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Place dossier plate
SheetTX-GARLAND-TX · Garland, TX 245,298 pop · income 56th pct
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around Garland
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Garland on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Winston-Salem · lowest
57,673
Winston-Salem · lowest
57,673 median HH income
39.5% of the leader · rank #1
Lincoln · near
74,712
Lincoln · near
74,712 median HH income
51.1% of the leader · rank #2
Sioux Falls · near
74,714
Sioux Falls · near
74,714 median HH income
51.1% of the leader · rank #3
Lynn · near
74,715
Lynn · near
74,715 median HH income
51.1% of the leader · rank #4
Garland · this city
74,717
Garland · this city
74,717 median HH income
51.1% of the leader · rank #5
West Kootenai · near
74,722
West Kootenai · near
74,722 median HH income
51.1% of the leader · rank #6
Frisco · highest
146,158
Frisco · highest
146,158 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Garland on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 245,298.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Garland - the verdict
Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Garland places in the 56th percentile for household income and the 27th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
56th
percentile, household income
56th
percentile, home value
40th
percentile, median rent
27th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: Garland, TX
Garland is a mid-sized U.S. city in Texas, home to 245,298 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Garland households earn a median of $74,717 annually, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 9.5%. Garland's housing stock carries a median value of $248,900, and the median resident age is 34.7 years. About 25.0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 65.4% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 544 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Slowing), down 20% from five years earlier. Crime here tracks close to the national norm: the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program logs 2220.9 total incidents per 100,000 residents here, near the national average (agency reporting is voluntary, so this measures reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).
Texas tracks close to the national cost-of-living baseline: the state registers 97.1 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Near Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $1,149 monthly. Monthly utility costs average around $223 across Texas, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. Commute times here average 26.6 minutes, with 73.3% driving alone and 11.6% working from home, per Census ACS commuting data. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 49.0 out of 100 (Low).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Garland's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from comparison shortlist to schools and households to population change to housing and income to reported crime to work and mobility; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Garland, city-specific coverage includes commute-mode shares, FBI reported-crime rates, annual population history, local building permits, matched public-school count.
No matched row is reported here for within-city Census tract profiles; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.
Question 1
Which cities make useful reference points for Garland?
Within Texas, the closest population matches are Irving (255,036 residents, $79,641 income); Laredo (255,949 residents, $63,264 income); Lubbock (261,078 residents, $60,487 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Scottsdale, AZ (242,169 residents); Glendale, AZ (250,193 residents); Winston-Salem, NC (250,887 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
The NCES join finds 68 public schools within the city match. 25.0% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
The city has a broader matched school footprint, but count alone does not describe performance, capacity, program availability, or attendance boundaries. This profile deliberately avoids converting it into an unsupported family-friendliness score.
Recent estimates point upward. Growth can increase housing demand and service needs, but the permit record must move in the same direction before calling it a supply response; the two series measure different things.
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +3,258 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +1.3% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 544 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
How far does income reach against housing in Garland?
The home-value-to-income reference sits in a middle range: the ACS median home value is 3.3 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 9.5%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Income and home value move within the same broad scale here. The useful next check is not a generic affordability label, but whether similar-size cities offer a materially different income, housing, or commute trade-off.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Reported crime
What can the FBI record say about safety in Garland?
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
The joined FBI UCR record reports 2220.9 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, near the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 3% lower in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Property rate
1988.2
Violent rate
232.7
Total reported rate
2220.9
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, incidents per 100,000. Voluntary agency reporting; not a danger score.
What does the journey to work look like in Garland?
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 73.3%. The reported mean trip to work is 26.6 minutes.
Public transit
1.7%
Work from home
11.6%
Drive alone
73.3%
City-level Census ACS commuting estimates covering 120,835 workers age 16+.
