Household Income
$75,658
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.
Sugar Land, TX
Pros
Households earn $56,589 more per year on average
82% less violent crime than Visalia
More college-educated — 61.3% hold a bachelor's or higher
Violent crime is well below the national average (78.0 vs 380/100k)
Stronger job market — unemployment is 0.6 pts lower (5.0%)
Milder winters — January highs near 64°F vs 55°F
Cons
Higher rents — median is $1,868/mo
Pricier housing — median home is $387,900
Longer commutes — 30.0 min average each way
Visalia, CA
Pros
Rent averages $579/mo less ($1,289 vs $1,868)
Homes cost $71k less ($316,600 vs $387,900)
Commutes run 8 min shorter each way
Cons
Median income trails Sugar Land by $56,589/yr
Key Differences at a Glance
Sugar Land
Cost of Living
1% cheaper
COL index 100.2 vs 101.3 (100 = US avg)
Sugar Land
Median Income
$56,589
$132,247 vs $75,658/yr
Sugar Land
Violent Crime
82% lower
78.0 vs 435.3 per 100k
Sugar Land
Unemployment
0.6 pp lower
5.0% vs 5.6% unemployment
Visalia
Median Home Value
$71k less
$316,600 vs $387,900
Full Data Comparison
| Metric | Sugar Land, TX | Visalia, CA |
|---|---|---|
| 💰 Cost of Living | ||
| Cost of Living Index National avg = 100 · lower = cheaper | 100.2⚠ High ✓ Cheaper | 101.3⚠ High |
| Median Home Value | $387,900⚠ High | $316,600⚠ High ✓ Lower |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,868⚠ High | $1,289 ✓ Lower |
| 📈 Income & Economy | ||
| Median Household Income | $132,247 ✓ Higher | $75,658 |
| Unemployment Rate | 5.0%⚠ High ✓ Lower | 5.6%⚠ High |
| Avg Commute Minutes each way | 30.0 min⚠ High | 21.8 min ✓ Shorter |
| Work From Home % | 16.8% ✓ Higher | 6.4% |
| 🔒 Safety | ||
| Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer · 60% violent / 40% property | 39 ✓ Safer | 109⚠ High |
| Violent Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 21 ✓ Safer | 115⚠ High |
| Property Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 66 ✓ Safer | 101⚠ High |
| 🎓 Education | ||
| School Quality 100 = national avg · grad rate, staffing & attainment | A (125) ✓ Better | C+ (88) |
| Student-Teacher Ratio Lower = smaller classes | 16.0:1 ✓ Smaller | 21.5:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 61.3% ✓ Higher | 23.3% |
| High School or Higher | 94.9% ✓ Higher | 86.2% |
| School District Name only — no quality rating available | FORT BEND ISD | Visalia Unified |
| 🌤 Weather | ||
| Avg High — January | 64.1°F ✓ Warmer | 55.3°F |
| Avg High — July | 94.2°F ✓ Warmer | 93.8°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 54.2" | 10.3" ✓ Drier |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0" ✓ Less | 0.1" |
| 👥 Demographics | ||
| Population | 110,077 | 141,466 ✓ Larger |
| Median Age | 42.5 ✓ Older | 33.0 |
| Homeownership Rate | 81.2% ✓ Higher | 60.0% |
| Under 18 | 22.6% | 28.2% ✓ More |
| Over 65 | 18.1% ✓ More | 13.2% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Sugar Land's cost of living index is 100.2 vs Visalia's 101.3 (US average = 100).
Sugar Land is 1% less expensive overall.
Based on the 23 decided categories above, Sugar Land leads 17 of 23 categories. Sugar Land wins 17 and Visalia wins 6. 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 Visalia or relocating the other way, focus on the biggest gaps: housing ($387,900 vs $316,600 median home), income ($132,247 vs $75,658), safety, and schools — all covered in the full table above.
Sugar Land, TX and Visalia, CA are about 1,446 miles apart (straight-line distance). Driving distance will be longer depending on the route.