Hidalgo County, Texas: commercial real estate data.
Hidalgo County, Texas had an estimated 914,820 residents on July 1, 2024, up 5.1 percent since the 2020 census base of 870,790, across 1,571 square miles. County output reached $31.36 bn in 2024, 13,393 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 420 7(a) approvals worth $148.7 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Hidalgo County
How many people live in Hidalgo County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024891,977
- Households270,210
- Average household size3.30
- Median household income$54,338
- Median age30.5
- Median gross rent$957 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$140,900
- Home value to household income2.6 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income21.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher20.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree6.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over516,001
- Population under 18276,245
- Share under 1831.0 percent
- Population 65 and over104,535
- Share 65 and over11.7 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64511,197
- Civilian labor force382,422
- Unemployment rate7.6 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over62.1 percent
- Rank by population among Texas counties9th of 254
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included65th of 3,222
Hidalgo County is the 9th largest of 254 Texas counties by population. A median home costs 2.6 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 31.0 percent against 11.7 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Hidalgo County
Is Hidalgo County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 2024914,820
- Census 2020 base population870,790
- Population change since the 2020 census base5.06 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 202412,377
- Births, 202414,494
- Deaths, 20245,286
- Natural change, 20249,208
- Net domestic migration, 2024-1,562
- Net international migration, 20244,679
- Total net migration, 20243,117
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-1,775
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents522nd of 3,144
The county has grown 5.06 percent since the 2020 census base. The population grew in 2024 from both sources: births exceeded deaths and more people moved in than left.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Hidalgo County
Where are people moving to Hidalgo County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving8,107
- People arriving, from those returns15,793
- Tax returns filed by households leaving8,205
- Net household movement-98
- Adjusted gross income arriving$409.4 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-33.5 m
- Average income of an arriving household$50,502
- Average income of a leaving household$53,975
- Largest single originCameron County (995 households)
- Largest single destinationBexar County (886 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cameron County | 995 | 1,981 | $45.8 m |
| Bexar County | 575 | 1,029 | $26.9 m |
| Harris County | 560 | 1,181 | $26.1 m |
| Starr County | 365 | 753 | $14.7 m |
| Travis County | 267 | 407 | $15.1 m |
| Nueces County | 181 | 341 | $9.1 m |
| Dallas County | 170 | 332 | $9.6 m |
| Webb County | 130 | 247 | $6.4 m |
Households arriving report $3,473 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up. The largest single source of arrivals is Cameron County, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Hidalgo County
What is the Hidalgo County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$31.36 bn
- County GDP, 2023$29.89 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.9 percent
- GDP change over five years34.8 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Texas areas BEA publishes13th of 254
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes189th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$35,155
Output grew 4.9 percent in the latest year and 34.8 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Hidalgo County
Employment by industry in Hidalgo County
- Covered employment, annual average291,901
- Establishments reporting14,062
- Average annual pay$42,905
- Average weekly wage$825
- Health care and social assistance, employment82,594
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$34,167
- Retail trade, employment37,013
- Retail trade, average annual pay$35,093
- Accommodation and food services, employment27,456
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$20,576
- Administrative and support and waste management services, employment15,838
- Administrative and support and waste management services, average annual pay$40,470
- Wholesale trade, employment8,825
- Construction, employment8,411
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 82,594 | 2,449 | $34,167 |
| Retail trade | 37,013 | 2,149 | $35,093 |
| Accommodation and food services | 27,456 | 1,348 | $20,576 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 15,838 | 518 | $40,470 |
| Wholesale trade | 8,825 | 969 | $60,277 |
| Construction | 8,411 | 830 | $53,038 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 8,387 | 696 | $51,920 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 7,370 | 1,272 | $58,303 |
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 82,594 jobs, 28.3 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Hidalgo County
How many businesses are in Hidalgo County?
- Establishments, all industries13,393
- Employment at those establishments227,682
- Annual payroll$8.40 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents15.0
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Hidalgo County
Building permits in Hidalgo County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20247,292
- Declared construction value permitted$1.32 bn
- Single family units authorized4,336
- Multifamily units authorized2,956
- Multifamily share of units40.5 percent
- Average declared value per unit$180,493
- Units authorized per 1,000 households27.0
Multifamily is 40.5 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Hidalgo County
SBA loans in Hidalgo County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded420
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$148.7 m
- Average 7(a) approval$353,963
- Median 7(a) approval$150,000
- 10th percentile approval$20,470
- 90th percentile approval$762,400
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)5,279
- Jobs per approval12.6
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active59
- Distinct industries receiving approvals161
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer15.7 percent
- Loans on real estate terms66
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter334
- Franchise loans48
- Franchise share of approvals11.4 percent
- Leading industry by approval countGeneral Freight Trucking, Long-Distance, Truckload (20)
- Most active lenderLone Star National Bank (51)
- 504 approvals recorded72
- 504 gross approval dollars$76.1 m
- Average 504 approval$1,056,361
- Median 504 approval$809,500
- Distinct CDCs active9
- 504 jobs per approval17.8
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved16.8
- Most active CDCLiftFund, Inc. (30)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$224.7 m
The average approval of $353,963 sits well above the median of $150,000, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. Only 15.7 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Hidalgo County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Hidalgo County
Do SBA loans in Hidalgo County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded60
- Paid in full52
- Charged off8
- Charge-off rate on resolved loans13.3 percent
- Status: Paid in full52
- Status: Charged off8
- Status: Exempt from disclosure282
- Status: Cancelled64
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed14
Of the 60 loans that have reached a final outcome, 13.3 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Hidalgo County
SBA lending by place in Hidalgo County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending23
- McAllen, approvals132
- Edinburg, approvals87
- Mission, approvals58
- Pharr, approvals32
- Weslaco, approvals26
- Donna, approvals19
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| McAllen | 132 | $50,060,600 |
| Edinburg | 87 | $24,354,300 |
| Mission | 58 | $14,431,400 |
| Pharr | 32 | $6,845,200 |
| Weslaco | 26 | $11,699,900 |
| Donna | 19 | $7,504,000 |
| Mercedes | 17 | $11,816,800 |
| Hidalgo | 9 | $2,116,500 |
| 15 other borrower cities | 40 | $19,835,900 |
McAllen accounts for 132 approvals against 87 in Edinburg. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Hidalgo County
How large is Hidalgo County?
