Bryan vs Mesquite
The short version
- Bryan is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 12% lower than in the Mesquite area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $227,800 in Bryan and $245,700 in Mesquite.
- Households earn more in Mesquite ($72,537 vs $59,289 median).
- Bryan has the warmer winter: January highs of 62°F vs 58°F.
- Bryan is growing faster: +9.6% since 2020 vs +0.3%.
- Commutes are shorter in Bryan (19 vs 32 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Bryan, TX | Mesquite, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 91,996 | 150,693 |
| Growth since 2020 | +9.6% | +0.3% |
| People per square mile | 1,662 | 3,069 |
| Median age | 32.0 | 32.9 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 30% | 20% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $59,289 | $72,537 |
| Median home value | $227,800 | $245,700 |
| Home value to income | 3.8× | 3.4× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,195 | $1,513 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 91.0 | 103.1 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 75.1 | 117.9 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $68,200 | $77,300 |
| Homeowners | 51% | 63% |
| Top state income tax | None | None |
| Combined sales tax | 8.2% | 8.2% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 18.5 | 32.1 |
| Work from home | 8% | 10% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 5% | 5.4% |
| Poverty rate | 23% | 13.4% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 62° / 41° | 58° / 38° |
| July high / low | 95° / 75° | 97° / 78° |
| Precipitation per year | 42 in | 38 in |
| Snowfall per year | n/a | 2 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 117 | 108 |
| Nights below freezing | 16 | 23 |
| Comfortable months | 5 | 3 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Moderate | Very High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 88.4 | 99.7 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 69% | 28% |
| Home prices, past year | -2.2% | +0.5% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +42.4% | +35.4% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Bryan: February to April and November to December. Mesquite: March to April and November.
Full monthly tables: Bryan weather by month and Mesquite weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $68,200 in Bryan and $77,300 in Mesquite. Moving from Bryan to Mesquite, you would need about $85,000 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Bryan and Mesquite
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Bryan and Mesquite.
Which would you pick?
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