Mesquite vs Temple
The short version
- Temple is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 12% lower than in the Mesquite area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $239,000 in Temple and $245,700 in Mesquite.
- Households earn more in Mesquite ($72,537 vs $68,204 median).
- Temple is growing faster: +19.7% since 2020 vs +0.3%.
- Commutes are shorter in Temple (21 vs 32 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Mesquite, TX | Temple, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 150,693 | 98,412 |
| Growth since 2020 | +0.3% | +19.7% |
| People per square mile | 3,069 | 1,347 |
| Median age | 32.9 | 33.8 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 20% | 31% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $72,537 | $68,204 |
| Median home value | $245,700 | $239,000 |
| Home value to income | 3.4× | 3.5× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,513 | $1,231 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 103.1 | 91.1 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 117.9 | 77.9 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $77,300 | $68,300 |
| Homeowners | 63% | 52% |
| Top state income tax | None | None |
| Combined sales tax | 8.2% | 8.2% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 32.1 | 21.0 |
| Work from home | 10% | 11% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 0% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 5.4% | 6.6% |
| Poverty rate | 13.4% | 16% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 58° / 38° | 60° / 36° |
| July high / low | 97° / 78° | 95° / 72° |
| Precipitation per year | 38 in | 37 in |
| Snowfall per year | 2 in | 0 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 108 | 118 |
| Nights below freezing | 23 | 33 |
| Comfortable months | 3 | 4 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Very High | Relatively Moderate |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 99.7 | 91.1 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 28% | 66% |
| Home prices, past year | +0.5% | +1.7% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +35.4% | +39.3% |
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: Mesquite: March to April and November. Temple: March to April and October to November.
Full monthly tables: Mesquite weather by month and Temple weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $77,300 in Mesquite and $68,300 in Temple. Moving from Mesquite to Temple, you would need about $66,300 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Mesquite and Temple
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Mesquite and Temple.
Which would you pick?
One vote per person. Results show after you vote.