78550 and 78521 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
78550
78521
Opportunity
28 · Bottom 7%
vs25 · Bottom 5%
Growth
57 · Top 38%
vs65 · Top 23%
Climate
71 · Top 44%
vs73 · Top 38%
Physical resilience
21 · Bottom 14%
vs21 · Bottom 14%
Housing affordability
91 · Top 31%
vs86 · Top 40%
Schools
34 · Bottom 28%
vs31 · Bottom 23%
Access
90 · Bottom 41%
vs79 · Bottom 20%
Economic stability
31 · Bottom 9%
vs33 · Bottom 11%
Measured values
| Metric | 78550 | 78521 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 53,335 | 87,380 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $49,007 | $44,509 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $25,915 | $19,594 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 566/sq mi | 933/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $131,100 | $99,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $900 | $889 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 50.5% | 60.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 6.5% | 7.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.8% | -0.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22.0% | 16.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 24.4% | 30.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 336 | 1,352 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 4.7 | 7.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -0.3% | -2.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 96°F | 95°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 50°F | 53°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 24.0" | 26.8" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 2 mi | 29 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 19.6 min | 24.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 33.6 | 31.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 25 | 38 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.59 | 15.31 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 25.5% | 25.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 34.5% | 32.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 78.8% | 91.7% | 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
78550
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
78521
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Full profiles: 78550 — Harlingen, TX · 78521 — Brownsville, TX · How this is calculated: methodology