79915 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
79915
78040
Opportunity
41 · Bottom 22%
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
71 · Bottom 36%
vs70 · Bottom 35%
Schools
41 · Bottom 36%
vs21 · Bottom 11%
Access
89 · Bottom 38%
vs90 · Bottom 41%
Economic stability
25 · Bottom 5%
vs23 · Bottom 4%
Measured values
| Metric | 79915 | 78040 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 34,230 | 35,709 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $35,432 | $36,092 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $18,992 | $17,498 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,845/sq mi | 5,664/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $123,200 | $118,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $841 | $895 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 61.4% | 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 | 13.4% | 8.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 32.6% | 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 | 22 mi | 3 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 21.6 min | 21.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 41.4 | 30.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 14 | 13 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.44 | 14.31 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 28.0% | 19.2% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 36.9% | 27.3% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 87.8% | 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
79915
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
78040
No hazard reaches elevated exposure.
Full profiles: 79915 — El Paso, TX · 78040 — Laredo, TX · How this is calculated: methodology