78526 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
78526
78552
Opportunity
39 · Bottom 19%
vs36 · Bottom 15%
Growth
65 · Top 23%
vs57 · Top 38%
Climate
73 · Top 38%
vs71 · Top 44%
Physical resilience
21 · Bottom 14%
vs21 · Bottom 14%
Housing affordability
99 · Top 12%
vs97 · Top 16%
Schools
52 · Top 50%
vs43 · Bottom 40%
Access
84 · Bottom 27%
vs90 · Bottom 41%
Economic stability
50 · Bottom 33%
vs33 · Bottom 11%
Measured values
| Metric | 78526 | 78552 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 60,012 | 42,332 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $70,565 | $69,811 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $26,600 | $29,015 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,266/sq mi | 881/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $185,000 | $169,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,095 | $1,113 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 69.2% | 75.3% | 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 | 33.9% | 24.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 16.9% | 21.6% | 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 | 20 mi | 6 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 22.8 min | 21.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 29.7 | 33.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 13 | 8 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 16.62 | 14.85 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 35.4% | 33.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 46.4% | 35.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 80.1% | 73.4% | 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.
78552
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Full profiles: 78526 — Brownsville, TX · 78552 — Harlingen, TX · How this is calculated: methodology