79904 and 78040 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
79904
78040
Opportunity
42 · Bottom 24%
vs35 · Bottom 14%
Growth
50 · Bottom 49%
vs58 · Top 37%
Climate
64 · Bottom 33%
vs67 · Bottom 40%
Physical resilience
66 · Top 41%
vs70 · Top 35%
Housing affordability
74 · Bottom 40%
vs70 · Bottom 35%
Schools
18 · Bottom 8%
vs21 · Bottom 11%
Access
94 · Top 45%
vs90 · Bottom 41%
Economic stability
34 · Bottom 13%
vs23 · Bottom 4%
Measured values
| Metric | 79904 | 78040 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 32,976 | 35,709 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $41,841 | $36,092 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $22,742 | $17,498 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,759/sq mi | 5,664/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $127,100 | $118,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,022 | $895 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 44.2% | 37.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.8% | 5.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.4% | -0.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 14.3% | 8.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 22.8% | 34.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 1,624 | 1,142 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.4 | 4.4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -11.8% | -21.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 96°F | 100°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 35°F | 47°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 8.8" | 21.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 14 mi | 3 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.1 min | 21.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 33.1 | 30.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 9 | 13 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.14 | 14.31 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 16.6% | 19.2% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 28.4% | 27.3% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 79.4% | 98.7% | 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
79904
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
78040
No hazard reaches elevated exposure.
Full profiles: 79904 — El Paso, TX · 78040 — Laredo, TX · How this is calculated: methodology