77642 and 78537 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
77642
78537
Opportunity
29 · Bottom 8%
vs32 · Bottom 11%
Growth
29 · Bottom 15%
vs42 · Bottom 37%
Climate
76 · Top 28%
vs69 · Bottom 46%
Physical resilience
36 · Bottom 28%
vs23 · Bottom 17%
Housing affordability
81 · Top 50%
vs90 · Top 33%
Schools
18 · Bottom 8%
vs14 · Bottom 4%
Access
73 · Bottom 14%
vs81 · Bottom 22%
Economic stability
23 · Bottom 4%
vs24 · Bottom 4%
Measured values
| Metric | 77642 | 78537 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 38,358 | 51,426 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $42,950 | $40,668 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $24,940 | $15,590 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,945/sq mi | 893/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $104,700 | $81,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $948 | $763 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 53.0% | 74.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 9.6% | 7.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.6% | 0.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 11.6% | 10.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 31.8% | 37.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 21 | 34 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.4 | 2.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -46.2% | -43.3% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 93°F | 99°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 44°F | 53°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 62.1" | 22.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 48 mi | 25 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 27.2 min | 25.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 32.3 | 26.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 14 | 21 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.13 | 14.98 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 19.5% | 14.3% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 25.8% | 23.0% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 86.3% | 93.0% | 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
77642
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
78537
Elevated or high exposure: cold wave, hurricane, hail.
Full profiles: 77642 — Port Arthur, TX · 78537 — Donna, TX · How this is calculated: methodology