Garland is listed as the second-best city in Texas and ninth-best in the nation for the time it takes renters to save enough money to convert to home ownership.
In an October story, "The Process of Becoming a Homeowner," the Dallas Business Journal cites a recent study from financial advisor SmartAsset. The study of the nation's largest 100 cities focused on metrics including effective tax rate, closing costs on the average home, median income, rent and home value.
While the average Garland renter can save and purchase a home in the city in four years, those who rent in cities at the bottom of the list like New York and Los Angeles have to save for 15 years.
SmartAsset estimates that if they save 40 percent of their income after taxes and rent, a typical Garland resident can put $8,928 per year toward upfront home costs of $35,815. And that was a nicer (i.e., more expensive) home than all but two other cities in the top 10. Those results reinforce the City's earlier rankings as a Best Place for Money Savers and One of the Best Cities to Buy a Family Home.