78570 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
78570
78520
Opportunity
33 · Bottom 11%
vs29 · Bottom 8%
Growth
78 · Top 6%
vs65 · Top 23%
Climate
71 · Top 44%
vs73 · Top 38%
Physical resilience
23 · Bottom 17%
vs21 · Bottom 14%
Housing affordability
89 · Top 35%
vs94 · Top 23%
Schools
17 · Bottom 6%
vs16 · Bottom 6%
Access
86 · Bottom 31%
vs84 · Bottom 28%
Economic stability
26 · Bottom 5%
vs33 · Bottom 11%
Measured values
| Metric | 78570 | 78520 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 34,348 | 64,740 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $41,965 | $50,116 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $16,217 | $21,364 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 456/sq mi | 1,628/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $86,500 | $146,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $803 | $865 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 74.2% | 60.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 7.0% | 7.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.1% | -0.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 11.4% | 23.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 36.0% | 23.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 237 | 1,352 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 14.2 | 7.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -26.2% | -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 | 16 mi | 20 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 22.0 min | 23.6 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 27.9 | 31.9 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 15 | 23 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.41 | 16.36 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 16.6% | 19.2% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 23.7% | 28.0% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 81.9% | 84.9% | 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
78570
Elevated or high exposure: cold wave, hurricane, hail.
78520
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Full profiles: 78570 — Mercedes, TX · 78520 — Brownsville, TX · How this is calculated: methodology