Mission receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Mission
Pharr
Opportunity
48 · Bottom 32%
vs40 · Bottom 18%
Growth
67 · Top 20%
vs58 · Top 35%
Climate
69 · Bottom 44%
vs69 · Bottom 44%
Physical resilience
23 · Bottom 18%
vs23 · Bottom 18%
Housing affordability
98 · Top 12%
vs87 · Top 38%
Schools
29 · Bottom 21%
vs18 · Bottom 9%
Access
70 · Bottom 13%
vs75 · Bottom 17%
Economic stability
33 · Bottom 10%
vs35 · Bottom 12%
Measured values
| Metric | Mission | Pharr | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 87,038 | 80,333 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $60,767 | $52,814 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $28,304 | $21,195 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,396/sq mi | 3,324/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $175,700 | $121,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $950 | $1,037 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 71.4% | 59.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 6.3% | 7.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.1% | 0.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 29.4% | 18.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 19.4% | 27.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 640 | 228 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 7.4 | 2.8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -19.8% | 15.7% | 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 | 42 mi | 34 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 22.1 min | 22.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 34.9 | 29.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 43 | 35 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.35 | 15.57 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 25.3% | 18.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 35.1% | 30.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 82.9% | 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
Mission
Elevated or high exposure: cold wave, hurricane, hail.
Pharr
Elevated or high exposure: cold wave, hurricane, hail.
Full profiles: Mission, TX · Pharr, TX · How this is calculated: methodology