78520 and 78577 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
78520
78577
Opportunity
29 · Bottom 8%
vs37 · Bottom 17%
Growth
65 · Top 23%
vs56 · Top 39%
Climate
73 · Top 38%
vs69 · Bottom 46%
Physical resilience
21 · Bottom 14%
vs23 · Bottom 17%
Housing affordability
94 · Top 23%
vs87 · Top 38%
Schools
16 · Bottom 6%
vs20 · Bottom 11%
Access
84 · Bottom 28%
vs75 · Bottom 17%
Economic stability
33 · Bottom 11%
vs34 · Bottom 13%
Measured values
| Metric | 78520 | 78577 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 64,740 | 80,540 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $50,116 | $52,770 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $21,364 | $21,281 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,628/sq mi | 3,097/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $146,000 | $122,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $865 | $1,034 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 60.2% | 59.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 7.7% | 7.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.8% | 0.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 23.9% | 18.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 23.2% | 27.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 1,352 | 228 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 7.1 | 2.8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -2.0% | 15.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 95°F | 99°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 53°F | 53°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 26.8" | 22.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 20 mi | 34 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.6 min | 22.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 31.9 | 29.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 23 | 35 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 16.36 | 15.57 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 19.2% | 18.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 28.0% | 30.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 84.9% | 92.1% | 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
78520
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
78577
Elevated or high exposure: cold wave, hurricane, hail.
Full profiles: 78520 — Brownsville, TX · 78577 — Pharr, TX · How this is calculated: methodology