78577 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
78537
78577
Opportunity
32 · Bottom 11%
vs37 · Bottom 17%
Growth
42 · Bottom 37%
vs56 · Top 39%
Climate
69 · Bottom 46%
vs69 · Bottom 46%
Physical resilience
23 · Bottom 17%
vs23 · Bottom 17%
Housing affordability
90 · Top 33%
vs87 · Top 38%
Schools
14 · Bottom 4%
vs20 · Bottom 11%
Access
81 · Bottom 22%
vs75 · Bottom 17%
Economic stability
24 · Bottom 4%
vs34 · Bottom 13%
Measured values
| Metric | 78537 | 78577 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 51,426 | 80,540 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $40,668 | $52,770 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $15,590 | $21,281 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 893/sq mi | 3,097/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $81,900 | $122,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $763 | $1,034 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 74.2% | 59.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 7.0% | 7.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.1% | 0.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 10.4% | 18.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 37.0% | 27.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 34 | 228 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.0 | 2.8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -43.3% | 15.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 99°F | 99°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 53°F | 53°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 22.2" | 22.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 25 mi | 34 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 25.9 min | 22.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 26.6 | 29.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 21 | 35 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.98 | 15.57 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 14.3% | 18.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 23.0% | 30.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 93.0% | 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
78537
Elevated or high exposure: cold wave, hurricane, hail.
78577
Elevated or high exposure: cold wave, hurricane, hail.
Full profiles: 78537 — Donna, TX · 78577 — Pharr, TX · How this is calculated: methodology