78656 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
23438
78656
Opportunity
49 · Bottom 38%
vs66 · Top 28%
Growth
62 · Top 30%
vs66 · Top 21%
Climate
71 · Top 46%
vs71 · Top 45%
Physical resilience
76 · Top 28%
vs63 · Top 44%
Housing affordability
99 · Top 12%
vs86 · Top 40%
Access
76 · Bottom 17%
vs89 · Bottom 38%
Economic stability
61 · Top 48%
vs70 · Top 30%
Measured values
| Metric | 23438 | 78656 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,749 | 2,847 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $93,750 | $81,346 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $40,501 | $32,747 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 44/sq mi | 100/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $292,600 | $238,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $950 | $1,629 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 96.4% | 69.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.1% | 4.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.9% | 0.2% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 20.9% | 23.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 7.6% | 13.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 608 | 663 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 6.2 | 9.4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -9.5% | -38.1% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 93°F | 96°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 34°F | 40°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 48.6" | 31.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 40 mi | 22 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 44.9 min | 30.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 40.5 | 32.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
23438
Elevated or high exposure: drought, hurricane.
78656
Elevated or high exposure: drought, strong wind.
Full profiles: 23438 — Suffolk, VA · 78656 — San Marcos, TX · How this is calculated: methodology