77494 and 77479 receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
77494
77479
Opportunity
64 · Top 31%
vs67 · Top 26%
Growth
70 · Top 15%
vs67 · Top 19%
Climate
73 · Top 38%
vs73 · Top 38%
Physical resilience
45 · Bottom 35%
vs45 · Bottom 35%
Housing affordability
98 · Top 15%
vs99 · Top 11%
Schools
89 · Top 3%
vs85 · Top 7%
Access
96 · Top 33%
vs98 · Top 21%
Economic stability
74 · Top 23%
vs77 · Top 17%
Measured values
| Metric | 77494 | 77479 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 140,157 | 92,221 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $148,720 | $156,735 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $54,870 | $63,712 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,696/sq mi | 2,822/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $476,200 | $478,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,167 | $2,063 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 70.9% | 82.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.8% | 4.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.4% | -0.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 66.7% | 68.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 5.7% | 4.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 134 | 466 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 5.3 | 4.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 16.5% | 796.2% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 95°F | 95°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 45°F | 45°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 49.7" | 49.7" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 13 mi | 4 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 36.4 min | 33.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 38.6 | 41.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 29 | 15 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.42 | 17.06 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 72.1% | 69.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 69.9% | 71.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 27.2% | 21.0% | 2024-25 school 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
77494
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
77479
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Full profiles: 77494 — Katy, TX · 77479 — Sugar Land, TX · How this is calculated: methodology