State
County
Land Area
65.7 sq mi
Density
2,203.20/sq mi
2020 Growth Rate
0.51%
Growth Since 2010
11.45%
Rank in State
Rank in Country
Metro Population
881,525
McAllen is a city located in Texas. With a 2020 population of 144,744, it is the 23rd largest city in Texas and the 184th largest city in the United States. McAllen is currently growing at a rate of 0.51% annually and its population has increased by 11.45% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 129,877 in 2010. McAllen reached it's highest population of 144,744 in 2021. Spanning over 66 miles, McAllen has a population density of 2,203 people per square mile.
The average household income in McAllen is $69,053 with a poverty rate of 23.05%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to $789 per month, and the median house value is $126,000. The median age in McAllen is 33.4 years, 30.9 years for males, and 36.1 years for females. For every 100 females there are 97.6 males.
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:
2019 and 2020 population is estimated by projecting the raw 2018 numbers.
Year | Total Population | Growth | Annual Growth Rate |
---|---|---|---|
2021 | 881,525 | 6,409 | 0.73% |
2020 | 875,116 | 6,409 | 0.73% |
2019 | 868,707 | 6,409 | 0.74% |
2018 | 862,298 | 6,049 | 0.70% |
2017 | 856,249 | 7,289 | 0.85% |
2016 | 848,960 | 9,293 | 1.09% |
2015 | 839,667 | 9,848 | 1.17% |
2014 | 829,819 | 11,200 | 1.35% |
2013 | 818,619 | 10,285 | 1.26% |
2012 | 808,334 | 12,817 | 1.59% |
2011 | 795,517 | 16,368 | 2.06% |
2010 | 779,149 | 0.00% |
Race | Population | Percentage |
---|---|---|
White | 105,411 | 74.25% |
Some Other Race | 29,221 | 20.58% |
Asian | 3,576 | 2.52% |
Two or More Races | 1,755 | 1.24% |
Black or African American | 1,513 | 1.07% |
American Indian and Alaska Native | 412 | 0.29% |
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 80 | 0.06% |
Type | Count | Average Size | Owned |
---|---|---|---|
All | 45,705 | 3.08 | 60.8 |
Married | 22,592 | 3.73 | 73.1 |
Non Family | 11,427 | 1.25 | 45.5 |
Female | 9,335 | 3.67 | 52.3 |
Male | 2,351 | 3.44 | 51.4 |
3.64
Average Family Size
3.08
Average Household Size
Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
---|---|---|
Less Than 9th Grade | 12,468 | 14.27% |
9th to 12th Grade | 8,171 | 9.35% |
High School Graduate | 17,339 | 19.84% |
Some College | 17,382 | 19.89% |
Associates Degree | 5,568 | 6.37% |
Bachelors Degree | 17,989 | 20.58% |
Graduate Degree | 8,481 | 9.70% |
Name | Total | High School | Bachelors |
---|---|---|---|
Hispanic | 72,629 | 52,908 | 19,485 |
Other Race | 16,958 | 10,232 | 3,524 |
White | 11,189 | 10,757 | 5,329 |
Asian | 2,291 | 2,049 | 1,278 |
Black | 915 | 868 | 243 |
Multiple Races | 804 | 675 | 281 |
Native American | 299 | 248 | 64 |
Islander | 66 | 63 | 51 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among white people with a rate of 96.14%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among islander people with a rate of 77.27%.
$31,280
Average Earnings
$37,402
Average Male
$26,135
Average Female
24.36% of McAllen residents speak only English, while 75.64% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 73.21% of the population.
Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
---|---|---|---|
Hispanic | 119,421 | 30,704 | 25.71% |
Other | 28,743 | 10,084 | 35.08% |
White | 15,082 | 1,065 | 7.06% |
Multiple | 1,736 | 273 | 15.73% |
Asian | 3,576 | 255 | 7.13% |
Native | 412 | 60 | 14.56% |
Black | 1,500 | 57 | 3.80% |
Islander | 80 | 21 | 26.25% |
23.05%
Overall Poverty Rate
20.75%
Male Poverty Rate
25.29%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in McAllen is Other, with 35.08% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in McAllen is Black, with 3.80% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 8.46%. Among those working part-time, it was 24.09%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 29.30%.
48.1%
Overall Marriage Rate
51.3%
Male Marriage Rate
45.2%
Female Marriage Rate
The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 35-44.
Name | Veterans | % of Total |
---|---|---|
White | 3,583 | 4.73% |
Hispanic | 2,217 | 2.61% |
Other | 121 | 0.58% |
2 or More | 76 | 8.63% |
Black | 63 | 5.95% |
Asian | 56 | 2.06% |
Indian | 13 | 3.67% |
5.84%
Veteran Poverty Rate
38.10%
Veteran Disability Rate
62.5%
Labor Force Participation
58.5%
Employment Rate
6.3%
Unemployment Rate
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
73.46%
Native Born
26.54%
Foreign Born
16.26%
Non Citizen
10.28%
Naturalized
73.46% of McAllen residents were born in the United States, with 61.37% having been born in Texas. 16.26% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.
Year | Population | Growth | Annual Growth Rate |
---|---|---|---|
2021 | 144,744 | 738 | 0.51% |
2020 | 144,006 | 738 | 0.52% |
2019 | 143,268 | 738 | 0.52% |
2018 | 142,530 | 281 | 0.20% |
2017 | 142,249 | 361 | 0.25% |
2016 | 141,888 | 1,979 | 1.41% |
2015 | 139,909 | 1,190 | 0.86% |
2014 | 138,719 | 1,298 | 0.94% |
2013 | 137,421 | 1,144 | 0.84% |
2012 | 136,277 | 1,638 | 1.22% |
2011 | 134,639 | 2,546 | 1.93% |
2010 | 132,093 | 25,679 | 2.19% |
2000 | 106,414 | 22,393 | 2.39% |
1990 | 84,021 | 17,740 | 2.40% |
1980 | 66,281 | 28,645 | 5.82% |
1970 | 37,636 | 4,908 | 1.41% |
1960 | 32,728 | 12,661 | 5.01% |
1950 | 20,067 | 8,190 | 5.38% |
1940 | 11,877 | 2,803 | 2.73% |
1930 | 9,074 | 3,743 | 5.46% |
1920 | 5,331 | 0.00% |