Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX

Public Use Microdata Area (PUMA)

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2024 Population

114,009

US Senator

John Cornyn

Republican Party

US Senator

Ted Cruz

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

30.4

1.67% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

28.6%

1.51% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$51,072

7.7% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$97,000

6.83% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

40,290

5.17% 1-year growth

About

75% of the households in Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

84.8% of the residents in Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX are South Texas Vocational Technical Institute-Weslaco (300 degrees awarded in 2024), Valley Grande Institute for Academic Studies (121 degrees), and Advanced Barber College and Hair Design (113 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX was $97,000, and the homeownership rate was 67.5%.

Most people in Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 22.8 minutes. The average car ownership in Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX was 2 cars per household.

Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX borders Cameron County (West)--Harlingen & San Benito Cities PUMA, TX, Hidalgo County (East)--Alamo & Donna Cities PUMA, TX, Hidalgo County (South Central)--Pharr, San Juan & Hidalgo Cities PUMA, TX, and Hidalgo County (North & West) PUMA, TX.

United States Texas

Population & Diversity

Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX is home to a population of 114k people, from which 84.8% are citizens. As of 2024, 21.3% of Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX residents were born outside of the country (24.3k people).

In 2024, there were 1.72 times more Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents (57.5k people) in Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX than any other race or ethnicity. There were 33.4k White (Hispanic) and 11.8k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

The most common non-English languages spoken as the primary language in households in Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX are Spanish (78,484 households), German (85 households), and Hindi (53 households).

Population & Diversity

Residents by Gender and Age

RACE/ETHNICITY

57,867

Women

50.8%

56,131

Men

49.2%

The resident population of United States in 2024 was 113,998 inhabitants, with 49.2% men, and 50.8% women.

The visualization shows the distribution of the residents by gender and age in Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX.

With the upper buttons you can add a filter by race.

Citizenship

84.8%

2024 Citizenship

85.2%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 84.8% of Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX was 85.2%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX

Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
57.5k ± 3.39k
White (Hispanic)
33.4k ± 2.69k
Other (Hispanic)
11.8k ± 1.67k

91.5%

Hispanic Population

104k people

91.5% of the people in Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX are hispanic (104k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

Most Common Origin

Mexico
23,049 ± 3,329 people
Canada
410 ± 496 people
Nigeria
160 ± 310 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX was Mexico, the natal country of 23,049 Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX residents, followed by Canada with 410 and Nigeria with 160.

Foreign-Born Population

21.3%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

24.3k people

20.6%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

23.2k people

As of 2024, 21.3% of Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX residents (24.3k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX was 20.6%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Non-English Households

Most Common Non-English Languages

Spanish
78,484 households (74.6%)
German
85 households (0.0808%)
Hindi
53 households (0.0504%)

75% of the households in Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language, which is higher than the national average of 22.3%. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

In 2024, the most common non-English language spoken in households in Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX was Spanish. 74.6% of the households in Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX reported speaking Spanish at home as the primary shared language between all members living in the household.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
1,042 ± 259
Gulf War (1990s)
752 ± 312
Gulf War (2001-)
695 ± 210

Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.39 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX.

Health

73.1% of the population of Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX has health coverage, with 22.7% on employee plans, 30% on Medicaid, 7.43% on Medicare, 12.1% on non-group plans, and 0.907% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Texas see 1,657 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,657 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1590 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 590 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.2% were men and 50.8% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Texas.

1,657 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Texas

Primary care physicians in Texas see an average of 1,657 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,657 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Texas in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 33.8% under 18 years, 21.7% between 18 and 34 years, 31.6% between 35 and 64 years, and 13% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.2% were men and 50.8% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

26.9%

Uninsured

22.7%

Employer Coverage

30%

Medicaid

7.43%

Medicare

12.1%

Non-Group

0.907%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX declined by 6.47% from 28.7% to 26.9%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Economy

The economy of Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX employs 40.3k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX were Elementary & secondary schools (4,514 people), Restaurants & Food Services (3,747 people), and Home health care services (2,893 people), and the highest paying industries were National security & international affairs ($100,080), Commercial & industrial machinery & equipment repair & maintenance ($87,746), and Support activities for mining ($81,401).

Males in Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX have an average income that is 1.28 times higher than the average income of females, which is $41,618. The income inequality in Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX (measured using the Gini index) is 0.43, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Workforce Diversity

Measure

RACE/ETHNICITY

19,611

Women

48.7%

20,679

Men

51.3%

The workforce of Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX in 2024 was 40,290 people, with 48.7% woman, and 51.3% men.

The visualization shows the distribution of the workforce by gender and age in Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX.

With the upper buttons you can see the distribution of the average salary and add a filter by race.

