Galveston receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Baytown
Galveston
Opportunity
37 · Bottom 13%
vs50 · Bottom 37%
Growth
44 · Bottom 39%
vs56 · Top 40%
Climate
75 · Top 27%
vs81 · Top 16%
Physical resilience
25 · Bottom 21%
vs60 · Top 49%
Housing affordability
78 · Bottom 46%
vs50 · Bottom 10%
Schools
44 · Bottom 40%
vs22 · Bottom 14%
Access
93 · Top 45%
vs83 · Bottom 27%
Economic stability
47 · Bottom 28%
vs25 · Bottom 3%
Measured values
| Metric | Baytown | Galveston | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 85,205 | 53,424 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $59,910 | $55,631 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $29,957 | $40,926 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,104/sq mi | 1,302/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $197,300 | $326,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,307 | $1,298 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 52.3% | 46.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 7.7% | 4.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.5% | -0.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 14.8% | 36.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 18.2% | 21.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 138 | 244 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.6 | 4.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -76.4% | -12.5% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 93°F | 91°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 46°F | 49°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 55.6" | 47.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 16 mi | 31 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 27.5 min | 22.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 34.0 | 41.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 29 | 10 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.92 | 15.08 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 38.9% | 25.0% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 36.4% | 28.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 73.8% | 75.8% | 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
Baytown
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, inland flooding.
Galveston
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Full profiles: Baytown, TX · Galveston, TX · How this is calculated: methodology