Bedford vs North Richland Hills

Which is the better fit for you?

Bedford, TX
65
Area Score
Top 29% nationally
North Richland Hills, TX
65
Area Score
Top 29% nationally

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Bedford and North Richland Hills receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.

If you are moving

What the difference in prices, rent, homes and weather comes to, using the published figures for the two places. Add your income to see what it would take to keep pace.

Moving from Bedford to North Richland Hills

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Everyday prices
About the same
Regional price level 102.5 against 102.5 (US = 100). Both places sit in the same price region, so the index cannot tell them apart.
Income to keep the same purchasing power
Enter your household income to see it.
A new two-bedroom lease
+$271 a month
HUD benchmarks it at $2,001 in North Richland Hills against $1,730 in Bedford.
The median home
3% more
$360,700 in North Richland Hills against $350,700 in Bedford.
The weather you would swap
Winters 1°F milder
Normal January lows are 37°F in North Richland Hills against 36°F in Bedford; July highs are 97°F against 96°F (summers 1°F hotter).

These are differences between published figures, not a forecast of your budget. Income and sales taxes, commuting, schools, insurance and the job you would actually get are not in them, and a price index describes a metropolitan area, so two places in one metro read the same. HUD’s rent is a benchmark for a new lease, not a listing.

Signals

Bedford
North Richland Hills
Opportunity: North Richland Hills is the more favorable of the two.
Opportunity
65 · Top 33%
vs
69 · Top 25%
Growth: Bedford is the more favorable of the two.
Growth
41 · Bottom 30%
vs
40 · Bottom 29%
Climate: Bedford is the more favorable of the two.
Climate
68 · Bottom 43%
vs
67 · Bottom 39%
Physical resilience
56 · Bottom 48%
vs
56 · Bottom 48%
Housing affordability: North Richland Hills is the more favorable of the two.
Housing affordability
68 · Top 46%
vs
72 · Top 34%
Schools: Bedford is the more favorable of the two.
Schools
80 · Top 12%
vs
71 · Top 23%
Access
99 · Top 16%
vs
99 · Top 17%
Economic stability
68 · Top 28%
vs
68 · Top 28%

Measured values

MetricBedfordNorth Richland HillsSource period
Population49,08570,7802024 ACS 5-Year
Median household income$83,971$97,305 — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Per capita income — the two are too close to separate$44,439 ±$2,332$47,442 ±$1,9732024 ACS 5-Year
Population density4,894/sq mi3,897/sq mi2024 ACS 5-Year
Median home value$350,700$360,7002024 ACS 5-Year
Median gross rent$1,502 — more favorable$1,7042024 ACS 5-Year
Market rent, two bedroom$1,730 — more favorable$2,001FY2026
Cost of living index102.5102.52023
Homeownership rate50.6%63.5%2024 ACS 5-Year
Unemployment rate4.5%4.3% — more favorableJuly 2026
Employment change (year over year)+0.2%+0.2%July 2026
Bachelor's degree or higher43.5% — more favorable37.3%2024 ACS 5-Year
Poverty rate — the two are too close to separate6.9% ±2%6.6% ±1%2024 ACS 5-Year
Housing units permitted (12 months)337712 months ending July 2026
Permits per 1,000 residents0.71.1 — more favorable12 months ending July 2026
Permit change (year over year)+13.8%−18.9%12 months ending July 2026
Average July high96°F97°F1991-2020 Normals
Average January low36°F37°F1991-2020 Normals
Distance to major airport7 mi — more favorable11 miNASR current cycle
Average commute26.3 min — more favorable29.7 min2024 ACS 5-Year
Median age39.539.62024 ACS 5-Year
Public schools9162024-25 school year
Students per teacher16.616.1 — more favorable2024-25 school year
Math proficiency66.4% — more favorable59.2%2018-19 school year
Reading proficiency60.9% — more favorable55.3%2018-19 school year
Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility47.5%48.9%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.

2 rows above show both figures with a ± margin and neither in bold. Those come from the American Community Survey, which samples rather than counts, and the gap between the two is smaller than the uncertainty on the figures themselves — so the survey did not find a difference to report, and calling either one the winner would be reading a result out of noise.

The number of units permitted is not marked because the larger place always permits more; the per-resident rate is the fair comparison. The year-over-year change is not marked either: a percentage on fewer than 300 units swings on a handful of permits.

Physical risk tradeoff

Bedford

Elevated or high exposure: hail.

North Richland Hills

Elevated or high exposure: hail.

Your best match

Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.

Bedford
—
Bedford: Your Score
65
Area Score
North Richland Hills
—
North Richland Hills: Your Score
65
Area Score

Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.

Full profiles: Bedford, TX · North Richland Hills, TX · How this is calculated: methodology