78526 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
78552
78526
Opportunity
36 · Bottom 15%
vs39 · Bottom 19%
Growth
57 · Top 38%
vs65 · Top 23%
Climate
71 · Top 44%
vs73 · Top 38%
Physical resilience
21 · Bottom 14%
vs21 · Bottom 14%
Housing affordability
97 · Top 16%
vs99 · Top 12%
Schools
43 · Bottom 40%
vs52 · Top 50%
Access
90 · Bottom 41%
vs84 · Bottom 27%
Economic stability
33 · Bottom 11%
vs50 · Bottom 33%
Measured values
| Metric | 78552 | 78526 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 42,332 | 60,012 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $69,811 | $70,565 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $29,015 | $26,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 881/sq mi | 1,266/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $169,300 | $185,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,113 | $1,095 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 75.3% | 69.2% | 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 | 24.0% | 33.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 21.6% | 16.9% | 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 | 6 mi | 20 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 21.2 min | 22.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 33.4 | 29.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 8 | 13 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.85 | 16.62 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 33.1% | 35.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 35.9% | 46.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 73.4% | 80.1% | 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
78552
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
78526
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Full profiles: 78552 — Harlingen, TX · 78526 — Brownsville, TX · How this is calculated: methodology