The 10 Best Garland Suburbs To Live In For 2026

The best Garland suburbs are University Park and Highland Park for 2026 based on Saturday Night Science.

Garland has plenty to offer, but the price of admission usually comes with traffic, sky-high rent, and a calendar that fills itself.

If you want the upside of Garland without the daily grind, the answer is almost always a good suburb. The catch: not every suburb is worth the move.

So we ranked them. Using Saturday Night Science, we pulled the numbers on every place within commuting distance of Garland: incomes, home prices, unemployment, schools, the works. The result is a no-nonsense ranking of where you actually want to live.


Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table


What’s the best suburb of Garland? University Park ranks as the best suburb of Garland for 2026 based on the most recent Census and FBI data. If you happen to be a resident of University Park, you’re probably not too surprised to find it on the top our list.

We’ll tell you what makes each of these 10 Garland ‘burbs better than the rest–but first, a bit about our methodology.

Feel free to check out some more reading about Texas:

The 10 Best Garland Suburbs To Live For 2026

University Park, TX

Source: Wikipedia User Drumguy8800 at English Wikipedia | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

8
/10

Population: 25,155
Median Income: $250,001
Unemployment Rate: 3.6%
Poverty Rate: 4.7%
More on University Park: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers

University Park is always mentioned as one of the best suburbs in the Garland area. We’ll tell you the good about “Awesome University Park.”

Everyone here is rich; families average $250,001 a year, which is the highest in the Garland region. And only 3.58% are out of work. Homes average more than $2,420,170 each.

Highland Park, TX

Source: Wikipedia User The original uploader was Ansem27 at English Wikipedia | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

7.5
/10

Population: 8,773
Median Income: $250,001
Unemployment Rate: 4.5%
Poverty Rate: 7.0%
More on Highland Park: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers

Highland Park is the second best ‘burb we looked at near Garland for 2026.

It ranks 1st for incomes in the area and only 2.61% of residents lack insurance, good for 3rd best.

Highland, UT

Source: Wikipedia User Eric Ward from Provo, UT, USA | CC BY-SA 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 20,119
Median Income: $186,075
Unemployment Rate: 3.9%
Poverty Rate: 1.9%
More on Highland: Data | Movers

Here in Highland, it’s really safe, and residents are just about as rich as you’ll see in the Garland metro area.

The bad side? Schools are more crowded, and the cost of living puts a large part of the city out of reach for most families.

But price is based on demand and a lot of people want to live in Highland.

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 8,351
Median Income: $221,364
Unemployment Rate: 2.6%
Poverty Rate: 1.3%
More on Lucas: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers

Lucas ranks as the 4th best suburb of Garland for 2026.

You won’t find many better places to raise your kids in the region than in Lucas and the schools are some of the best around.

Coppell, TX

Source: Wikipedia User nthomas76207 | CC BY 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 42,154
Median Income: $146,235
Unemployment Rate: 2.6%
Poverty Rate: 5.4%
More on Coppell: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers

Coming in as the fifth best is Coppell.

Coppell gets kudos for having the 14th most expensive homes in the Garland area, where houses sell for an average of $619,492. However, the cost of living here is among the highest in the area.

Overall SnackAbility

9.5
/10

Population: 3,071
Median Income: $172,321
Unemployment Rate: 2.6%
Poverty Rate: 3.7%
More on Double Oak: Data | Crime | Movers

Double Oak is proud of its 6th place finish on this list. And here’s why.

Most residents have great jobs and the unemployment rate sits at 2.64%.

According to online reports, Double Oak is quickly becoming one of the more affluent suburbs in the Garland area, meaning you need to get in soon.

Flower Mound, TX

Source: Wikipedia User Runfellow | CC BY 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

9.5
/10

Population: 78,389
Median Income: $161,235
Unemployment Rate: 3.4%
Poverty Rate: 4.3%
More on Flower Mound: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers

The 7th best suburb on our list goes to Flower Mound.

