McAllen vs San Juan
McAllen, Texas versus San Juan, 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 San Juan score about the same overall (52 vs 50 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | McAllen | San Juan |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $56k | $51k |
| Cost of Living | $41k | $41k |
| Home Value | $159k | $108k |
| Monthly Rent | $955 | $872 |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $1k |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.88% | 2.04% |
| Income Tax | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Sales Tax | 8.20% | 8.20% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 8.01% | 7.01% |
| Unemployment | 5.4% | 7.0% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 62°F | 62°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 88°F | 88°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 27.4 in | 18.7 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 | 65.5 |
| Air Quality | 45 AQI | 46 AQI |
| School Quality | 50.9 | 54.7 |
| Violent Crime | 1841/100k | 1126/100k |
| Property Crime | 1952/100k | 1930/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 142,722 | 35,463 |
| Median Age | 32.9 | 29.5 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.63 | 0.56 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.97 | 1.07 |
| Political Leaning | D+17 | D+17 |
| White (%) | 8.2% | 2.9% |
| Black (%) | 0.6% | 0.0% |
| Hispanic (%) | 87.0% | 96.6% |
| Asian (%) | 2.8% | 0.1% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 1.4% | 0.3% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 21 min | 26 min |
| Walkability | 8.6/20 | 9.1/20 |
| Airport Distance | 225 mi | 234 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 87.9% | 73.3% |
| Amenities Nearby | 9.25 | 17.20 |
| 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 San Juan more affordable?
- San Juan has the lower cost of living: its index is $41k, compared with McAllen's $41k and San Juan's $41k. Median rent is $955 in McAllen versus $872 in San Juan.
- Is McAllen or San Juan safer?
- San Juan has the lower violent crime rate. McAllen reports 1841/100k and San Juan reports 1126/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in McAllen or San Juan?
- The median home value is $159k in McAllen and $108k in San Juan, so homes are more affordable in San Juan.