Hobbs vs Channelview

Which is the better fit for you?

Hobbs, NM
48
Area Score
Bottom 13% nationally
Channelview, TX
52
Area Score
Bottom 25% nationally

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Channelview receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.

If you are moving

What the difference in prices, rent, homes and weather comes to, using the published figures for the two places. Add your income to see what it would take to keep pace.

Moving from Hobbs to Channelview

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Everyday prices
The Bureau of Economic Analysis publishes no regional price index for Hobbs, so nothing here is estimated in its place.
Income to keep the same purchasing power
Needs a price index for both places.
A new two-bedroom lease
−$84 a month
HUD benchmarks it at $1,240 in Channelview against $1,324 in Hobbs.
The median home
2% more
$195,900 in Channelview against $191,300 in Hobbs.
The weather you would swap
Winters 16°F milder
Normal January lows are 46°F in Channelview against 30°F in Hobbs; July highs are 93°F against 94°F (summers 1°F cooler).

These are differences between published figures, not a forecast of your budget. Income and sales taxes, commuting, schools, insurance and the job you would actually get are not in them, and a price index describes a metropolitan area, so two places in one metro read the same. HUD’s rent is a benchmark for a new lease, not a listing.

Signals

Hobbs
Channelview
Opportunity: Channelview is the more favorable of the two.
Opportunity
41 · Bottom 19%
vs
47 · Bottom 31%
Growth: Channelview is the more favorable of the two.
Growth
58 · Top 34%
vs
62 · Top 26%
Climate: Channelview is the more favorable of the two.
Climate
66 · Bottom 37%
vs
75 · Top 27%
Physical resilience: Channelview is the more favorable of the two.
Physical resilience
9 · Bottom 4%
vs
21 · Bottom 15%
Housing affordability: Hobbs is the more favorable of the two.
Housing affordability
75 · Top 25%
vs
74 · Top 28%
Schools: Hobbs is the more favorable of the two.
Schools
40 · Bottom 37%
vs
31 · Bottom 26%
Access: Hobbs is the more favorable of the two.
Access
97 · Top 31%
vs
95 · Top 39%
Economic stability: Channelview is the more favorable of the two.
Economic stability
29 · Bottom 9%
vs
34 · Bottom 14%

Measured values

MetricHobbsChannelviewSource period
Population40,25243,6052024 ACS 5-Year
Median household income — the two are too close to separate$64,021 ±$6,762$64,422 ±$6,6652024 ACS 5-Year
Per capita income$32,862 — more favorable$25,1932024 ACS 5-Year
Population density1,524/sq mi3,026/sq mi2024 ACS 5-Year
Median home value$191,300$195,9002024 ACS 5-Year
Median gross rent$1,112 — more favorable$1,2792024 ACS 5-Year
Market rent, two bedroom$1,324$1,240 — more favorableFY2026
Homeownership rate66.0%72.2%2024 ACS 5-Year
Unemployment rate4.8% — more favorable5.2%July 2026
Employment change (year over year)−2.2%+0.1% — more favorableJuly 2026
Bachelor's degree or higher — the two are too close to separate17.3% ±2%15.2% ±3%2024 ACS 5-Year
Poverty rate — the two are too close to separate19.1% ±4%20.7% ±8%2024 ACS 5-Year
Housing units permitted (12 months)13328,55712 months ending July 2026
Permits per 1,000 residents3.35.9 — more favorable12 months ending July 2026
Permit change (year over year)+14.7%−9.5%12 months ending July 2026
Average July high94°F93°F1991-2020 Normals
Average January low30°F46°F1991-2020 Normals
Annual precipitation13.8"55.6"1991-2020 Normals
Distance to major airport4 mi — more favorable13 miNASR current cycle
Average commute23.7 min — more favorable31.6 min2024 ACS 5-Year
Median age32.530.92024 ACS 5-Year
Public schools1992024-25 school year
Students per teacher16.916.0 — more favorable2024-25 school year
Math proficiency19.8%46.5%2018-19 school year
Reading proficiency32.0%38.3%2018-19 school year
Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility64.5%90.3%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.

3 rows above show both figures with a ± margin and neither in bold. Those come from the American Community Survey, which samples rather than counts, and the gap between the two is smaller than the uncertainty on the figures themselves — so the survey did not find a difference to report, and calling either one the winner would be reading a result out of noise.

The number of units permitted is not marked because the larger place always permits more; the per-resident rate is the fair comparison. The year-over-year change is not marked either: a percentage on fewer than 300 units swings on a handful of permits.

New Mexico and Texas do not give the same test. Each state writes its own assessment and sets its own passing score, so the two proficiency rows above are not directly comparable — the difference between them partly measures which standard is harder. Students per teacher and the school count are unaffected, and each profile ranks its own proficiency within its own state.

Physical risk tradeoff

Hobbs

Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, hail, inland flooding.

Channelview

Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, inland flooding.

Your best match

Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.

Hobbs
—
Hobbs: Your Score
48
Area Score
Channelview
—
Channelview: Your Score
52
Area Score

Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.

Full profiles: Hobbs, NM · Channelview, TX · How this is calculated: methodology