Occupations

40.3k

2024 Value

5.17%

1 Year growth

± 5.17%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX grew at a rate of 5.17%, from 38.3k employees to 40.3k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX, are Elementary & middle school teachers (1,714 people), Driver/sales workers & truck drivers (1,629 people), and Home health aides (1,490 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Texas.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Texas (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

40.3k

2024 Value

5.17%

1 Year growth

± 5.17%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX grew at a rate of 5.17%, from 38.3k employees to 40.3k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX, are Elementary & secondary schools (4,514 people), Restaurants & Food Services (3,747 people), and Home health care services (2,893 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX, though some of these residents may live in Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$35,731

Median earning men ± $1,876

$25,574

Median earning women ± $2,356

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Public Administration ($78,468), Manufacturing ($51,967), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($51,079).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Wholesale Trade ($38,636), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($35,517), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($33,367).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Texas.

Y-Axis

4.59%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 13.8M people employed in Texas. This represents a 4.59% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 9.63%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Texas.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Texas went to Donald J. Trump with 56.1% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (42.5%), followed by Jill Stein (0.726%).

John Cornyn and Ted Cruz are the senators currently representing the state of Texas. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Texas is currently represented by 38 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX. Showing the available data for Texas.

2024 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (56.1%)
Republican Party
Kamala Harris (42.5%)
Democratic Party
Jill Stein (0.726%)
Green Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Texas went to Donald J. Trump with 56.1% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (42.5%), followed by Jill Stein (0.726%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Texas for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Texas

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Texas.

John Cornyn

Senator from Texas

Assumed office on December 2, 2002
Phil Gramm resigned (effective November 30, 2002) a few weeks before the expiration of his term in hopes that his successor, fellow Republican John Cornyn, could gain seniority over other newly elected senators. However, Cornyn did not gain additional seniority due to a 1980 Rules Committee policy.

Ted Cruz

Senator from Texas

Assumed office on January 3, 2013

John Cornyn and Ted Cruz are the senators currently representing Texas.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Texas over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

Education

In 2024, universities in Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX awarded 534 degrees. The student population of Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX in 2024 is skewed towards men, with 367 male students and 329 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX are Hispanic or Latino (500 and 93.6%), White (19 and 3.56%), Two or More Races (7 and 1.31%), and Black or African American (3 and 0.562%).

The largest universities in Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX by number of degrees awarded are South Texas Vocational Technical Institute-Weslaco (300 and 56.2%), Valley Grande Institute for Academic Studies (121 and 22.7%), and Advanced Barber College and Hair Design (113 and 21.2%).

The most popular majors in Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX are Welding Technology (125 and 23.4%), Barbering (113 and 21.2%), and Medical Assistant (93 and 17.4%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2024 there were 696 students enrolled in Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX, 52.7% men and 47.3% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in Hispanic or Latino with 651 records, of which 47.2% were women and 52.8% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Welding Technology
125 degrees awarded
Barbering
113 degrees awarded
Medical Assistant
93 degrees awarded

In 2024, the most common concentation for 1 to 2 Year Postsecondary Certificate recipients in Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX was Welding Technology with 125 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a 1 to 2 Year Postsecondary Certificate from schools in Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

South Texas Vocational Technical Institute-Weslaco
300 degrees awarded
Valley Grande Institute for Academic Studies
121 degrees awarded
Advanced Barber College and Hair Design
113 degrees awarded

In 2024, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was South Texas Vocational Technical Institute-Weslaco with 300 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2024, 243 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX, which is 0.835 times less than the 291 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2024, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was Hispanic or Latino students. These 500 degrees mean that there were 26.3 times more degrees awarded to Hispanic or Latino students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, White, with 19 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Measure

In 2024, 2.54% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 3.02% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population of Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX in 2024 were High School or Equivalent (24.4k), Primary Education (22.3k), and Secondary Education (20.1k).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX was $97,000 in 2024, which is 0.292 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $90,800 to $97,000, a 6.83% increase. The homeownership rate in Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX is 67.5%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX have an average commute time of 22.8 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$97,000

Median Property Value 2024

±$5,447

$22,852

Median Property Taxes

±$1,328

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

67.5%

Homeownership

2024

63.8%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 67.5% of the housing units in Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 68.8%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$51,072

Median Household Income

± $3,244

33.9k

Number of Households

± 1,642

In 2024, the median household income of the 33.9k households in Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX grew to $51,072 from the previous year's value of $47,422.

The following chart displays the households in Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

0.43

2024 Wage GINI in Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX

0.439

2023 Wage GINI in Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX

In 2024, the income inequality in Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX was 0.43 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 1.89% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX was lower than than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (74.2%)
Carpooled (10.9%)
Worked At Home (8.2%)

In 2024, 74.2% of workers in Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (10.9%) and those who worked at home (8.2%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

22.8 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX have a shorter commute time (22.8 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.69% of the workforce in Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

28.6% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX (32.4k out of 113k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Males 6 - 11, followed by Females 6 - 11 and then Females 35 - 44.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Hidalgo County (Southeast)--Weslaco & Mercedes Cities PUMA, TX is Hispanic, followed by Two Or More and White.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.