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
Garland
Opportunity
63 · Top 36%
vs60 · Top 42%
Growth
66 · Top 23%
vs45 · Bottom 40%
Climate
68 · Bottom 42%
vs63 · Bottom 29%
Physical resilience
56 · Bottom 48%
vs52 · Bottom 45%
Housing affordability
90 · Top 31%
vs76 · Bottom 43%
Access
99 · Top 14%
vs97 · Top 22%
Economic stability
81 · Top 6%
vs62 · Top 47%
Measured values
| Metric | Saginaw | Garland | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 24,970 | 246,844 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $97,276 | $76,320 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $41,029 | $31,917 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,263/sq mi | 4,341/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $298,500 | $270,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,776 | $1,641 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 68.3% | 61.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.7% | 4.5% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.3% | -0.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 24.7% | 25.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 5.6% | 13.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 77 | 389 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 3.1 | 1.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -59.5% | -29.1% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 96°F | 97°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 35°F | 38°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 35.3" | 38.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 9 mi | 14 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 28.8 min | 32.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.2 | 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
Saginaw
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
Garland
Elevated or high exposure: hail, tornado.
Full profiles: Saginaw, TX · Garland, TX · How this is calculated: methodology