City comparison
Raleigh, NC 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 $1,750 a month in Raleigh and $1,931 in Garland, and median household income lands at $78,631 versus $71,044. Open either city's full report when you want the block-level detail behind these headlines.
Raleigh takes affordability, job market, safety, and weather. The widest gap is typical weather, where Raleigh leads by 73% — 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 Raleigh can feel further apart than Raleigh and Garland do on paper. Use this page to pick a city, then use the Raleigh and Garland reports to pick a neighborhood — and visit in the season you like least before you sign anything.
Raleigh, NC
Garland, TX
Rent
9% cheaper
Raleigh rent is 9% cheaper than Garland
Raleigh
Winner$1,750/mo
Garland
$1,931/mo
Typical rent runs $1,750 a month in Raleigh versus $1,931 in Garland, so Raleigh is 9% cheaper. The monthly spread is about $181, or $2,172 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
11% higher
Raleigh's median income is 11% higher than Garland
Raleigh
Winner$78,631
Garland
$71,044
Median household income is $78,631 in Raleigh versus $71,044 in Garland, so typical pay runs 11% higher in Raleigh — about $7,587 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, Raleigh 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
11% lower crime
Raleigh's crime index is 11% lower than Garland
Raleigh
Winner97 (100 = avg)
Garland
109 (100 = avg)
Raleigh's crime index is 97 versus 109 in Garland (100 = national average), so citywide crime runs 11% lower in Raleigh. The difference is noticeable without being night-and-day. You will still want to pick the neighborhood carefully in Raleigh, but you will usually spend less energy on constant vigilance than you would in Garland. Tour both cities after dark before you let a modest index gap close the decision.
School scores
Neck and neck
Raleigh and Garland are about even on school scores.
Raleigh
A- · 84/100
Garland
A- · 84/100
School composites are effectively even (A- in Raleigh, 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
73% more comfortable
Raleigh weather is 73% more comfortable than Garland
Raleigh
Winner79°F typical
Garland
92°F typical
Raleigh scores 73% more comfortable on this page's weather index, which rewards temperatures closer to a livable outdoor day. Typical temperatures sit around 79°F in Raleigh and 92°F in Garland. Raleigh reads as warm weather most of the year; 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. Raleigh 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
Raleigh is the clearer landing pad if housing cost is what keeps you up at night. Typical rent is 9% cheaper here at about $1,750 a month. Choose Raleigh if you are stretching a salary, starting over, or want slack for travel and debt instead of a flashier skyline.
It is also a match for career-focused movers who want salary upside and year-round outdoor access. Median household income runs 11% higher ($78,631), and typical weather is the more comfortable of the two — around 79°F. That pairing is for people who will work hard and then actually use the evenings.
Raleigh is the better fit for families with young children and retirees who prioritize peace of mind over urban energy. The crime index is 11% lower than Garland (97 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.
Fit check
People with a job, family, or neighborhood already pulling them to Garland
On these five categories Raleigh 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.
Bottom line
If weather is your priority, Raleigh is the clear choice.
If the job market matters more to you, Raleigh pulls ahead.
For most movers comparing these two cities, Raleigh offers the better overall package.
Common questions
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