Quick Answer: In the Garland, TX vs. Mesquite vs. Richardson comparison, Mesquite wins on raw rent, Richardson wins on corporate jobs and salaries, and Garland lands in the middle with light rail access plus a B rated school district. Renters who want a lower rent and a train station usually land in Garland.
Three cities, three very different trade offs. Crestridge Apartments sits on West Walnut Street in west central Garland, serving renters across east Dallas County, and this question comes up almost weekly on tours. So here is how Garland, TX vs. Mesquite vs. Richardson actually shakes out on rent, transit, and schools.
What to Look For When Comparing DFW Area Cities
Rent is the loudest number. It is rarely the deciding one. When you compare DFW area cities, four factors decide your real monthly cost: average rent by bedroom count, whether the city funds rail transit, the district's most recent Texas Education Agency rating, and how many miles you will actually drive to work. Skip any one of those and the math misleads you.
The fourth factor catches people off guard. A cheaper lease 12 miles further from your office can cost more once you add fuel, tolls, and a second car payment. North Texas toll roads are not cheap, and the George Bush Turnpike runs straight through this comparison.
Which of These Dallas Suburbs Is Cheapest for Renters?
Mesquite is the cheapest of the three on apartment rent, and it is not close. Garland sits roughly $180 higher per month, and Richardson runs several hundred above Garland. Those gaps hold across studio, one bedroom, and two bedroom units, which makes the ranking unusually consistent among Dallas suburbs of this size.
| Factor | Garland | Mesquite | Richardson |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average apartment rent | $1,423 | $1,246 | $1,676 |
| One bedroom average | $1,245 | $1,084 | $1,439 |
| Two bedroom average | $1,545 | $1,410 | $1,838 |
| DART member city | Yes | No | Yes |
| Rail service in city limits | Blue Line, two stations | None, shuttle to Green Line | Red Line and Silver Line |
| District rating, 2024 to 2025 | Garland ISD: B | Mesquite ISD: B | Richardson ISD: C |
| Best fit for | Value plus rail access | Lowest rent, car required | Working in the tech corridor |
Rent figures come from RentCafe market data drawn from Yardi Matrix, updated between February and April 2026. One caveat worth stating plainly: published averages swing by provider. Zumper and Zillow report noticeably higher medians for the same cities because they include single family rentals, so treat any single figure as a starting point rather than gospel. Comparing one and two bedroom floor plans against a city average is always more useful than comparing two averages.
Is Garland the Cheapest Place to Live in Texas?
No, and any page that says otherwise is selling something. The cheapest place to live in Texas is almost always a small town far from a major metro, where rents run well under $1,000 but jobs are scarce. Garland's value case is different: it prices below the Texas statewide apartment average of $1,452 as of July 2026 while sitting inside a 700 square mile transit district and 15 miles from downtown Dallas.
How Do Commutes and Jobs Compare in the Best Dallas Suburbs?
Transit is the sharpest divide between these three, and it is the factor most renters underweight. Garland and Richardson both fund DART through a one cent local sales tax. Mesquite does not. That single difference reshapes what a car free or one car household can realistically do in each city.
Richardson has the deepest employment base. Its Telecom Corridor along US 75 is described by the city's economic development office as the second largest employment center in the Metroplex, with more than 1,000 employers and roughly half of them in tech. State Farm, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, and Texas Instruments all anchor campuses there, and UT Dallas adds tens of thousands of students. Richardson also gained two Silver Line stations, at CityLine/Bush and UT Dallas, when the 26 mile regional rail line opened on October 25, 2025, connecting the city directly to DFW Airport.
Garland's two Blue Line stations, Downtown Garland and Forest/Jupiter, put a one seat ride to downtown Dallas within reach for a lot of west and central Garland renters. Mesquite riders have to work harder. The city contracts with STAR Transit for the Mesquite COMPASS shuttle between Hanby Stadium and DART's Lawnview Station on the Green Line, weekdays only, at $1.00 each way, and DART passes are not accepted on that shuttle.
One recent wrinkle matters here. Highland Park voters chose to leave DART in the May 2, 2026 election, the first withdrawal since 1989, which trimmed the agency to 12 member cities. Garland and Richardson both remained.
Schools: Three Districts, Three Different Report Cards
The Texas Education Agency released 2024 to 2025 A through F ratings in August 2025. Garland ISD and Mesquite ISD both earned a B. Richardson ISD earned a C district wide, which surprises people who assume the pricier suburb automatically buys the stronger district. Individual campuses tell a more nuanced story in all three, and Garland ISD runs a Choice of School model rather than rigid attendance zones, so families can apply outside their neighborhood campus.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Where are the cheap areas to live in east Dallas County?
If you are hunting cheap areas to live within a reasonable drive of Dallas, these four keep showing up in rent data:
- Mesquite, the lowest apartment averages of the three cities here
- West and central Garland, below the Garland citywide average
- Balch Springs and Seagoville, cheaper still but with minimal transit
- Northeast Dallas pockets near Buckner and Ferguson
2. Do these cities appear on best places to live in Dallas rankings?
Richardson lands on best places to live in Dallas lists most often, usually on the strength of income and job density. Garland appears regularly in affordability and diversity rankings. Mesquite shows up less in national lists but rates well on cost. Rankings weight criteria differently, so read the methodology before you trust one.
3. How should renters build a best places to live DFW shortlist?
Start with your commute, not your rent. Map your office, then draw a 30 minute drive radius and list every city inside it. Filter that list by rent, then by school rating if you have kids. A best places to live DFW shortlist built in that order rarely needs revising later.
4. How do I compare apartment areas near me without touring ten properties?
Photos and floor plan dimensions filter out most mismatches before you ever get in the car. Check square footage against your furniture, look at parking and laundry setups, then tour only your final two or three. Comparing areas near me by drive time to work saves more hours than comparing amenity lists.
5. Can you live in Mesquite without a car?
It is difficult. Mesquite has no rail station and no DART bus network of its own. The COMPASS shuttle runs weekdays between Hanby Stadium and Lawnview Station, and STARNow handles on demand trips inside the city. Evening and weekend coverage is thin, so most households there budget for a vehicle.
The Bottom Line for East Dallas County Renters
Garland, TX vs. Mesquite vs. Richardson comes down to what you are willing to trade. Pick Mesquite if the lowest possible rent outranks everything and you already own a reliable car. Pick Richardson if you work in the Telecom Corridor and the premium buys back your commute. Pick Garland if you want rent below the state average, a B rated district, and a Blue Line station a short drive away. That last combination is why so many renters touring west central Garland stop looking. You can see the community in photos before you visit, or begin your online application when you are ready.
