City comparison
Denver, CO versus Garland, TX is a real move, not a trivia matchup. This comparison uses the same 2026 neighborhood report data we publish on each city page — typical rent, median household income, crime indexes, school composites, and typical weather — so you can see which city actually fits how you live, work, and spend. Typical rents sit near $2,089 a month in Denver and $1,931 in Garland, and median household income lands at $85,853 versus $71,044. Open either city's full report when you want the block-level detail behind these headlines.
Denver takes job market and weather, while Garland takes affordability and safety. The widest gap is typical weather, where Denver leads by 56% — the kind of spread you feel in a monthly budget or a nightly walk, not just on a chart. Read the category rows as a filter: if cheaper housing would change your life more than a stronger job market, weight rent first. If you are moving with kids, weight schools and crime. If you picked a city after one good weekend, use the weather and income rows to test whether that weekend survives a full year.
Numbers below are citywide, not a guarantee about the street you will actually live on. Two ZIP codes in Denver can feel further apart than Denver and Garland do on paper. Use this page to pick a city, then use the Denver and Garland reports to pick a neighborhood — and visit in the season you like least before you sign anything.
Denver, CO
Garland, TX
Rent
8% cheaper
Garland rent is 8% cheaper than Denver
Denver
$2,089/mo
Garland
Winner$1,931/mo
Typical rent runs $1,931 a month in Garland versus $2,089 in Denver, so Garland is 8% cheaper. The monthly spread is about $158, or $1,896 a year — noticeable, but rent alone should not pick the city. Use this as a tie-breaker after you compare income, schools, and crime, unless you are already stretching every dollar.
Median income
21% higher
Denver's median income is 21% higher than Garland
Denver
Winner$85,853
Garland
$71,044
Median household income is $85,853 in Denver versus $71,044 in Garland, so typical pay runs 21% higher in Denver — about $14,809 more household income a year. Higher median income usually signals a stronger local job market and better negotiating leverage on salary. Remote workers should weigh this against cost of living rather than treating it as a direct personal benefit. For people who will actually work in town, Denver is the stronger labor market on paper. Garland can still win if housing is cheap enough to offset the weaker median or if your specific role already pays well there.
Crime index
20% lower crime
Garland's crime index is 20% lower than Denver
Denver
137 (100 = avg)
Garland
Winner109 (100 = avg)
Garland's crime index is 109 versus 137 in Denver (100 = national average), so citywide crime runs 20% lower in Garland. That gap is meaningful day-to-day — it affects whether you feel comfortable walking at night, leaving your car on the street, or letting kids play outside unsupervised. Indexes still compress a lot of reality: a calmer city has blocks you would skip, and a higher-crime city has streets that feel neighborly at 10 p.m. On the everyday test of walking from the car to the door, Garland is the easier city. Denver can still work if you pick the right pocket — just budget more diligence before you sign a lease.
School scores
Neck and neck
Denver and Garland are about even on school scores.
Denver
A- · 84/100
Garland
A- · 84/100
School composites are effectively even (A- in Denver, A- in Garland). For families with kids this is a warning if you assumed one city was obviously better — at this range the campus, not the city name, decides it. Tour the zoned elementary you would actually use.
Typical weather
56% more comfortable
Denver weather is 56% more comfortable than Garland
Denver
Winner82°F typical
Garland
92°F typical
Denver scores 56% more comfortable on this page's weather index, which rewards temperatures closer to a livable outdoor day. Typical temperatures sit around 82°F in Denver and 92°F in Garland. Denver reads as hot, long summers; Garland reads as hot, long summers. Climate affects quality of life more than most people anticipate when planning a move. Consider how much time you spend outdoors and whether extreme heat or cold impacts your mood or productivity. Denver is the better default if you want year-round outdoor access. Garland can still be right if you love that climate on purpose — beach heat, dry heat, or a real winter — but you cannot return a city's weather.
Fit check
Career-focused movers who want salary upside plus year-round outdoor access
It is also a match for career-focused movers who want salary upside and year-round outdoor access. Median household income runs 21% higher ($85,853), and typical weather is the more comfortable of the two — around 82°F. That pairing is for people who will work hard and then actually use the evenings.
Fit check
Families with young children and retirees who prioritize peace of mind over urban energy
Garland is the clearer landing pad if housing cost is what keeps you up at night. Typical rent is 8% cheaper here at about $1,931 a month. Choose Garland if you are stretching a salary, starting over, or want slack for travel and debt instead of a flashier skyline.
Garland is the better fit for families with young children and retirees who prioritize peace of mind over urban energy. The crime index is 20% lower than Denver (109 vs a 100 national average). That gap shows up in how freely you walk at night and how much attention you spend on the car and the deadbolt.
Bottom line
If weather is your priority, Denver is the clear choice.
If safety matters more to you, Garland pulls ahead.
For most movers comparing these two cities, Garland offers the better overall package.
Common questions
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