Quick Answer: Sherman vs Denison is a close call on rent and an easy call on commute. Census data puts median gross rent at $1,324 in Sherman and $1,309 in Denison, so pick the city nearer your job. Sherman has more employers and stores. Denison is about half the size and closer to Lake Texoma.
Sherman and Denison sit about 11 miles apart on US-75, and HUD counts them as one metro area covering all of Grayson County. So the Sherman vs Denison decision rarely turns on price. It turns on where you work and how much driving you'll put up with. The District at Sherman leases apartments and townhomes in Sherman, serving renters from across Grayson County, and this guide compares the two cities using current Census figures.
What to look for when choosing between Sherman and Denison
Compare two numbers before you sign a lease in either city: your full monthly cost and your daily drive time. Rent alone won't separate them, because the gap is about $15 a month in Census data. Utilities and gas will move your budget more than the city name on the lease.
Cost of living in Sherman
The cost of living in Sherman runs about 8% below the national average, according to Apartments.com's cost-of-living data, which draws on the C2ER index. Groceries come in 7% under the national figure and transportation nearly 16% under. Utilities are the exception, at about 2% over.
Texas has no state income tax, which helps. On the income side, the Census Bureau's QuickFacts for Sherman lists a median household income of $58,859 for 2020-2024.
Cost of living in Denison TX
Apartments.com lists the same 8.1% figure for Denison. On that index, the two cities cost the same to live in.
Housing is where they split, and mostly for buyers. QuickFacts for Denison puts the median home value at $180,900, against $243,500 in Sherman. Renters see almost none of that gap. Median household income is higher in Denison, at $67,365.
Is rent cheaper in Sherman or Denison?
Denison is cheaper by a small margin. Census QuickFacts lists median gross rent for 2020-2024 at $1,309 in Denison and $1,324 in Sherman, a $15 difference. Gross rent includes utilities and counts rented houses along with apartments, so advertised apartment rents in both cities usually run lower than either figure.
| Measure | Sherman | Denison |
|---|---|---|
| Population (July 2025 estimate) | 52,417 | 26,822 |
| Population growth since April 2020 | 20.0% | 9.6% |
| Median gross rent | $1,324 | $1,309 |
| Median household income | $58,859 | $67,365 |
| Median home value | $243,500 | $180,900 |
| Mean travel time to work | 23.2 minutes | 19.4 minutes |
| Retail sales per resident (2022) | $39,201 | $18,025 |
| Better fit for | Sherman jobs, shopping, commutes south | Hospital jobs, lake access, home buyers |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts. Rent, income, home value and commute figures are 2020-2024 estimates.
Denison apartments for rent: what current listings show
Listing sites tell a similar story. As of October 2026, Apartments.com shows an average rent of $920 in Denison and $979 in Sherman. Rentometer's January 2026 data has one-bedrooms at $1,044 in Denison and $1,045 in Sherman. A dollar apart.
Don't lean too hard on any one of these. Averages shift by hundreds of dollars between providers depending on whether single-family houses are in the mix, and none of them describe the specific unit you'd rent.
Cheap apartments in Denison TX and the trade-off
You can find cheap apartments in Denison TX, but you'll be choosing from a smaller pool. Census household counts and ownership rates work out to roughly 4,300 renter households in Denison and 8,700 in Sherman. About twice as many rentals means more choice on layout and move-in date.
Then there's the drive. If your job is in Sherman, a Denison lease adds about 22 miles a day, or around 5,500 miles over a year of workdays. Run that against whatever you'd save on rent.
Income based apartments Denison TX: how they work
Income-based housing in Denison comes in two main forms: public housing run by the Housing Authority of Denison, and privately owned tax-credit communities with income limits. Housing Choice Vouchers are another route. HUD says voucher households usually pay about 30% of adjusted monthly income toward rent, and you apply through a local public housing agency. Expect a waiting list.
How long is the drive from Sherman TX to Denison TX?
About 15 minutes. The two downtowns are roughly 11 miles apart, and US-75 is a freeway the whole way, so living in one city and working in the other is an easy routine. The drive matters more for anyone commuting south toward McKinney or Dallas, because a Sherman address cuts those same 11 miles off each direction.
Where the jobs are in Sherman and Denison
Sherman holds the semiconductor plants. Texas Instruments started production at its SM1 fab in December 2025, and GlobalWafers opened its wafer plant in May 2025. Tyson Foods is in Sherman too. Denison's biggest names are Texoma Medical Center, which sits on US-75 at the south end of town, and Ruiz Foods.
Census commute data cuts the other way, though. Mean travel time to work is 19.4 minutes for Denison residents and 23.2 for Sherman residents, so a Sherman address doesn't guarantee a shorter drive. Where do you clock in? Start there.
Shopping and errands
Sherman has far more retail. The Census Bureau's 2022 figures show $1.78 billion in retail sales in Sherman against $475 million in Denison, which works out to $39,201 per resident versus $18,025.
Denison answers with things Sherman doesn't have: Lake Texoma a short drive north and a historic downtown along Main Street.
At The District at Sherman, the community amenities include a dog park, a laundry facility and on-site management, and cats and dogs are welcome. You can see what's close by on the neighborhood map.
Frequently asked questions
1. Is Sherman bigger than Denison?
Yes. The Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates put Sherman at 52,417 residents and Denison at 26,822, so Sherman is about twice the size. It's also growing faster. Sherman's population rose 20.0% between April 2020 and July 2025, compared with 9.6% for Denison over the same period.
2. Are Denison apartments cheaper than Sherman apartments?
A little, on average. Census median gross rent is $15 a month lower in Denison, and Apartments.com's October 2026 averages show a $59 gap. Individual communities vary more than the two cities do, so compare specific units and add utilities and fees before deciding which one costs less.
3. What should I compare before choosing Sherman or Denison?
Price out both options the same way so the comparison is fair. Check these four things:
- Full monthly cost, with utilities, pet rent and fees added to base rent
- Drive time to work at the hour you'd leave
- Distance to the grocery store and pharmacy you'd use
- Which floor plans are open on your move date
4. Can I live in Sherman and work in Denison?
Yes. It's a short freeway drive. Central Sherman to central Denison is about 11 miles and 15 minutes on US-75. Texoma Medical Center is at the south end of Denison on US-75, which puts it on the Sherman side of town and shortens the trip for hospital staff.
5. Which is closer to Dallas, Sherman or Denison?
Sherman, by about 11 miles. Sherman is roughly 60 miles north of Dallas on US-75, and Denison is the next city up the same highway before the Oklahoma line. If you commute south to McKinney or Plano even a few days a week, that difference adds up fast.
Sherman vs Denison: which one should you rent in?
Rent won't decide this one. Jobs and driving will. If you work at one of Sherman's plants or commute south toward Dallas, renting in Sherman saves you time every day. If your job is at the hospital or you want the lake nearby, Denison makes sense.
Leaning toward Sherman? Look through the one, two and three bedroom floor plans at The District at Sherman and see what's open for your move date. For most renters weighing Sherman vs Denison in Grayson County, a shorter drive is worth more than a $15 difference in rent.
