Best Places to Live in McAllen, Texas

McAllen, Texas is a vibrant city located in Hidalgo County. This welcoming community offers plenty for visitors to explore such as the stunning Quinta Mazatlán or one of many popular restaurants. Residents here also take advantage of all the outdoor activities available at Archer Park and Firemen's Park. With its excellent school system, thriving businesses, and numerous recreational opportunities it's no wonder why so many people choose to make McAllen their home. Mid-sized–border-city complex - Extreme south Texas along the Rio Grande and Mexican border, 80 miles inland from the Gulf of Mexico.

State: Texas
County: Hidalgo County
Metro Area: McAllen-Edinburg-Mission Metro Area
City: McAllen

Zip Codes: 78501 78504 78503
Cost of Living: -21.2% lower
Time zone: Central Standard Time (CST)
Elevation: 104 ft above sea level

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Mcallen, Tx Housing Market

Least Expensive Homes	Homes Over 2,000 Sq. Ft.
Most Expensive Homes	Homes less than 10 yrs old
All Single Family Homes

Pros
Cost of living
Economic growth
Pleasant winters

Cons
Growth and sprawl
Low educational attainment
Crime rates

What Bert Has To Say About McAllen-Edinburg-Mission Metro Area

The McAllen area is dominated by local agriculture, border-zone factories, and commerce related to the port of entry at Reynosa into Mexico. Like other border towns, the area has a dominant Hispanic heritage, high growth rate, and a low cost of living. McAllen is in the center of a broad, flat agricultural area known locally as “The Valley” dotted with vegetable and citrus growing interspersed with small towns and expanding suburbs. The more middle-class Edinburg, 5 miles north, is home to the University of Texas Pan American campus, the largest higher education facility in south Texas. Mission is an agricultural center west. McAllen, which has a reputation for being quieter than the border towns of Brownsville and Laredo, has a nice downtown area and is nicknamed “City of Palms.”

Highlights

ECONOMY

The unemployment rate in McAllen is 7.9% (U.S. avg. is 6.0%). Recent job growth is Positive. McAllen jobs have increased by 2.1%. More Economy

COST OF LIVING

Compared to the rest of the country, McAllen's cost of living is 21.2% lower than the U.S. average. More Cost of Living or Compare McAllen's Cost of Living

WEATHER & CLIMATE

November, March and February are the most pleasant months in McAllen, while August and July are the least comfortable months. Today's Weather | Climate Averages

VOTING

In the last Presidential election, Hidalgo county remained very strongly Democratic, 58.0% to 41.0%. More Voting Stats

POPULATION

McAllen's population is 143,751 people. Since 2020, it has had a population growth of 11.3%. Learn More...

TRANSPORTATION

Average Commute time is 20.0 minutes. The National Average is 26.4 minutes. Learn More...

REAL ESTATE

The median home cost in McAllen is Real Estate: $165,400. Home appreciation the last 10 years has been 2.7%.

SCHOOLS

McAllen public schools spend $9,608 per student. The average school expenditure in the U.S. is $12,383. There are about 15.4 students per teacher in McAllen. More Education

Best Places to Live in McAllen Rankings

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Housing Market in McAllen

It's a good time to buy in McAllen. Home Appreciation is up 11.8% in the last 12 months.
The median home price in McAllen is $165,400.

Schools: See Local Schools

Real Estate: See Homes

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Reviews for McAllen 17 Reviews

Not for us, thanks. - 12/17/2020
My wife and I are snowbirds from Iowa. We tried the McAllen area for a couple of seasons. We didn't like it, and have since opted for Mesa, AZ. Mesa ranked No. 8 in the... Read More

Rick | Uvalde Estates, TX | Reply | No Replies

Start Your Review of McAllen

A mixed bag, but ultimately falls short. - 1/30/2020
On transfer here for two years now. Pros: Daytime traffic is pretty decent, when using Interstate 2. Home prices are cheaper, when compared to the national average.... Read More

Ferd | Alamo, TX | Reply | 4 Replies

family - 5/5/2014
with 3... Read More

gus | Bartlett, IL | Reply | No Replies

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ZIP CODES IN MCALLEN, TEXAS

78501 78504 78503

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United States / Texas / McAllen-Edinburg-Mission Metro Area / Hidalgo County / McAllen / Zip Codes