78580 and 79072 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
78580
79072
Opportunity
8 · Bottom 1%
vs27 · Bottom 6%
Growth
19 · Bottom 6%
vs24 · Bottom 10%
Climate
70 · Bottom 49%
vs69 · Bottom 47%
Physical resilience
29 · Bottom 23%
vs17 · Bottom 11%
Housing affordability
98 · Top 14%
vs92 · Top 28%
Access
84 · Bottom 27%
vs78 · Bottom 19%
Economic stability
24 · Bottom 4%
vs27 · Bottom 6%
Measured values
| Metric | 78580 | 79072 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 12,964 | 25,389 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $53,841 | $47,255 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $24,312 | $24,793 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 50/sq mi | 64/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $71,700 | $114,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $844 | $846 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 69.3% | 56.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 7.6% | 5.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -4.1% | -0.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 12.0% | 14.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 25.9% | 23.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 2 | 1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.2 | 0.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 0.0% | 0.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 98°F | 91°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 49°F | 24°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 23.6" | 18.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 20 mi | 35 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 17.6 min | 20.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 32.3 | 32.9 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 5 | 10 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.02 | 14.07 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 86.7% | 76.6% | 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
78580
Elevated or high exposure: cold wave, hurricane, drought.
79072
Elevated or high exposure: hail, strong wind.
Full profiles: 78580 — Raymondville, TX · 79072 — Plainview, TX · How this is calculated: methodology