Population 80,144 · Census ACS 2020–24
Choose a measure to map it.Tap a measure to map it. Swipe the row for more. Arrows show the change since 2006–10.
Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
Younger residents
Older residents
Colorblind friendly
off
More maps of Pharr: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in Pharr
Household size in Pharr
| Period | Pharr | McAllen area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.61 | 3.67 | 2.87 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 3.71 | 3.72 | 2.93 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 3.54 | 3.66 | 2.95 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 3.54 | 3.42 | 2.83 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.08 | −0.25 | −0.05 | −0.03 |
Households in Pharr are large by national standards, averaging 3.54 people against 2.65 for the U.S. That usually means more families with children at home. Household size has edged down from 3.61 in 2006–10, as it has nationally. Of the 545 Texas cities with 5,000+ people, only 26 have larger households.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Pharr
| Period | Pharr | McAllen area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 28.8 | 28.7 | 34.7 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 29.6 | 29.5 | 35.4 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 29.6 | 30.0 | 36.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 30.1 | 31.9 | 36.7 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.3 | +3.2 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
Pharr is young: half of its residents are under 30.1, compared with a national median of 40.1. The population tilts toward young families with children. The median age has climbed from 28.8 in 2006–10, as it has nationally. Of the 545 Texas cities with 5,000+ people, only 23 are younger.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Pharr
| Period | Pharr | McAllen area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 19.1% | 18.3% | 13.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 21.0% | 18.3% | 13.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 20.5% | 19.5% | 13.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 22.2% | 18.6% | 12.9% | 11.6% |
| Change | +3.1 pts | +0.3 pts | −0.8 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head more than one in five households in Pharr (22.2%), well above the national share of 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has risen 3.1 points, even as the national share fell. Only 22 of the 545 Texas cities with 5,000+ people have a higher share of single-parent households.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Pharr
Renters in Pharr
| Period | Pharr | McAllen area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 35.8% | 29.2% | 35.2% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 39.6% | 32.1% | 37.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 39.8% | 32.0% | 38.0% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 40.9% | 32.5% | 37.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | +5.1 pts | +3.4 pts | +2.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting is a bit more common in Pharr than nationally: 40.9% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% for the U.S. Just over six in ten owners (62.4%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the west and least common in the south. The renter share is up 5.1 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Pharr
| Period | Pharr | McAllen area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.1% | 14.6% | 11.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.4% | 12.1% | 10.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 12.6% | 13.1% | 10.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 13.0% | 12.4% | 9.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.1 pts | −2.2 pts | −2.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
More homes sit empty in Pharr than nationally: 13.0%, against 9.6%. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Vacancy has fallen 2.1 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Pharr
| Period | Pharr | McAllen area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1993 | 1991 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1994 | 1993 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1997 | 1995 | 1987 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 2000 | 1998 | 1992 | 1980 |
| Change | +6 | +7 | +8 | +6 |
Much of the housing in Pharr is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 2000, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole. The median year built has moved up from 1993 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the southwest, while the east has the oldest housing.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Pharr
| Period | Pharr | McAllen area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $630 | $597 | $921 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $675 | $652 | $1,005 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $728 | $737 | $1,178 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,092 | $987 | $1,560 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$461 | +$390 | +$639 | +$606 |
The median renter in Pharr pays $1,092 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Even so, rents here are higher than in the wider McAllen area ($987). Rent has climbed $461 a month since 2006–10, up 73%, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 29.8% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Pharr
Bachelor's degrees in Pharr
| Period | Pharr | McAllen area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.4% | 15.1% | 27.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.2% | 16.4% | 27.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 15.0% | 18.4% | 30.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 19.0% | 20.3% | 34.0% | 35.6% |
| Change | +4.5 pts | +5.2 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Pharr have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 19.0%, against 35.6% nationally. That is in line with the rest of the McAllen area. The share with a degree is up 4.5 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Pharr
| Period | Pharr | McAllen area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 60.0% | 59.4% | 80.7% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 62.0% | 61.5% | 82.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 64.6% | 64.9% | 83.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 71.0% | 69.8% | 85.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +11.0 pts | +10.4 pts | +5.1 pts | +4.3 pts |
Nearly three in ten adults in Pharr never finished high school, well above the national share: only 71.0% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 11.0 points, as it has nationally. Only 46 of the 545 Texas cities with 5,000+ people have a lower share of high school graduates.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Pharr
| Period | Pharr | McAllen area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.1% | 10.2% | 7.0% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.9% | 10.5% | 7.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.8% | 6.7% | 5.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.6% | 7.6% | 5.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | −4.6 pts | −2.6 pts | −1.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Pharr runs well above the national rate: 7.6% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4%. Unemployment is down 4.6 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Pharr compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pharr | 3.54 | 30.1 | 22.2% | 40.9% | 13.0% | 2000 | $1,092 | 19.0% | 71.0% | 7.6% |
| San Juan | 3.46 | 33.9 | 17.6% | 20.9% | 10.9% | 1996 | $977 | 14.2% | 64.5% | 7.3% |
| Alamo | 3.55 | 33.1 | 21.7% | 24.1% | 19.0% | 1997 | $772 | 12.7% | 60.0% | 11.3% |
| McAllen area | 3.42 | 31.9 | 18.6% | 32.5% | 12.4% | 1998 | $987 | 20.3% | 69.8% | 7.6% |
| Lopezville | 2.83 | 31.6 | 15.4% | 46.9% | 6.3% | 2006 | $838 | 20.9% | 69.5% | 7.4% |
| Hidalgo | 3.71 | 30.3 | 21.0% | 19.4% | 8.6% | 2003 | $938 | 22.6% | 71.3% | 8.6% |
| El Gato | 4.07 | 32.1 | 25.5% | 25.0% | 10.7% | 2003 | $858 | 20.8% | 62.9% | 3.2% |
| Granjeno | 3.27 | 36.4 | 10.4% | 22.7% | 9.8% | 2002 | $802 | 30.2% | 73.1% | 3.1% |
| Palmhurst | 3.32 | 32.0 | 10.7% | 26.6% | 16.9% | 1999 | $1,033 | 42.9% | 85.7% | 5.8% |
| Donna | 3.78 | 29.2 | 22.8% | 27.3% | 13.6% | 1997 | $816 | 11.0% | 57.2% | 8.3% |
| Muniz | 4.46 | 23.5 | 21.8% | 23.3% | 14.1% | 2001 | $990 | 4.6% | 55.2% | 8.3% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Bloomington, IL · Birmingham, AL · Brownsville, TX · Broomfield, CO · Bismarck, ND · Bronx, NY · Broken Arrow, OK · Bossier City, LA · Bothell, WA · Boulder, CO
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Pharr. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
No other site shows detail at this level for free. We are able to keep this site free by receiving a small commission from the referring links on this page. Please share or cite this page if you aren’t able to otherwise support our work.