78596 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
78596
78572
Opportunity
41 · Bottom 22%
vs42 · Bottom 24%
Growth
85 · Top 2%
vs67 · Top 19%
Climate
69 · Bottom 46%
vs69 · Bottom 46%
Physical resilience
23 · Bottom 17%
vs23 · Bottom 17%
Housing affordability
97 · Top 16%
vs96 · Top 19%
Schools
30 · Bottom 23%
vs33 · Bottom 26%
Access
82 · Bottom 24%
vs69 · Bottom 11%
Economic stability
25 · Bottom 5%
vs21 · Bottom 3%
Measured values
| Metric | 78596 | 78572 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 39,518 | 78,024 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $58,411 | $54,298 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $24,540 | $25,886 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 983/sq mi | 1,454/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $104,000 | $147,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $936 | $902 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 64.0% | 71.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 7.9% | 6.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.1% | 0.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 21.2% | 25.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 22.1% | 22.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 685 | 640 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 16.2 | 7.4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 42.7% | -19.8% | 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 | 23 mi | 44 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 22.1 min | 22.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 31.7 | 37.8 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 21 | 43 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 19.27 | 15.35 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 27.5% | 25.3% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 36.8% | 35.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 81.8% | 82.9% | 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
78596
Elevated or high exposure: cold wave, hurricane, hail.
78572
Elevated or high exposure: cold wave, hurricane, hail.
Full profiles: 78596 — Weslaco, TX · 78572 — Mission, TX · How this is calculated: methodology