City comparison
Garland, TX is about 850 miles (1,400 km) from Minnetonka, MN in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 1,100 miles, or about 18 hours behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Garland, TX to Minnetonka, MN takes about 1 h 42 min, covering roughly 850 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Garland has a population of 244,026, vs 53,529 in Minnetonka — about 4.6× larger by population. By land area, Garland covers about 57 sq mi vs 27 sq mi for Minnetonka.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Garland | Minnetonka | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,421/mo | $1,673/mo | 17.7% higher in Minnetonka |
| Median home value | $229,000 | $430,800 | 88.1% higher in Minnetonka |
| Median household income | $71,044 | $114,867 | 61.7% higher in Minnetonka |
| Groceries index | 102.5 | 102.5 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 91.1 | 93.3 | 2.5% higher in Minnetonka |
| Transportation index | 99.8 | 103.7 | 4.0% higher in Minnetonka |
| Healthcare index | 99.2 | 103.9 | 4.7% higher in Minnetonka |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Garland, you'd need $99,991 in Minnetonka to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Garland and Minnetonka have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. Housing costs are roughly 3% higher in Garland than in Minnetonka. If you earn $80,000 in Garland, you'd need about $79,993 in Minnetonka to keep the same standard of living.