Is Fort Worth cheaper than Garland?

Yes. Typical rent in Fort Worth is $1,723 a month versus $1,931 in Garland — 11% cheaper. Median household income is $72,726 in Fort Worth compared with $71,044 in Garland, so Fort Worth has the stronger local pay picture.

Which city is safer, Fort Worth or Garland?

Neither city has a meaningful citywide edge. Crime indexes are 109 in Fort Worth and 109 in Garland (100 = national average). Compare neighborhoods, not slogans.

Which city has better schools, Fort Worth or Garland?

School composites are close: A- in Fort Worth and A- in Garland. Tour specific campuses rather than picking a city on the letter grade alone.

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City comparison

Fort Worth, TX vs Garland, TX

Fort Worth, TX 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 $1,723 a month in Fort Worth and $1,931 in Garland, and median household income lands at $72,726 versus $71,044. Open either city's full report when you want the block-level detail behind these headlines.

Fort Worth takes affordability and job market. The widest gap is rent, where Fort Worth leads by 11% — 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 Fort Worth can feel further apart than Fort Worth and Garland do on paper. Use this page to pick a city, then use the Fort Worth and Garland reports to pick a neighborhood — and visit in the season you like least before you sign anything.

Full Fort Worth report Full Garland report

Fort Worth, TX

Rent: $1,723/mo
Median income: $72,726
Crime index: 109
Schools: A-
Weather: 92°F

Garland, TX

Rent: $1,931/mo
Median income: $71,044
Crime index: 109
Schools: A-
Weather: 92°F

Rent

11% cheaper

Fort Worth rent is 11% cheaper than Garland

Fort Worth

Winner

$1,723/mo

Garland

$1,931/mo

What this means for your life

Typical rent runs $1,723 a month in Fort Worth versus $1,931 in Garland, so Fort Worth is 11% cheaper. A meaningful but not dramatic gap. Factor it into your budget alongside salary differences between the two markets. Over a year the spread is about $2,496 — enough to notice in savings, not enough to ignore schools, safety, or pay. Fort Worth still wins on housing cost; just do not let a 10–20% rent edge override a job that only exists in Garland.

Median income

2% higher

Fort Worth's median income is 2% higher than Garland

Fort Worth

Winner

$72,726

Garland

$71,044

What this means for your life

Median household income is $72,726 in Fort Worth versus $71,044 in Garland, so typical pay runs 2% higher in Fort Worth — about $1,682 more household income a year. The income edge is modest. Treat it as extra negotiating context, not a reason to ignore rent, schools, or climate. Remote workers especially should not treat citywide pay as a personal raise if their employer will not localize salary.

Crime index

Neck and neck

Fort Worth and Garland are about even on crime index.

Fort Worth

109 (100 = avg)

Garland

109 (100 = avg)

What this means for your life

Fort Worth and Garland post similar crime indexes (109 vs 109, where 100 is the national average). A small gap at the city level can still hide a huge neighborhood spread. Walk the specific block, check lighting and late-night activity, and use each city's full report for violent vs. property crime instead of stopping at the headline index.

School scores

Neck and neck

Fort Worth and Garland are about even on school scores.

Fort Worth

A- · 84/100

Garland

A- · 84/100

What this means for your life

School composites are effectively even (A- in Fort Worth, 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

Neck and neck

Fort Worth and Garland are about even on typical weather.

Fort Worth

92°F typical

Garland

92°F typical

What this means for your life

Outdoor comfort is close between Fort Worth and Garland. Typical temperatures sit around 92°F in Fort Worth and 92°F in Garland. You are choosing a flavor of season, not paradise versus misery. Visit in the season you currently like least. A long weekend in October lies; a week in July or January does not.

Fit check

Who should choose Fort Worth

Career-focused movers who want salary upside and professional growth

Fort Worth is the clearer landing pad if housing cost is what keeps you up at night. Typical rent is 11% cheaper here at about $1,723 a month. Choose Fort Worth if you are stretching a salary, starting over, or want slack for travel and debt instead of a flashier skyline.

Fort Worth is the better city for career-focused movers who want salary upside and professional growth. Median household income is 2% higher here ($72,726). Start with Fort Worth if your next chapter is about building earnings, and make weather or nightlife a secondary screen.

Open the Fort Worth report →

Fit check

Who should choose Garland

People with a job, family, or neighborhood already pulling them to Garland

On these five categories Fort Worth takes the scoreboard, so you should not choose Garland because the stats are kinder — they are not. Choose Garland only if a job offer, family, a specific neighborhood, or a life you already started there outweighs the box score. Plenty of good moves ignore the aggregate; just do it on purpose.

Open the Garland report →

Bottom line

Fort Worth vs Garland, called

If cost of living is your priority, Fort Worth is the clear choice.

If the job market matters more to you, Fort Worth pulls ahead.

For most movers comparing these two cities, Fort Worth offers the better overall package.

Common questions

Fort Worth vs Garland FAQ

Is Fort Worth cheaper than Garland?: Yes. Typical rent in Fort Worth is $1,723 a month versus $1,931 in Garland — 11% cheaper. Median household income is $72,726 in Fort Worth compared with $71,044 in Garland, so Fort Worth has the stronger local pay picture.
Which city is safer, Fort Worth or Garland?: Neither city has a meaningful citywide edge. Crime indexes are 109 in Fort Worth and 109 in Garland (100 = national average). Compare neighborhoods, not slogans.
Which city has better schools, Fort Worth or Garland?: School composites are close: A- in Fort Worth and A- in Garland. Tour specific campuses rather than picking a city on the letter grade alone.

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