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
77905
Opportunity
47 · Bottom 33%
vs45 · Bottom 29%
Growth
27 · Bottom 13%
vs29 · Bottom 16%
Climate
81 · Top 17%
vs73 · Top 37%
Physical resilience
27 · Bottom 22%
vs30 · Bottom 23%
Housing affordability
100 · Top 9%
vs100 · Top 9%
Access
85 · Bottom 29%
vs89 · Bottom 38%
Economic stability
59 · Bottom 49%
vs48 · Bottom 30%
Measured values
| Metric | 77979 | 77905 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 16,488 | 16,599 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $77,039 | $88,585 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $41,161 | $39,368 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 48/sq mi | 39/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $156,200 | $227,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $865 | $1,103 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 75.3% | 85.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.5% | 4.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.3% | -0.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 20.0% | 17.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 9.1% | 11.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 15 | 62 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.3 | 0.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -6.3% | -66.5% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 92°F | 95°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 46°F | 44°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 43.1" | 40.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 25 mi | 12 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 21.1 min | 28.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 40.1 | 41.6 | 2024 ACS 5-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.
77905
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Full profiles: 77979 — Port Lavaca, TX · 77905 — Victoria, TX · How this is calculated: methodology