Sugar Land receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Sugar Land
Pasadena
Opportunity
65 · Top 32%
vs40 · Bottom 18%
Growth
69 · Top 19%
vs31 · Bottom 18%
Climate
73 · Top 38%
vs75 · Top 27%
Physical resilience
45 · Bottom 35%
vs21 · Bottom 16%
Housing affordability
98 · Top 12%
vs87 · Top 38%
Schools
80 · Top 13%
vs35 · Bottom 28%
Access
98 · Top 19%
vs97 · Top 29%
Economic stability
70 · Top 29%
vs46 · Bottom 26%
Measured values
| Metric | Sugar Land | Pasadena | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 110,016 | 149,433 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $136,217 | $64,927 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $62,018 | $29,029 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,719/sq mi | 3,420/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $430,200 | $209,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,957 | $1,213 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 80.3% | 54.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.8% | 5.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.5% | -0.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 63.0% | 16.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 5.5% | 18.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 466 | 58 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 4.2 | 0.4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 796.2% | -27.5% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 95°F | 93°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 45°F | 46°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 49.7" | 55.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 2 mi | 3 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 31.6 min | 28.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 42.8 | 33.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 36 | 45 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 16.68 | 13.48 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 58.2% | 31.7% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 61.8% | 32.2% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 41.1% | 81.7% | 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
Sugar Land
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Pasadena
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.
Sugar Land
75
Your Score
71
Area Score
Pasadena
54
Your Score
49
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Sugar Land, TX · Pasadena, TX · How this is calculated: methodology