Pasadena and Baytown 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
Pasadena
Baytown
Opportunity
40 · Bottom 18%
vs37 · Bottom 13%
Growth
31 · Bottom 18%
vs44 · Bottom 39%
Climate
75 · Top 27%
vs75 · Top 27%
Physical resilience
21 · Bottom 16%
vs25 · Bottom 21%
Housing affordability
87 · Top 38%
vs78 · Bottom 46%
Schools
35 · Bottom 28%
vs44 · Bottom 40%
Access
97 · Top 29%
vs93 · Top 45%
Economic stability
46 · Bottom 26%
vs47 · Bottom 28%
Measured values
| Metric | Pasadena | Baytown | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 149,433 | 85,205 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $64,927 | $59,910 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $29,029 | $29,957 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,420/sq mi | 2,104/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $209,600 | $197,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,213 | $1,307 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 54.5% | 52.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.9% | 7.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.5% | -0.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16.2% | 14.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 18.9% | 18.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 58 | 138 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.4 | 1.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -27.5% | -76.4% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 93°F | 93°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 46°F | 46°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 55.6" | 55.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 3 mi | 16 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 28.9 min | 27.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 33.0 | 34.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 45 | 29 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 13.48 | 15.92 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 31.7% | 38.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 32.2% | 36.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 81.7% | 73.8% | 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
Pasadena
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, inland flooding.
Baytown
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, inland flooding.
Full profiles: Pasadena, TX · Baytown, TX · How this is calculated: methodology