78539 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
78539
78552
Opportunity
51 · Bottom 41%
vs36 · Bottom 15%
Growth
69 · Top 17%
vs57 · Top 38%
Climate
69 · Bottom 46%
vs71 · Top 44%
Physical resilience
23 · Bottom 17%
vs21 · Bottom 14%
Housing affordability
95 · Top 21%
vs97 · Top 16%
Schools
41 · Bottom 36%
vs43 · Bottom 40%
Access
76 · Bottom 17%
vs90 · Bottom 41%
Economic stability
40 · Bottom 20%
vs33 · Bottom 11%
Measured values
| Metric | 78539 | 78552 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 37,168 | 42,332 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $66,967 | $69,811 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $36,953 | $29,015 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,037/sq mi | 881/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $214,500 | $169,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,077 | $1,113 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 54.9% | 75.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 6.0% | 6.5% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.1% | -0.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 35.6% | 24.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 21.4% | 21.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 981 | 336 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 9.4 | 4.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -23.7% | -0.3% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 99°F | 96°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 53°F | 50°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 22.2" | 24.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 33 mi | 6 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 21.5 min | 21.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 35.2 | 33.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 34 | 8 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.94 | 14.85 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 25.6% | 33.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 40.6% | 35.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 78.5% | 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
78539
Elevated or high exposure: cold wave, hurricane, hail.
78552
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Full profiles: 78539 — Edinburg, TX · 78552 — Harlingen, TX · How this is calculated: methodology