McAllen is a city located in Hidalgo County Texas. McAllen has a 2023 population of 147,118. McAllen is currently growing at a rate of 1.11% annually and its population has increased by 3.35% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 142,347 in 2020.
The average household income in McAllen is $72,732 with a poverty rate of 20.97%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to - per month, and the median house value is -. The median age in McAllen is 33 years, 29.7 years for males, and 36.3 years for females.
McAllen is within 80 miles of the Gulf of Mexico, and the city limits reach to the Rio Grande at the city of Reynosa, Mexico. The city’s population makes it the 22nd most populous in Texas.
More than one-quarter of the population lives below the federal poverty line. The city has struggled with high unemployment rates in recent years, but that number continues to drop. However, McAllen is still considered one of the poorest cities in the United States, and because of this, the cost of living is over 16% less than the national average.
Despite these struggles, however, the city’s population only continues to grow. A population of 150 in 1910 exploded to over 5,000 in 1920. By 1940, this figure had more than doubled. In 2000, the city’s population surpassed 100,000 and has only continued to grow larger. Recent estimates show that the population is up 9.5% since the last census in 2010, indicating that this city is continuing to experience rapid growth that is showing no signs of slowing down.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of McAllen was:
White
Two or more races
Other race
Asian
Black or African American
Native American
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
Household Type | Count | Average Size | Owner | Renter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All | 46,679 | 3.02 | 59 | 41 |
| Married | 22,804 | 3.74 | 70.8 | 29.2 |
| Non Family | 11,584 | 1.21 | 45.1 | 54.9 |
| Female | 9,852 | 3.36 | 50.1 | 49.9 |
| Male | 2,439 | 3.54 | 50.5 | 49.5 |
3.56
Average Family Size
3.02
Average Household Size
59.0%
Rate of Home Ownership
Married
Male
Female
NonFamily
owner
renter
Only English
Spanish
Other Indo-European Languages
Asian and Pacific Island Languages
Other Languages
26.3% of McAllen residents speak only English, while 73.7% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 71.13% of the population.
rate
20.97%
Overall Poverty Rate
19.08%
Male Poverty Rate
22.82%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in McAllen is Other, with 26.64% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in McAllen is White, with 8.41% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 6.85%. Among those working part-time, it was 23.8%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 26.97%.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
47.6%
Overall Marriage Rate
51.5%
Male Marriage Rate
44.0%
Female Marriage Rate
male
female
The age group where males are most likely to be married is 55-64, while the female age group most likely to be married is 35-44.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
Less Than 9th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Bachelors or Greater
9.75%
Veteran Poverty Rate
31.87%
Veteran Disability Rate
LaborForceParticipation
62.4%
Labor Force Participation
58.6%
Employment Rate
5.9%
Unemployment Rate
LaborForceParticipation
LaborForceParticipation
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
62.36%
Born in McAllen
74.51%
Native Born
26.24%
Foreign Born
16.56%
Non Citizen
9.68%
Naturalized
74.51% of McAllen residents were born in the United States, with 62.36% having been born in Texas. 16.56% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.
Year | Population | Growth | Growth Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920 | 5,331 | -151,816 | 3.15% |
| 1930 | 9,074 | 3,743 | 5.46% |
| 1940 | 11,877 | 2,803 | 2.73% |
| 1950 | 20,067 | 8,190 | 5.38% |
| 1960 | 32,728 | 12,661 | 5.01% |
| 1970 | 37,636 | 4,908 | 1.41% |
| 1980 | 66,281 | 28,645 | 5.82% |
| 1990 | 84,021 | 17,740 | 2.4% |
| 2000 | 106,414 | 22,393 | 2.39% |
| 2010 | 129,877 | ||
| 2011 | 131,110 | 1,233 | 0.95% |
| 2012 | 132,343 | 1,233 | 0.94% |
| 2013 | 133,576 | 1,233 | 0.93% |
| 2014 | 134,809 | 1,233 | 0.92% |
| 2015 | 136,042 | 1,233 | 0.91% |
| 2016 | 137,275 | 1,233 | 0.91% |
| 2017 | 138,508 | 1,233 | 0.9% |
| 2018 | 139,741 | 1,233 | 0.89% |
| 2019 | 140,974 | 1,233 | 0.88% |
| 2020 | 142,347 | 1,373 | 0.97% |
| 2021 | 143,920 | 1,573 | 1.11% |
| 2022 | 145,510 | 1,590 | 1.1% |
| 2023 | 147,118 | 1,608 | 1.11% |
| 2024 | 148,744 | 1,626 | 1.11% |
| 2025 | 150,388 | 1,644 | 1.11% |
| 2026 | 152,050 | 1,662 | 1.11% |
| 2027 | 153,730 | 1,680 | 1.1% |
| 2028 | 155,429 | 1,699 | 1.11% |
| 2029 | 157,147 | 1,718 | 1.11% |