Sell Your Commercial Property In Garland, TX

Who rents in Garland

Garland is a working suburb where owners still outnumber renters. The Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey counts 246,844 residents in 81,954 occupied homes; 31,463 of those households, or 38.4%, rent, and 50,491 own. That renter share is close to the 39.9% across the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metro in the same survey. Median household income in Garland is $76,320, about $14,000 below the metro median of $90,275.

Garland renters are split between apartments and houses. ACS table B25032 shows 18,254 renter households, or 58.0%, in buildings of five or more units, while 30.6% rent detached single-family homes. Only 15.0% of renters live in complexes of 50 or more units. That mix means a typical Garland apartment building competes not only with other complexes but with a large supply of rented houses in the city's postwar subdivisions.

What drives demand

Garland's employment base is industrial. The Garland Economic Development Partnership describes a group of major employers in manufacturing, food production, logistics, retail and technology, and lists manufacturers such as Daisy Brand, Mapei, Ecolab, Plastipak, Andersen Windows and Epiroc. Plant, warehouse and distribution jobs pay steady wages and tend to draw renters who want to live near work, which supports apartment demand along the city's industrial corridors.

Location adds to that base. DART's Blue Line runs through Garland, with stations at Downtown Garland and Forest/Jupiter, giving renters a rail connection to downtown Dallas. Richardson's Telecom Corridor, just to the west, is a short drive for technology and office workers who want lower rents than the northern suburbs. Firewheel, on the north side, adds a retail and restaurant cluster and newer housing.

Rents and affordability

Median gross rent in Garland, including tenant-paid utilities, is $1,641 a month in the 2020–2024 estimates, slightly above the metro median of $1,614. The bedroom breakdown from ACS table B25031:

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year estimates 2020–2024, via Census Reporter. Garland's apartment-size units, from studios to two bedrooms, rent almost exactly at the metro level. A two-bedroom rents for about $300 more than a one-bedroom, the clearest step in the city's rent ladder. The overall median sits higher than the metro because a large share of Garland renters lease two- and three-bedroom houses.

Affordability is the main constraint. In Garland, 56.4% of renter households spend 30% or more of income on gross rent, well above the metro share of 50.1%, and 25.9% spend half or more. Rents near the metro median paired with below-metro incomes leave many tenants stretched. Buyers will look closely at delinquency, concessions and turnover before assuming further rent growth.

The apartment stock

Garland has 86,216 housing units, and ACS table B25024 places 20,781 of them, or 24.1%, in buildings of five or more units. The mid-size range dominates: 7,511 units are in 10–19 unit buildings and 4,392 in 20–49 unit buildings, alongside 3,774 in 5–9 unit buildings and 5,104 in complexes of 50 or more.

Garland's housing is older than the region's. The median home was built in 1978, against 1993 for the Dallas-Fort Worth metro as a whole, and 54.8% of all units predate 1980. The 1970s alone account for 27.6% of the stock and the 1960s for 16.1%. Only 10.5% of units were built in 2010 or later, and 2,298, or 2.7%, in 2020 or later. Some 43.7% of all units were built in the 1960s and 1970s, an age at which plumbing, electrical panels, roofs, foundations and parking lots typically need major work. Buyers will ask what has already been replaced, when, and at what cost, and a building with documented upgrades to its major systems will draw stronger offers than an otherwise similar one that has only had cosmetic work.

The neighborhoods on our Garland page reflect that range. Downtown Garland, around the square and the DART station, has older small buildings close to transit. Firewheel, in the north, has much of the city's newer construction. Rowlett and Sachse, to the east and north, are separate cities and are not included in these figures; the Dallas County table lists Rowlett's 2025 city rate at $0.807891 per $100, higher than Garland's.

Property taxes on apartment buildings in Dallas County

Texas has no state property tax. The Comptroller explains that the appraisal district sets market value and local units levy the tax. Garland apartments are appraised by the Dallas Central Appraisal District at market value, with no reduced ratio for rental property. The Dallas County Tax Office lists these 2025 rates per $100 of value:

• City of Garland: $0.689746 ($0.288657 operations, $0.401089 debt service)
• Garland ISD: $1.170900 ($0.786900 operations, $0.384000 debt service)
• Dallas County: $0.215500
• Parkland Hospital: $0.212000
• Dallas College: $0.106575

Combined, a Garland ISD property pays about $2.39 per $100, or roughly 2.4% of appraised value, well above the roughly $2.14 that an Irving ISD property pays under the same county table. A building appraised at $3 million would owe about $71,800 a year. The city's rate is unusual in that its debt-service portion is larger than its operating portion, so much of the city levy goes to repaying bonds rather than funding operations.

The Tax Code § 23.231 limit caps yearly appraisal increases at 20% plus new improvements for non-homestead property valued at or below a threshold, $5 million for 2024 and indexed after that, and many Garland buildings fall within it. The limit applies only after an owner has held the property on January 1 of a prior year and ends at sale, so a buyer's first full appraisal can jump. Protests are due by May 15 or 30 days after the notice is delivered, whichever is later, according to the Comptroller.

Landlord rules and local compliance

Garland licenses apartment properties. Under section 32.07 of the city code, anyone who rents three or more dwelling units in a multifamily building must hold a current multifamily license, applied for by the operator. The city inspects each licensed property at least once a year, including a representative sample of units. Licenses expire on December 31, fees are set in the city's master fee schedule, and late fees run one-twelfth of the annual fee per month. A new license is required within 30 days whenever ownership changes.

Rents are not regulated. Local Government Code § 214.902 allows rent control only in a disaster-related housing emergency approved by the governor. State law requires deposit refunds within 30 days under Property Code § 92.103, with penalties for bad-faith retention under § 92.109, and three days' written notice to vacate before an eviction filing under § 24.005 unless the lease sets a different period.

What this means if you own a building here

A Garland owner sells into steady demand from industrial and logistics employers, transit access to Dallas and rents that match the metro for apartment-size units. Buyers will discount for an old stock, a combined tax rate near 2.4% that resets after closing, and a renter base where more than half are cost-burdened. Annual city inspections give buyers a ready record of your property's condition, so a clean license history helps.

Check value with our apartment building value calculator and cap rate calculator, and see the 1031 exchange calculator if you plan to reinvest. Skyline Capital Investments buys 5+ unit buildings across Garland, including Downtown Garland and Firewheel, and in nearby Rowlett and Sachse. Our seller page explains how we underwrite.