78573 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
78577
78573
Opportunity
37 · Bottom 17%
vs38 · Bottom 18%
Growth
56 · Top 39%
vs74 · Top 10%
Climate
69 · Bottom 46%
vs69 · Bottom 46%
Physical resilience
23 · Bottom 17%
vs23 · Bottom 17%
Housing affordability
87 · Top 38%
vs91 · Top 30%
Schools
20 · Bottom 11%
vs18 · Bottom 8%
Access
75 · Bottom 17%
vs71 · Bottom 13%
Economic stability
34 · Bottom 13%
vs38 · Bottom 17%
Measured values
| Metric | 78577 | 78573 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 80,540 | 44,809 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $52,770 | $55,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $21,281 | $22,859 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,097/sq mi | 1,222/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $122,100 | $163,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,034 | $1,005 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 59.0% | 66.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 7.2% | 7.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.1% | 0.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 18.8% | 16.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 27.6% | 21.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 228 | 293 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.8 | 14.5 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 15.7% | -1.7% | 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 | 34 mi | 40 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 22.5 min | 25.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 29.7 | 28.8 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 35 | 10 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.57 | 14.54 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 18.9% | 14.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 30.8% | 28.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 92.1% | 91.9% | 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
78577
Elevated or high exposure: cold wave, hurricane, hail.
78573
Elevated or high exposure: cold wave, hurricane, hail.
Full profiles: 78577 — Pharr, TX · 78573 — Alton, TX · How this is calculated: methodology