77701 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
77642
77701
Opportunity
29 · Bottom 8%
vs32 · Bottom 11%
Growth
29 · Bottom 15%
vs29 · Bottom 16%
Climate
76 · Top 28%
vs76 · Top 28%
Physical resilience
36 · Bottom 28%
vs36 · Bottom 28%
Housing affordability
81 · Top 50%
vs86 · Top 39%
Schools
18 · Bottom 8%
vs22 · Bottom 12%
Access
73 · Bottom 14%
vs67 · Bottom 10%
Economic stability
23 · Bottom 4%
vs24 · Bottom 4%
Measured values
| Metric | 77642 | 77701 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 38,358 | 12,381 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $42,950 | $49,181 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $24,940 | $23,176 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,945/sq mi | 1,807/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $104,700 | $84,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $948 | $981 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 53.0% | 53.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 9.6% | 5.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.6% | -0.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 11.6% | 7.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 31.8% | 25.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 21 | 105 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.4 | 0.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -46.2% | -48.5% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 93°F | 93°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 44°F | 44°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 62.1" | 62.1" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 48 mi | 58 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 27.2 min | 23.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 32.3 | 35.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 14 | 8 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.13 | 13.29 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 19.5% | 18.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 25.8% | 24.5% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 86.3% | 93.2% | 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
77642
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
77701
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Full profiles: 77642 — Port Arthur, TX · 77701 — Beaumont, TX · How this is calculated: methodology