What it's like to live in Weslaco
Weslaco is a small city in Texas with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, a growing population, and schools with class sizes near the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Weslaco deals with unemployment above the national average, household incomes below the national average, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, and a poverty rate above the national average.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Growing population
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Above-average unemployment
- Below-average household incomes
- Air quality concerns
- High poverty rate
- Hot summers
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
How Weslaco compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Weslaco
Based on Weslaco's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$1,934
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $38,680 a year
- 44% of Weslaco renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$28,000
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $14,000
- Homes cost 2.4× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 32% below US
$967/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $967 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 $140,000. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $140,000 · 44% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▲ 65% above US
7.1% unemployment
Unemployment here is 7.1%, well above the national average of 4.3%. Moving with a job already lined up matters more here.
City-level (BLS)
SafetyNear US average
331 violent crimes per 100k
Crime runs about typical for a city this size. Some neighborhoods are safer than others, and one overall rate doesn't tell the whole story, so a neighborhood-level look matters more than the headline stat.
Property crime 2675/100k · Weslaco Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
24 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 23.9 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 7% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers run seriously hot, with average highs pushing 96°F, and winters are mild, with lows rarely dropping below 52°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 5.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 36% below US
23% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 23%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
23 public schools inside the boundary
There are 23 public schools inside the boundary and 2 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 17:1, close to the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park (34 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Weslaco's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are unemployment above the national average and household incomes below the national average. A year of median rent ($967/mo) equals 19% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget. It may be a harder fit for anyone moving without a job lined up and anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Weslaco
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