Arlington receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Garland
Arlington
Opportunity
64 · Top 32%
vs63 · Top 36%
Growth
34 · Bottom 25%
vs58 · Top 41%
Climate
63 · Bottom 27%
vs68 · Bottom 42%
Physical resilience
52 · Bottom 47%
vs56 · Top 49%
Housing affordability
76 · Top 36%
vs76 · Top 37%
Access
97 · Top 36%
vs96 · Bottom 47%
Economic stability
62 · Top 26%
vs62 · Top 25%
Measured values
| Metric | Garland | Arlington | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 246,844 | 397,742 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $76,320 | $75,171 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $31,917 | $36,148 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 4,341/sq mi | 4,150/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $270,800 | $304,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,641 | $1,470 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 61.6% | 54.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.5% | 4.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.4% | -0.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 25.4% | 32.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 13.0% | 12.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 389 | 1,722 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.6 | 4.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -29.1% | -6.6% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 97°F | 96°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 38°F | 37°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 38.3" | 36.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 14 mi | 14 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 32.3 min | 28.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 35.0 | 33.7 | 2024 ACS 5-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
Garland
Elevated or high exposure: hail, tornado.
Arlington
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
Full profiles: Garland, TX · Arlington, TX · How this is calculated: methodology