Bedford receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Bedford
Garland
Opportunity
64 · Top 33%
vs60 · Top 42%
Growth
40 · Bottom 32%
vs45 · Bottom 40%
Climate
68 · Bottom 43%
vs63 · Bottom 29%
Physical resilience
56 · Bottom 48%
vs52 · Bottom 45%
Housing affordability
79 · Bottom 47%
vs76 · Bottom 43%
Schools
67 · Top 31%
vs37 · Bottom 32%
Access
99 · Top 14%
vs97 · Top 22%
Economic stability
71 · Top 26%
vs62 · Top 47%
Measured values
| Metric | Bedford | Garland | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 49,085 | 246,844 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $83,971 | $76,320 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $44,439 | $31,917 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 4,894/sq mi | 4,341/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $350,700 | $270,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,502 | $1,641 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 50.6% | 61.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.5% | 4.5% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.3% | -0.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 43.5% | 25.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 7.3% | 13.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 33 | 389 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.7 | 1.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 13.8% | -29.1% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 96°F | 97°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 36°F | 38°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 37.0" | 38.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 7 mi | 14 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 26.3 min | 32.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.5 | 35.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 9 | 61 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 16.63 | 15.36 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 47.5% | 28.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 50.4% | 37.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 47.5% | 77.0% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Bedford
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
Garland
Elevated or high exposure: hail, tornado.
Full profiles: Bedford, TX · Garland, TX · How this is calculated: methodology