Alton and San Juan 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
Alton
San Juan
Opportunity
39 · Bottom 16%
vs41 · Bottom 18%
Growth
74 · Top 12%
vs63 · Top 27%
Climate
69 · Bottom 44%
vs69 · Bottom 44%
Physical resilience
23 · Bottom 18%
vs23 · Bottom 18%
Housing affordability
87 · Top 38%
vs95 · Top 21%
Schools
17 · Bottom 7%
vs18 · Bottom 8%
Access
71 · Bottom 13%
vs77 · Bottom 19%
Economic stability
37 · Bottom 13%
vs39 · Bottom 16%
Measured values
| Metric | Alton | San Juan | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 20,214 | 36,149 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $52,715 | $56,562 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $18,575 | $20,047 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,661/sq mi | 2,984/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $156,300 | $126,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,038 | $961 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 55.0% | 79.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 7.0% | 8.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.1% | 0.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 14.2% | 14.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 27.5% | 22.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 293 | 229 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 14.5 | 6.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -1.7% | -36.0% | 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 | 41 mi | 31 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 25.8 min | 23.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 26.1 | 30.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 10 | 15 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.54 | 14.38 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 14.8% | 16.2% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 28.8% | 28.7% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 91.9% | 92.1% | 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
Alton
Elevated or high exposure: cold wave, hurricane, hail.
San Juan
Elevated or high exposure: cold wave, hurricane, hail.
Full profiles: Alton, TX · San Juan, TX · How this is calculated: methodology