Celina receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Celina
Denton
Opportunity
78 · Top 10%
vs65 · Top 31%
Growth
75 · Top 10%
vs75 · Top 11%
Climate
65 · Bottom 33%
vs63 · Bottom 25%
Physical resilience
67 · Top 41%
vs65 · Top 43%
Housing affordability
100 · Top 8%
vs72 · Bottom 37%
Schools
80 · Top 14%
vs52 · Top 49%
Access
85 · Bottom 29%
vs93 · Top 44%
Economic stability
77 · Top 14%
vs56 · Bottom 41%
Measured values
| Metric | Celina | Denton | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 34,268 | 152,866 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $170,894 | $76,019 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $58,904 | $38,167 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 709/sq mi | 1,577/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $509,600 | $348,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,379 | $1,420 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 92.7% | 50.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.2% | 4.5% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.4% | -0.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 64.3% | 41.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 4.7% | 15.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 2,385 | 2,619 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 69.6 | 17.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -47.1% | -14.9% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 95°F | 96°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 34°F | 32°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 38.3" | 35.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 33 mi | 19 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 36.2 min | 25.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 34.7 | 31.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 8 | 39 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.86 | 13.55 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 56.3% | 34.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 57.8% | 41.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 12.9% | 50.3% | 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
Celina
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
Denton
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
Full profiles: Celina, TX · Denton, TX · How this is calculated: methodology