Hurst receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Garland
Hurst
Opportunity
60 · Top 42%
vs60 · Top 42%
Growth
45 · Bottom 40%
vs56 · Top 40%
Climate
63 · Bottom 29%
vs67 · Bottom 38%
Physical resilience
52 · Bottom 45%
vs56 · Bottom 48%
Housing affordability
76 · Bottom 43%
vs74 · Bottom 40%
Schools
37 · Bottom 32%
vs63 · Top 35%
Access
97 · Top 22%
vs99 · Top 14%
Economic stability
62 · Top 47%
vs63 · Top 43%
Measured values
| Metric | Garland | Hurst | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 246,844 | 39,861 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $76,320 | $72,210 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $31,917 | $37,832 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 4,341/sq mi | 4,001/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $270,800 | $315,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,641 | $1,358 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 61.6% | 58.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.5% | 4.5% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.4% | -0.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 25.4% | 34.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 13.0% | 10.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 389 | 50 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.6 | 1.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -29.1% | 100.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 97°F | 97°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 38°F | 37°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 14 mi | 9 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 32.3 min | 27.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 35.0 | 37.8 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 61 | 9 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.36 | 15.99 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 28.4% | 45.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 37.9% | 47.2% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 77.0% | 60.1% | 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
Garland
Elevated or high exposure: hail, tornado.
Hurst
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
Full profiles: Garland, TX · Hurst, TX · How this is calculated: methodology