Irving and Garland 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.
Signals
Irving
Garland
Opportunity
68 · Top 22%
vs64 · Top 32%
Growth
20 · Bottom 7%
vs34 · Bottom 25%
Climate
68 · Bottom 45%
vs63 · Bottom 27%
Physical resilience
52 · Bottom 46%
vs52 · Bottom 47%
Housing affordability
77 · Top 35%
vs76 · Top 36%
Access
100 · Top 4%
vs97 · Top 36%
Economic stability
66 · Top 15%
vs62 · Top 26%
Measured values
| Metric | Irving | Garland | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 256,492 | 246,844 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $81,830 | $76,320 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $40,642 | $31,917 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,829/sq mi | 4,341/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $315,600 | $270,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,619 | $1,641 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 38.1% | 61.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.3% | 4.5% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.4% | -0.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 42.4% | 25.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 11.0% | 13.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 87 | 389 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.3 | 1.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -41.2% | -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 | 5 mi | 14 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 26.0 min | 32.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 32.8 | 35.0 | 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
Irving
Elevated or high exposure: hail, tornado.
Garland
Elevated or high exposure: hail, tornado.
Full profiles: Irving, TX · Garland, TX · How this is calculated: methodology