Saginaw receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Saginaw
Arlington
Opportunity
63 · Top 36%
vs59 · Top 44%
Growth
66 · Top 23%
vs64 · Top 26%
Climate
68 · Bottom 42%
vs68 · Bottom 41%
Physical resilience
56 · Bottom 48%
vs56 · Bottom 48%
Housing affordability
90 · Top 31%
vs76 · Bottom 42%
Access
99 · Top 14%
vs96 · Top 31%
Economic stability
81 · Top 6%
vs62 · Top 47%
Measured values
| Metric | Saginaw | Arlington | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 24,970 | 397,742 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $97,276 | $75,171 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $41,029 | $36,148 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,263/sq mi | 4,150/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $298,500 | $304,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,776 | $1,470 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 68.3% | 54.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.7% | 4.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.3% | -0.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 24.7% | 32.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 5.6% | 12.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 77 | 1,722 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 3.1 | 4.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -59.5% | -6.6% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 96°F | 96°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 35°F | 37°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 35.3" | 36.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 9 mi | 14 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 28.8 min | 28.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.2 | 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
Saginaw
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
Arlington
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
Full profiles: Saginaw, TX · Arlington, TX · How this is calculated: methodology