Live Oak receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
DeSoto
Live Oak
Opportunity
50 · Bottom 37%
vs54 · Bottom 46%
Growth
50 · Top 50%
vs54 · Top 43%
Climate
68 · Bottom 41%
vs72 · Top 42%
Physical resilience
52 · Bottom 45%
vs46 · Bottom 36%
Housing affordability
76 · Bottom 43%
vs84 · Top 45%
Access
95 · Top 36%
vs97 · Top 29%
Economic stability
71 · Top 27%
vs76 · Top 15%
Measured values
| Metric | DeSoto | Live Oak | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 56,211 | 15,984 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $82,782 | $79,696 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $39,003 | $41,485 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,598/sq mi | 3,360/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $319,400 | $246,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,666 | $1,634 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 69.6% | 57.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 6.3% | 4.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.4% | -1.0% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 30.1% | 32.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 7.6% | 5.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 137 | 44 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.4 | 2.8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -19.9% | -17.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 96°F | 96°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 38°F | 41°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 17 mi | 8 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 33.5 min | 22.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 41.9 | 35.7 | 2024 ACS 5-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
DeSoto
Elevated or high exposure: hail, tornado.
Live Oak
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
Full profiles: DeSoto, TX · Live Oak, TX · How this is calculated: methodology