What it's like to live in McAllen
McAllen is a mid-size city in Texas with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, crime rates well below the national average, and commutes that run shorter than most cities. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. McAllen deals with household incomes below the national average, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, a poverty rate above the national average, and very hot summers.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low crime rates
- Short commutes
- Growing population
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Air quality concerns
- High poverty rate
- Very hot summers
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How McAllen compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to McAllen
Based on McAllen's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,098
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $41,960 a year
- 47% of McAllen renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$38,080
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $19,040
- Homes cost 3.1× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 26% below US
$1,049/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $1,049 a month. Factoring in local incomes, the value gets even better. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $190,400. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $190,400 · 47% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
4.7% unemployment
Unemployment here is 4.7%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 62% below US
126 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 1422/100k · McAllen Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 16% below US
22 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 21.9 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 12% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers run seriously hot, with average highs pushing 98°F, and winters are mild, with lows rarely dropping below 51°F. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 4.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforceNear US average
33% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 33% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
51 public schools inside the boundary
There are 51 public schools inside the boundary and 6 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park (51 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
McAllen's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are household incomes below the national average and air quality that falls short of national benchmarks. A year of median rent ($1,049/mo) equals 20% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget, anyone prioritizing low crime, and people who want short commutes. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive and people who struggle with heat.
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