Above median income · poverty 9.5% (Above-median poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
97.1 (US=100)
Near national cost · BEA RPP 2024, Texas average
D
City profile score · Garland, TX
48/100
5 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Household income C-
$74,717
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Cost of living C-
97.1 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Bachelor's+ share D
25.0%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Violent crime D
233 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Poverty rate D
9.5%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Garland profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Household income: 54/100 (C-) · $74,717
Cost of living: 53/100 (C-) · 97.1 index
Bachelor's+ share: 49/100 (D) · 25.0%
Violent crime: 43/100 (D) · 233 /100k
Poverty rate: 42/100 (D) · 9.5%
Where Garland sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Garland's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - Garland highlighted among 11 peers.Read the chart values
Garland, TX (this city): home $248,900, crime 2,221/100k
Scottsdale, AZ : home $709,900, crime 2,028/100k
Glendale, AZ : home $347,000, crime 3,159/100k
Winston-Salem, NC : home $208,200, crime 3,731/100k
Chesapeake, VA : home $359,100, crime 2,084/100k
Irving, TX : home $287,300, crime 2,474/100k
Laredo, TX : home $182,400, crime 1,831/100k
Lubbock, TX : home $197,900, crime 3,450/100k
Frisco, TX : home $595,400, crime 1,104/100k
Plano, TX : home $440,600, crime 1,618/100k
McKinney, TX : home $439,500, crime 933/100k
How does Garland compare to other US cities?
Here's how Garland stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income56% higher than other cities
Home value56% pricier than other cities
Median rent40% pricier than other cities
Safety27% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
Zoom in to just Texas and the picture shifts: Garland ranks #482 of 624 Texas cities by lowest crime rate, a different read than the national percentile above.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Garland against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Texas only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Texas-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Garland near the bottom of Texas's cities
Among the 1,663 Texas cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Garland ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Garland only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#513 of 1,520
66th percentile in Texas
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 1,663
0th percentile in Texas
Median Home Value
#391 of 1,505
74th percentile in Texas
Poverty Rate
#773 of 1,663
53rd percentile in Texas
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#500 of 1,663
70th percentile in Texas
How in-state ranks are ordered
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Texas only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
56th percentile nationally for median household income · 27th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Garland's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Garland's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.
How Garland's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$248,90044th percentilemore affordable than 44% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023
Garland's home-value-to-income ratio: 3.3×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
moderate
3.0–5.0×
National rank
#8,264 of 15,516
More affordable than 47% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#24 of 117
Large cities (200,000–999,999)
At 3.3×, Garland sits in the moderate band:
national rank #8,264 of 15,516 and #24 of 117large cities (200,000–999,999).
Income and home value move in the same broad scale; check same-state peers before treating the multiple as an advantage or a warning.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$74,717Garland, TX median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Garland, TX median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Garland, TX.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)25.0%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)9.5%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)65.4%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
245,298
Median Income
$74,717
Median Home Value
$248,900
Median Age
34.7
Poverty Rate
9.5%
Labor force participation
65.4%
Bachelor's Degree+
25.0%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
2220.9
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
232.7
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1988.2
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.
Schools
Total Schools
68
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Garland's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
246,367 residents
2021
244,368 residents
2022
246,780 residents
2023
246,232 residents
2024
251,034 residents
2025
249,625 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
🏗️ Slowing
Total Permits (2024)
544
housing units authorized
Single-Family
544
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
2.2
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
678
243
435
$100.0M
2020
389
389
0
$130.8M
2021
427
427
0
$138.8M
2022
279
279
0
$84.5M
2023
1,838
347
1,491
$315.3M
2024
544
544
0
$106.7M
Permit volume decreased 20% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Average Commute Time
26.6 minutes
Drive Alone
73.3%
Carpool
11.3%
Public Transit
1.7%
Walk
0.6%
Work from Home
11.6%
Other
1.5%
Based on 120,835 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
Texas statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $223
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Texas at $223 (electricity about $130 , water and sewer about $48 ).
These are Texas statewide averages, not a meter reading for Garland. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Texas's BEA cost-of-living index is 97.1 (Near Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Garland is $1,149/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Texas statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 49.0 / 100 (Low).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a Texas statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Garland sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Garland compares to similar-size Texas cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.