Best Places77861, TX Best Neighborhoods
2026–2027 edition · Data updated July 2026
Every neighborhood inside ZIP code 77861, scored on 40 measures of daily life and ranked to fit what matters to you. This page is for people who live here or already know they want to. To work out which city fits you best, start with the best places to live tool.
77861 ranks 13,633rd of 33,110 U.S. zip codes on the BestNeighborhood index. It scores highest on a strong job market by a wide margin, and long commutes are the weak spot.
The best neighborhoods in 77861
BestNeighborhood is the only ranking that scores 40 measures of daily life neighborhood by neighborhood and lets you re-weight every one of them yourself.
77861's strengths and weaknesses
Where 77861 ranks high
- Local economyBetter than 99% of zip codes
- Crime safetyBetter than 93% of zip codes
- Low income/sales/gas taxBetter than 91% of zip codes
- State fiscal healthBetter than 82% of zip codes
- Internet speedBetter than 80% of zip codes
Where 77861 ranks low
- Short commute37.2 minutes each way, better than only 7% of zip codes
- Heat safetyBetter than only 11% of zip codes
- WalkabilityBetter than only 17% of zip codes
- BikingBetter than only 18% of zip codes
- Low vacancyBetter than only 24% of zip codes
What it costs to buy a home in 77861
A household needs to earn about $61,000 a year to comfortably buy the median 77861 home, at 20% down and today's 30-year rate. That is below the area's own median income of $71,653, so a typical household can afford the median home outright.
Where the monthly payment goes
Assumes a 20% down payment, a 6.6% 30-year fixed rate, and a 28% share of income going to the payment. The rate is the 2026-07-23 30-year fixed average, series MORTGAGE30US from the St. Louis Fed, which publishes Freddie Mac's weekly survey. Against the median home value, property tax uses 77861's effective rate of 0.85%, and insurance is estimated at 0.4% of home value a year.
Renting versus buying
At today's prices, buying tends to cost more than renting for about the first 6 years, then pulls ahead as rent keeps rising and the mortgage builds equity. The chart tracks the running cost of each.
Who lives in 77861
77861's age mix sits close to the national median, and households here run smaller than average.
Residents by age
Racial and ethnic makeup has its own map. See the race and diversity map for 77861.
Who works in 77861, and how
Work in 77861 centers on health care & social and construction. Unemployment is low, and jobs are growing.
Largest industries
How people get to work
- Drive or carpool 89%
- Work from home 8%
- Transit, walk, or bike 3%
Life in 77861
The map and measures below break down dining, culture, and green space by neighborhood across 77861.
What the weather is like in 77861, month by month
77861 sees roughly 108 pleasant days a year. July highs average about 96 degrees. January highs sit near 63, with lows near 43. The comfortable stretch runs February through April and October through December.
Show the monthly temperatures
| Month | Avg high | Avg | Avg low |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 63° | 52° | 43° |
| April | 81° | 69° | 60° |
| July | 96° | 85° | 76° |
| October | 85° | 72° | 62° |
Flying in and out of 77861
The nearest airport, Easterwood Field, is about 17 miles away and is a small airport. The nearest major hub is George Bush Intcntl/Houston, about 67 miles away.
The best schools in and around 77861
Schools across 77861 average a B, better than 68% of zip codes.
Top elementary schools
- Iola ElB · 47% proficient
- Madisonville IntB · 44% proficient
Top middle schools
- Madisonville J HA− · 55% proficient
- Navasota J HC− · 30% proficient
Top high schools
- Madisonville H SA− · 60% proficient
- Iola H SB · 47% proficient
Grades come from K-12 test scores, with scores projected for schools missing data. See every 77861 school and its grade on SchoolGrade.
77861 measure by measure
Cards are ordered by how much each measure matters to you, so the ones you weighted highest come first. Expand to see every measure. Percentages compare 77861 against the other 33,109 zip codes.
Common questions about living in 77861
Is 77861 a good place to live?
Using BestNeighborhood's default rankings, 77861 ranks 13,633rd of 33,110 zip codes. It scores highest on a strong job market, low crime, and low taxes, and lowest on long commutes and summer heat. How good it is for you depends on which of those you weight most, which the map lets you set.
Is 77861 expensive to live in?
The median home is worth $233,109. The overall cost of living runs about 6% below the national average. Set against a $71,653 median income, cost of living beats 35% of zip codes.
Is 77861 safe?
Yes, 77861 is safer than 93% of zip codes. Safety varies a lot by neighborhood. Crime costs an estimated $201 per resident a year.
Compare 77861 with other zip codes
Sources and methodology
Every measure on this page is scored for each neighborhood, then rolled up to 77861. Scores are absolute rather than ranked, which means a 60 in 77861 represents the same real quantity as a 60 anywhere else, and the ranking is a weighted average of those absolutes. The map colors come from a national scale calibrated against a population weighted random sample of 5,000 neighborhoods. That absolute scoring is what no other places-to-live ranking does: it puts a single neighborhood, a town, a metro, and a state on one scale, so the same 40 measures answer both which metro to move to and which street inside it to buy on. Read the full methodology.
77861 detail on BestNeighborhood maps:
- Walk Grade for 77861: walkability, transit, and biking, measured on the real street network rather than by straight line distance.
- Noise in 77861: road, rail, and aviation sound modeling calibrated against federal ground truth measurements.
- Conservative vs liberal map of 77861: precinct level election results apportioned to neighborhoods.
- Mobile and cell coverage in 77861: carrier by carrier coverage behind the cell score.
77861 detail on related sites:
- CrimeGrade: neighborhood crime rates behind the crime safety score.
- ISPreports.org: provider by provider internet availability and advertised speeds.
- CoverageWatch: the car insurance premiums behind the cheap car insurance score.
Federal and public data:
- U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey: income, home value, rent, vacancy, commute time and mode, educational attainment, home age, age structure, household type, industry, and race.
- NOAA Global Surface Summary of the Day: the daily station record behind the monthly temperatures and the pleasant-day count.
- FAA Passenger Boarding Data: airport size and annual passenger counts.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey: the 30-year fixed rate used in the cost-to-buy estimate.
- FBI Crime Data Explorer: reported offenses behind the tangible crime cost estimate.
- U.S. EPA Air Quality System: five year average air quality index.
- FEMA National Risk Index: expected annual loss from natural hazards.
- CDC PLACES: disease burden, preventable risk, and barriers to care.
- National Center for Education Statistics: school enrollment and assessment inputs behind the school grade.
- FCC National Broadband Map: internet and wireless availability.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: employment and job growth behind the local economy score.
- Religious activity uses a proprietary religious signal measurement.
Your priorities
Move a slider to say how much a measure matters. Zero turns it off.