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
78573
Opportunity
41 · Bottom 22%
vs38 · Bottom 18%
Growth
85 · Top 2%
vs74 · Top 10%
Climate
69 · Bottom 46%
vs69 · Bottom 46%
Physical resilience
23 · Bottom 17%
vs23 · Bottom 17%
Housing affordability
97 · Top 16%
vs91 · Top 30%
Schools
30 · Bottom 23%
vs18 · Bottom 8%
Access
82 · Bottom 24%
vs71 · Bottom 13%
Economic stability
25 · Bottom 5%
vs38 · Bottom 17%
Measured values
| Metric | 78596 | 78573 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 39,518 | 44,809 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $58,411 | $55,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $24,540 | $22,859 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 983/sq mi | 1,222/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $104,000 | $163,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $936 | $1,005 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 64.0% | 66.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 7.9% | 7.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.1% | 0.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 21.2% | 16.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 22.1% | 21.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 685 | 293 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 16.2 | 14.5 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 42.7% | -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 | 23 mi | 40 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 22.1 min | 25.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 31.7 | 28.8 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 21 | 10 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 19.27 | 14.54 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 27.5% | 14.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 36.8% | 28.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 81.8% | 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
78596
Elevated or high exposure: cold wave, hurricane, hail.
78573
Elevated or high exposure: cold wave, hurricane, hail.
Full profiles: 78596 — Weslaco, TX · 78573 — Alton, TX · How this is calculated: methodology