Flower Mound schools are some of the best in the region, and crime is really low. The cost of living makes it a lot more desirable for many families, especially first-time home buyers.

And, it’s only 29.3 miles to downtown, which is a good thing.

Murphy, TX

Source: Wikipedia User nthomas76207 | CC BY 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

9.5
/10

Population: 21,188
Median Income: $175,699
Unemployment Rate: 4.2%
Poverty Rate: 3.0%
More on Murphy: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers

Murphy is growing quickly, and for a good reason. Crime is far below average, and most residents are gainfully employed. Even the cost of living is reasonable.

A solid 6.97% of people lack insurance, good for 18th in the area.

Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 8,947
Median Income: $118,072
Unemployment Rate: 1.1%
Poverty Rate: 9.4%
More on Providence: Data | Movers

Is ‘Everything Better In Providence?’

Almost.

It placed 9th on our list thanks to the fact that it’s really expensive to live here, but the schools are great, so you get what you pay for in that regard.

Frisco, TX

Source: Flickr User nan palmero | CC BY 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

9
/10

Population: 219,304
Median Income: $150,212
Unemployment Rate: 4.6%
Poverty Rate: 3.6%
More on Frisco: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers

And rounding out the top ten for 2026 is Frisco.

This city is far above average in every category, and the best part? It’s far more affordable than the other cities listed above. So, you get a big bang for your buck here.

Review Of Frisco by HomeSnacks User

I love Frisco, specifically Frisco Square, with its cozy vibe. It’s a small area, but it has great restaurants, a library, movie theater, and senior center to keep it alive. In the winter, the whole place is alive with lights that create a very picturesque scene.

The people and restaurants stand out. The people are nice wherever you go, and there is a diversity of delicious restaurants, whether you’re looking for casual or formal dining.

Methodology: How We Determined The Best Suburbs Around Garland for 2026

Figuring out the best suburbs around Garland was simple. We used Saturday Night Science to find things people like about living in the suburbs and then locate the suburbs with those things.

We analyzed the newest American Community Survey data for 2020-2024 to research each suburb. We decided upon the following criteria:

  • Low unemployment rate
  • High median household incomes
  • Population density (lots of things to do)
  • High home values
  • A lot of college-educated people
  • Low poverty
  • High rate of insured families

We defined a suburb as being within 30 miles of Garland.

Additionally, we limited the analysis to places that have over 2,000 people. This left us with a grand total of 71 suburbs to evaluate around Garland.

We ranked each place with scores from 1 to 71 in each category, where 1 was the “best.

Next, we averaged the rankings for each place to create a quality-of-life index.

Finally, we crowned the city with the best quality of life index, the “Best Suburb near Garland.” We’re lookin’ at you, University Park.

This result may differ from our state-wide data as we did not include commute times and crime for this analysis to allow for a more extensive selection of suburbs.

We updated the data for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the best Garland suburbs. Skip to the end to see the list of all the suburbs ranked from best to worst.

Summary: Welcome to the Best Garland ‘Burbs of 2026

We said it once, and we’ll say it again–life in the big city isn’t for everyone. At least not all the time.

The best suburbs of Garland are .

So if you’re craving the amenities of a larger city like Garland but don’t want to deal with the drawbacks, one of these suburbs might be for you.

For more Texas reading, check out:

