Moving to Garland

Garland occupies the northeastern corner of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, sitting almost entirely within Dallas County with a small northern fringe extending into Collin County. US Census 2024 estimates place the city's population at approximately 244,000 residents, making Garland the twelfth-largest city in Texas and the third-largest city in Dallas County behind Dallas and Irving. Its municipal footprint borders Dallas to the west, Richardson and Sachse to the north, Rowlett to the east, and Mesquite to the south — a densely suburban position giving residents direct freeway access to downtown Dallas via I-30 and President George Bush Turnpike while avoiding the premium housing costs of the Dallas city core. Lake Ray Hubbard, a reservoir of more than 22,000 surface acres managed by the City of Dallas, forms Garland's entire eastern boundary and gives the city an unusually prominent waterfront edge for a landlocked DFW suburb. American Community Survey 2022-2023 migration data show consistent net inbound moves from Dallas proper — households priced out of Oak Cliff, East Dallas, and Lake Highlands — as well as out-of-state arrivals from California, Illinois, and the Upper Midwest drawn by DFW's employment base, the absence of a state income tax, and housing affordability well below coastal markets.

Garland's neighborhoods reward a closer look than the city's outer-ring reputation suggests. Firewheel in northeastern Garland, anchored by Firewheel Town Center along Bush Turnpike and Lavon Drive, is the city's primary growth corridor: newer townhome and single-family construction, walkable retail, and direct Bush Turnpike access to Richardson, Plano, and Allen employment nodes make it the natural landing point for movers arriving from master-planned suburban environments. Downtown Garland, centered on the Garland Square and the Granville Arts District along First and Fifth Streets, has seen steady reinvestment over the past decade — renovated storefronts, performing arts venues, and locally owned restaurants serve a mixed base of long-term homeowners and newer arrivals. The Lake Ray Hubbard shoreline communities along Shoreline Drive and South Garland Avenue offer lakefront lots, water views, and boat-dock access at price points that would carry a significant premium in comparable waterfront markets elsewhere. Sachse-adjacent northern Garland along the Miller Road corridor shares Garland ISD and in some pockets Sachse ISD attendance zones, drawing buyers who want Collin County proximity without Plano or Frisco price levels.

Moving costs in Garland track the broader DFW suburban market. Full-service local moves run approximately $120-$160 per hour for a 2-mover crew per American Moving and Storage Association (AMSA, moving.org) industry estimates — slightly above the statewide midpoint, reflecting DFW's competitive labor market and the fuel costs of navigating the Metroplex's sprawl. A 3-bedroom home move within Garland or from adjacent Dallas neighborhoods typically totals $1,600-$2,800 covering 4-8 hours of labor plus a standard fuel surcharge; moves from farther Dallas corridors — Lake Highlands, Lakewood, East Dallas — add drive time that pushes totals higher. Summer heat is the dominant logistical variable: June through September brings sustained afternoon temperatures of 95-105 degrees Fahrenheit with high humidity, creating real risk for crews working outdoors mid-day. The standard DFW practice is scheduling major lifts to begin no later than 8 a.m. and targeting completion before noon. Moving companies fill summer calendars quickly — late-May school-year-end demand flows directly into the corporate relocation peak — so booking 4-6 weeks out for any June through August weekend is advisable. The Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) Green Line serves Garland with stations at Garland, Downtown Garland, and Buckingham, providing rail access to downtown Dallas and the broader DART network; households arriving without a vehicle can use the Green Line as a practical staging resource during the apartment-hunting phase.

Texas requires intrastate household-goods movers to register with the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) Motor Carrier Division under 43 TAC Chapter 218 and Transportation Code Chapter 643. Verify a mover's registration with the TxDMV. For interstate moves, verify the USDOT number at safer.fmcsa.dot.gov. TxDMV-registered carriers must carry minimum liability and cargo insurance; their registration number must appear on any written estimate or contract provided before loading. For interstate moves, federal FMCSA rules require a written estimate, guarantee the shipper's right to attend weigh-in, and prohibit withholding goods pending payment exceeding 110 percent of a non-binding estimate; full rights are at protectyourmove.gov. We vet movers against both databases before gathering quotes — you select the mover and pay directly at the conclusion of your move. Post-arrival: Texas gives new residents 90 days to obtain a Texas driver's license from the Department of Public Safety (dps.texas.gov), surrendering the out-of-state license and passing a vision test. Vehicle registration with the Dallas County Tax Office must be completed within 30 days and requires both a safety inspection and an emissions test — Dallas County is part of the Texas emissions testing program, so unlike most rural Texas counties, both inspections are mandatory before a registration sticker is issued. Voter registration must be submitted at least 30 days before any election via the Dallas County Elections Office or the Texas Secretary of State (sos.state.tx.us). Garland's housing costs run roughly 20-30 percent below comparable Dallas neighborhoods per Dallas County Appraisal District data — a real and sustainable affordability advantage — but the commute calculus matters: I-30 through Mesquite into downtown Dallas reaches 60-90 minute peaks during the morning window, while the DART Green Line eliminates that variable entirely for downtown-bound workers and connects to DFW's wider rail system at no additional cost.

Back to Texas

See the full state guide: Moving to Texas.