77578 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
77578
77493
Opportunity
64 · Top 32%
vs61 · Top 37%
Growth
83 · Top 2%
vs70 · Top 15%
Climate
79 · Top 20%
vs73 · Top 38%
Physical resilience
41 · Bottom 32%
vs37 · Bottom 30%
Housing affordability
100 · Top 9%
vs98 · Top 15%
Schools
67 · Top 31%
vs70 · Top 26%
Access
94 · Top 46%
vs92 · Bottom 49%
Economic stability
75 · Top 21%
vs69 · Top 32%
Measured values
| Metric | 77578 | 77493 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 30,210 | 71,484 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $134,016 | $118,464 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $49,567 | $42,566 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 787/sq mi | 1,157/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $377,900 | $358,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,005 | $1,867 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 83.1% | 79.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.4% | 5.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.3% | -0.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 50.8% | 46.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 6.0% | 10.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 766 | 134 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 51.9 | 5.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 4.1% | 16.5% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 93°F | 95°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 46°F | 45°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 53.3" | 49.7" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 15 mi | 19 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 37.7 min | 38.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.9 | 33.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 9 | 20 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.62 | 13.89 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 43.2% | 44.5% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 49.1% | 49.2% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 48.5% | 52.6% | 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
77578
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
77493
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Full profiles: 77578 — Manvel, TX · 77493 — Katy, TX · How this is calculated: methodology