Tyler vs Mesquite
The short version
- Tyler is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 11% lower than in the Mesquite area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $235,300 in Tyler and $245,700 in Mesquite.
- Households earn more in Mesquite ($72,537 vs $67,486 median).
- Tyler is growing faster: +7.4% since 2020 vs +0.3%.
- Commutes are shorter in Tyler (20 vs 32 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Tyler, TX | Mesquite, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 113,723 | 150,693 |
| Growth since 2020 | +7.4% | +0.3% |
| People per square mile | 1,968 | 3,069 |
| Median age | 35.0 | 32.9 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 31% | 20% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $67,486 | $72,537 |
| Median home value | $235,300 | $245,700 |
| Home value to income | 3.5× | 3.4× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,252 | $1,513 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 92.2 | 103.1 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 79.9 | 117.9 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $69,100 | $77,300 |
| Homeowners | 55% | 63% |
| Top state income tax | None | None |
| Combined sales tax | 8.2% | 8.2% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 20.0 | 32.1 |
| Work from home | 8% | 10% |
| Take public transit | 0% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 4.5% | 5.4% |
| Poverty rate | 12.5% | 13.4% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 58° / 37° | 58° / 38° |
| July high / low | 94° / 74° | 97° / 78° |
| Precipitation per year | 42 in | 38 in |
| Snowfall per year | 1 in | 2 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 98 | 108 |
| Nights below freezing | 29 | 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) | 84.2 | 99.7 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 90% | 28% |
| Home prices, past year | +2.7% | +0.5% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +41.8% | +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: Tyler: March to May and October to November. Mesquite: March to April and November.
Full monthly tables: Tyler 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 $69,100 in Tyler and $77,300 in Mesquite. Moving from Tyler to Mesquite, you would need about $83,900 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Tyler 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 Tyler and Mesquite.
Which would you pick?
One vote per person. Results show after you vote.