78589 and 78516 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
78589
78516
Opportunity
36 · Bottom 15%
vs36 · Bottom 15%
Growth
63 · Top 28%
vs65 · Top 23%
Climate
69 · Bottom 46%
vs69 · Bottom 46%
Physical resilience
23 · Bottom 17%
vs23 · Bottom 17%
Housing affordability
94 · Top 23%
vs100 · Top 10%
Schools
19 · Bottom 9%
vs16 · Bottom 6%
Access
77 · Bottom 18%
vs78 · Bottom 19%
Economic stability
35 · Bottom 14%
vs23 · Bottom 4%
Measured values
| Metric | 78589 | 78516 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 40,231 | 34,370 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $54,285 | $53,229 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $19,628 | $19,701 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,579/sq mi | 909/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $120,400 | $121,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $937 | $806 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 79.3% | 75.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 8.2% | 7.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.1% | 0.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 13.8% | 14.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 24.3% | 27.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 229 | 86 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 6.3 | 4.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -36.0% | -4.4% | 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 | 32 mi | 29 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.9 min | 25.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 31.2 | 30.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 15 | 12 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.38 | 15.63 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 16.2% | 16.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 28.7% | 27.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 92.1% | 94.9% | 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
78589
Elevated or high exposure: cold wave, hurricane, hail.
78516
Elevated or high exposure: cold wave, hurricane, hail.
Full profiles: 78589 — San Juan, TX · 78516 — Alamo, TX · How this is calculated: methodology