- Land area1,571 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Texas counties15th of 254
- Width, east to west45 mi
- Height, north to south51.1 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land568
- Establishments per square mile8.53
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Hidalgo County
Flood risk in Hidalgo County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Hidalgo County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 480334
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book20
- Of those, participating in the NFIP20
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Hidalgo County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Hidalgo County (community 480334), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Hidalgo County in radon zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. 100.0 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a Hidalgo County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Hidalgo County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024891,977
- Households270,210
- Average household size3.30
- Median household income$54,338
- Median age30.5
Common questions
Hidalgo County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Hidalgo County, Texas?
The Census Bureau estimates 914,820 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 891,977, in 270,210 households, ranking 9th of 254 Texas counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Hidalgo County's population growing?
The population has grown 5.06 percent since the 2020 census base of 870,790, to 914,820 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 14,494 births against 5,286 deaths, with net migration of 3,117. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Hidalgo County?
$54,338. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $140,900, which is 2.6 times income, and median gross rent is $957 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Hidalgo County?
13,393 establishments, employing 227,682 people with an annual payroll of $8.40 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Hidalgo County?
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 82,594 jobs, 28.3 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 291,901 jobs at an average annual pay of $42,905, or $825 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Hidalgo County?
420 7(a) approvals totaling $148.7 m since FY2020, across 59 lenders, with a median approval of $150,000, plus 72 504 approvals worth $76.1 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Hidalgo County get paid back?
Of the 60 loans that have reached a final outcome, 52 were paid in full and 8 charged off, a charge-off rate of 13.3 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
How many building permits were issued in Hidalgo County?
7,292 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $1.32 bn. Multifamily was 40.5 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Hidalgo County?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Hidalgo County come from?
The largest single origin is Cameron County, with 995 households. Arriving households report an average income of $50,502 against $53,975 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Hidalgo County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Hidalgo County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Hidalgo County
Cities and places in Hidalgo.
58 Census places lie wholly or partly in Hidalgo County. 57 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked. The rest are named here and not linked, because the American Community Survey and the SBA record between them do not carry enough about them to write an honest page. A place existing is itself worth knowing, so nothing in the county is left out.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McAllen | city | 145,385 | 132 | Wholly in this county |
| Edinburg | city | 104,550 | 87 | Wholly in this county |
| Mission | city | 87,038 | 58 | Wholly in this county |
| Pharr | city | 80,333 | 32 | Wholly in this county |
| Weslaco | city | 42,229 | 26 | Wholly in this county |
| San Juan | city | 36,149 | 7 | Wholly in this county |
| Alamo | city | 20,255 | 6 | Wholly in this county |
| Alton | city | 20,214 | 6 | Wholly in this county |
| Donna | city | 16,833 | 19 | Wholly in this county |
| Mercedes | city | 16,733 | 17 | Wholly in this county |
| Palmview | city | 15,921 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Hidalgo | city | 14,498 | 9 | Wholly in this county |
| La Homa | CDP | 11,285 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Murillo | CDP | 8,883 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Salida del Sol Estates | CDP | 7,766 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Mila Doce | CDP | 7,731 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Penitas | city | 6,444 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Olivarez | CDP | 6,326 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Doolittle | CDP | 6,203 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Elsa | city | 5,697 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Doffing | CDP | 5,004 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Progreso | city | 4,998 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| North Alamo | CDP | 4,819 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| La Joya | city | 4,763 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Scissors | CDP | 4,267 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Sullivan City | city | 3,902 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| San Carlos | CDP | 3,678 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Midway North | CDP | 3,594 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| South Alamo | CDP | 3,309 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| La Villa | city | 3,005 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| La Blanca | CDP | 2,998 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Indian Hills | CDP | 2,961 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Edcouch | city | 2,739 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Palmhurst | city | 2,601 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Citrus City | CDP | 2,395 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Monte Alto | CDP | 2,350 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Midway South | CDP | 2,308 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Llano Grande | CDP | 2,283 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Perezville | CDP | 2,237 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Lopezville | CDP | 2,227 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Heidelberg | CDP | 2,215 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Palmview South | CDP | 1,819 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Abram | CDP | 1,741 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| West Sharyland | CDP | 1,664 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Muniz | CDP | 1,601 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| César Chávez | CDP | 1,351 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Linn | CDP | 801 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Hargill | CDP | 609 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Villa Verde | CDP | 373 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Granjeno | city | 315 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Progreso Lakes | city | 240 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Laguna Seca | CDP | 239 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Havana | CDP | 150 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| La Coma Heights | CDP | 127 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Relampago | CDP | 99 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Los Ebanos | CDP | 20 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Cuevitas | CDP | 0 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Harding Gill Tract | CDP | 0 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 3 of the county's 420 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Hidalgo County, the largest being San Antonio (1), Midland (1), Corpus Christi (1). Those are postal cities, unincorporated areas and cities outside the county, so no place row claims them; they are counted in the county total above.
Nearby