78526 and 78539 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
78526
78539
Opportunity
39 · Bottom 19%
vs51 · Bottom 41%
Growth
65 · Top 23%
vs69 · Top 17%
Climate
73 · Top 38%
vs69 · Bottom 46%
Physical resilience
21 · Bottom 14%
vs23 · Bottom 17%
Housing affordability
99 · Top 12%
vs95 · Top 21%
Schools
52 · Top 50%
vs41 · Bottom 36%
Access
84 · Bottom 27%
vs76 · Bottom 17%
Economic stability
50 · Bottom 33%
vs40 · Bottom 20%
Measured values
| Metric | 78526 | 78539 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 60,012 | 37,168 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $70,565 | $66,967 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $26,600 | $36,953 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,266/sq mi | 3,037/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $185,000 | $214,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,095 | $1,077 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 69.2% | 54.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 7.7% | 6.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.8% | 0.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 33.9% | 35.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 16.9% | 21.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 1,352 | 981 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 7.1 | 9.4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -2.0% | -23.7% | 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 | 33 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 22.8 min | 21.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 29.7 | 35.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 13 | 34 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 16.62 | 14.94 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 35.4% | 25.6% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 46.4% | 40.6% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 80.1% | 78.5% | 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
78526
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
78539
Elevated or high exposure: cold wave, hurricane, hail.
Full profiles: 78526 — Brownsville, TX · 78539 — Edinburg, TX · How this is calculated: methodology