78521 and 78550 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
78521
78550
Opportunity
25 · Bottom 5%
vs28 · Bottom 7%
Growth
65 · Top 23%
vs57 · Top 38%
Climate
73 · Top 38%
vs71 · Top 44%
Physical resilience
21 · Bottom 14%
vs21 · Bottom 14%
Housing affordability
86 · Top 40%
vs91 · Top 31%
Schools
31 · Bottom 23%
vs34 · Bottom 28%
Access
79 · Bottom 20%
vs90 · Bottom 41%
Economic stability
33 · Bottom 11%
vs31 · Bottom 9%
Measured values
| Metric | 78521 | 78550 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 87,380 | 53,335 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $44,509 | $49,007 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $19,594 | $25,915 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 933/sq mi | 566/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $99,700 | $131,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $889 | $900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 60.3% | 50.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 7.7% | 6.5% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.8% | -0.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16.7% | 22.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 30.2% | 24.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 1,352 | 336 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 7.1 | 4.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -2.0% | -0.3% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 95°F | 96°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 53°F | 50°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 26.8" | 24.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 29 mi | 2 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 24.0 min | 19.6 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 31.3 | 33.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 38 | 25 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.31 | 14.59 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 25.4% | 25.5% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 32.9% | 34.5% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 91.7% | 78.8% | 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
78521
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
78550
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Full profiles: 78521 — Brownsville, TX · 78550 — Harlingen, TX · How this is calculated: methodology