78516 and 78520 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
78516
78520
Opportunity
36 · Bottom 15%
vs29 · Bottom 8%
Growth
65 · Top 23%
vs65 · Top 23%
Climate
69 · Bottom 46%
vs73 · Top 38%
Physical resilience
23 · Bottom 17%
vs21 · Bottom 14%
Housing affordability
100 · Top 10%
vs94 · Top 23%
Schools
16 · Bottom 6%
vs16 · Bottom 6%
Access
78 · Bottom 19%
vs84 · Bottom 28%
Economic stability
23 · Bottom 4%
vs33 · Bottom 11%
Measured values
| Metric | 78516 | 78520 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 34,370 | 64,740 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $53,229 | $50,116 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $19,701 | $21,364 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 909/sq mi | 1,628/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $121,200 | $146,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $806 | $865 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 75.5% | 60.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 7.0% | 7.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.1% | -0.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 14.4% | 23.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 27.6% | 23.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 86 | 1,352 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 4.2 | 7.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -4.4% | -2.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 99°F | 95°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 53°F | 53°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 22.2" | 26.8" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 29 mi | 20 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 25.5 min | 23.6 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 30.1 | 31.9 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 12 | 23 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.63 | 16.36 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 16.8% | 19.2% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 27.4% | 28.0% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 94.9% | 84.9% | 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
78516
Elevated or high exposure: cold wave, hurricane, hail.
78520
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Full profiles: 78516 — Alamo, TX · 78520 — Brownsville, TX · How this is calculated: methodology