77979 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
77979
77437
Opportunity
47 · Bottom 33%
vs34 · Bottom 12%
Growth
27 · Bottom 13%
vs29 · Bottom 15%
Climate
81 · Top 17%
vs72 · Top 39%
Physical resilience
27 · Bottom 22%
vs25 · Bottom 21%
Housing affordability
100 · Top 9%
vs100 · Top 9%
Schools
72 · Top 24%
vs56 · Top 44%
Access
85 · Bottom 29%
vs75 · Bottom 16%
Economic stability
59 · Bottom 49%
vs45 · Bottom 26%
Measured values
| Metric | 77979 | 77437 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 16,488 | 18,238 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $77,039 | $72,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $41,161 | $32,271 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 48/sq mi | 52/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $156,200 | $184,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $865 | $1,042 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 75.3% | 69.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.5% | 5.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.3% | -1.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 20.0% | 18.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 9.1% | 17.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 15 | 32 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.3 | 2.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -6.3% | -51.5% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 92°F | 95°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 46°F | 42°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 43.1" | 49.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 25 mi | 46 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 21.1 min | 23.6 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 40.1 | 36.9 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 5 | 5 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.39 | 16.07 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 52.0% | 45.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 48.1% | 38.7% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 65.5% | 72.5% | 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
77979
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, drought.
77437
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Full profiles: 77979 — Port Lavaca, TX · 77437 — El Campo, TX · How this is calculated: methodology