Table: Best Garland Suburbs

Rank City Population Median Income Average Home Price
1 University Park, TX 25,155 $250,001 $2,420,170
2 Highland Park, TX 8,773 $250,001 $2,891,618
3 Highland, TX 20,119 $186,075 $971,049
4 Lucas, TX 8,351 $221,364 $1,074,130
5 Coppell, TX 42,154 $146,235 $619,492
6 Double Oak, TX 3,071 $172,321 $845,919
7 Flower Mound, TX 78,389 $161,235 $609,719
8 Murphy, TX 21,188 $175,699 $571,960
9 Providence, TX 8,947 $118,072 $527,895
10 Frisco, TX 219,304 $150,212 $656,757
11 Shady Shores, TX 2,922 $159,375 $522,062
12 Heath, TX 10,777 $220,828 $708,330
13 Talty, TX 2,881 $154,732 $512,518
14 Copper Canyon, TX 2,514 $155,625 $1,073,390
15 Lavon, TX 6,498 $131,303 $349,797
16 Parker, TX 5,999 $229,080 $1,088,169
17 Mclendon-Chisholm, TX 4,511 $204,773 $667,451
18 Allen, TX 110,265 $130,901 $493,531
19 Hickory Creek, TX 5,611 $148,852 $494,276
20 Celina, TX 34,268 $170,894 $546,742
21 Oak Point, TX 5,887 $126,290 $419,834
22 Mckinney, TX 210,600 $124,215 $481,963
23 Prosper, TX 37,869 $195,281 $784,350
24 Melissa, TX 20,136 $138,763 $434,769
25 Rockwall, TX 51,168 $115,580 $480,553
26 Sachse, TX 30,491 $131,808 $433,036
27 Plano, TX 290,594 $112,253 $498,989
28 The Colony, TX 45,454 $114,511 $406,282
29 Sunnyvale, TX 8,336 $170,348 $631,290
30 Ovilla, TX 4,375 $131,434 $495,092
31 Fairview, TX 10,783 $109,347 $660,165
32 Rowlett, TX 65,463 $112,081 $371,473
33 Fate, TX 22,884 $132,752 $361,761
34 Addison, TX 17,290 $73,854 $490,587
35 Wylie, TX 60,334 $119,522 $421,547
36 Grapevine, TX 51,139 $111,376 $552,148
37 Bedford, TX 49,085 $83,971 $374,676
38 Carrollton, TX 133,740 $101,396 $406,039
39 Lake Dallas, TX 7,822 $76,879 $347,096
40 Richardson, TX 118,731 $98,111 $440,400
41 Princeton, TX 25,229 $105,200 $294,071
42 Little Elm, TX 54,820 $119,219 $403,396
43 Red Oak, TX 17,077 $104,561 $344,821
44 Lewisville, TX 131,080 $89,233 $393,895
45 Farmers Branch, TX 36,645 $91,186 $377,733
46 Lakewood, TX 62,937 $74,720 $521,148
47 Hackberry, TX 2,979 $109,769 $441,786
48 Caddo Mills, TX 3,340 $107,067 $315,940
49 Euless, TX 60,421 $82,167 $357,017
50 Josephine, TX 5,842 $91,000 $287,282
51 Forney, TX 31,532 $104,112 $311,401
52 Desoto, TX 56,211 $82,782 $338,709
53 Irving, TX 256,492 $81,830 $341,503
54 Cedar Hill, TX 48,879 $101,909 $314,930
55 Ferris, TX 3,238 $89,722 $292,616
56 Grand Prairie, TX 201,883 $81,619 $316,526
57 Glenn Heights, TX 18,096 $81,718 $330,035
58 Dallas, TX 1,307,930 $70,518 $309,420
59 Duncanville, TX 39,683 $76,457 $277,367
60 Kaufman, TX 8,538 $62,931 $291,010
61 Mesquite, TX 149,299 $72,537 $262,121
62 Combine, TX 2,785 $94,756 $404,771
63 Crandall, TX 4,763 $88,997 $269,919
64 Lancaster, TX 40,820 $68,302 $272,337
65 Balch Springs, TX 27,255 $66,942 $224,768
66 Hutchins, TX 7,496 $47,829 $249,516
67 Farmersville, TX 4,018 $81,036 $338,460
68 Cockrell Hill, TX 3,703 $52,292 $216,650
69 Seagoville, TX 19,352 $66,743 $272,216
70 Terrell, TX 20,366 $65,842 $281,526
71 Wilmer, TX 6,391 $59,626 $226,032
Chris Kolmar
About the author

Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.

He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.

If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.

You can find out more about him on LinkedIn or his website.

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