McAllen vs Pharr
McAllen, Texas versus Pharr, Texas: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
McAllen and Pharr score about the same overall (52 vs 52 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | McAllen | Pharr |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $56k | $45k |
| Cost of Living | $41k | $41k |
| Home Value | $159k | $98k |
| Monthly Rent | $955 | $926 |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $1k |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.88% | 2.21% |
| Income Tax | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Sales Tax | 8.20% | 8.20% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 8.01% | 7.52% |
| Unemployment | 5.4% | 6.1% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 62°F | 62°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 88°F | 88°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 27.4 in | 22.2 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.2 in | 0.1 in |
| Sunny Days | 272 days | 272 days |
| Summer Humidity | 73°F | 73°F |
| Comfortable Days | 119 days | 119 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 48.7 | 56.5 |
| Air Quality | 45 AQI | 45 AQI |
| School Quality | 50.9 | 54.7 |
| Violent Crime | 1841/100k | 1374/100k |
| Property Crime | 1952/100k | 1532/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 142,722 | 79,434 |
| Median Age | 32.9 | 29.4 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.63 | 0.56 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.97 | 0.92 |
| Political Leaning | D+17 | D+17 |
| White (%) | 8.2% | 4.6% |
| Black (%) | 0.6% | 0.1% |
| Hispanic (%) | 87.0% | 95.0% |
| Asian (%) | 2.8% | 0.1% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 1.4% | 0.1% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 21 min | 21 min |
| Walkability | 8.6/20 | 9.5/20 |
| Airport Distance | 225 mi | 234 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 87.9% | 71.3% |
| Amenities Nearby | 9.25 | 15.61 |
| Park & Nature Access | Good | Good |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is McAllen or Pharr more affordable?
- Pharr has the lower cost of living: its index is $41k, compared with McAllen's $41k and Pharr's $41k. Median rent is $955 in McAllen versus $926 in Pharr.
- Is McAllen or Pharr safer?
- Pharr has the lower violent crime rate. McAllen reports 1841/100k and Pharr reports 1374/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in McAllen or Pharr?
- The median home value is $159k in McAllen and $98k in Pharr, so homes are more affordable in Pharr.