Cameron County (West)--Harlingen & San Benito Cities PUMA, TX

Public Use Microdata Area (PUMA)

2024 Population

150,930

US Senator

John Cornyn

Republican Party

US Senator

Ted Cruz

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

33.6

1.51% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

24.3%

2.85% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$52,928

0.81% 1-year decline

2024 Median Property Value

Population & Diversity

Cameron County (West)--Harlingen & San Benito Cities PUMA, TX is home to a population of 151k people, from which 89.8% are citizens.

As of 2024, 16.4% of Cameron County (West)--Harlingen & San Benito Cities PUMA, TX residents were born outside of the country (24.7k people).

In 2024, there were 1.67 times more Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents (70.3k people) in Cameron County (West)--Harlingen & San Benito Cities PUMA, TX than any other race or ethnicity. There were 42.2k White (Hispanic) and 17.7k White (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

The most common non-English languages spoken as the primary language in households in Cameron County (West)--Harlingen & San Benito Cities PUMA, TX are Spanish (80,591 households), Japanese (228 households), and Vietnamese (199 households).

Population & Diversity

Residents by Gender and Age

RACE/ETHNICITY

75,798

Women

50.2%

75,151

Men

49.8%

The resident population of Cameron County (West)--Harlingen & San Benito Cities PUMA, TX in 2024 was 150,949 inhabitants, with 49.8% men, and 50.2% women.

The visualization shows the distribution of the residents by gender and age in Cameron County (West)--Harlingen & San Benito Cities PUMA, TX.

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

Citizenship

89.8%

2024 Citizenship

90.4%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 89.8% of Cameron County (West)--Harlingen & San Benito 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 Cameron County (West)--Harlingen & San Benito Cities PUMA, TX was 90.4%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Cameron County (West)--Harlingen & San Benito Cities PUMA, TX compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Cameron County (West)--Harlingen & San Benito Cities PUMA, TX

Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
70.3k ± 3.78k
White (Hispanic)
42.2k ± 3.06k
White (Non-Hispanic)
17.7k ± 967

85.6%

Hispanic Population

129k people

85.6% of the people in Cameron County (West)--Harlingen & San Benito Cities PUMA, TX are hispanic (129k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Cameron County (West)--Harlingen & San Benito Cities PUMA, TX as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

Most Common Origin

Mexico
21,594 ± 3,340 people
India
374 ± 474 people
El Salvador
328 ± 444 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Cameron County (West)--Harlingen & San Benito Cities PUMA, TX was Mexico, the natal country of 21,594 Cameron County (West)--Harlingen & San Benito Cities PUMA, TX residents, followed by India with 374 and El Salvador with 328.

Foreign-Born Population

16.4%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

24.7k people

15.7%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

23.4k people

As of 2024, 16.4% of Cameron County (West)--Harlingen & San Benito Cities PUMA, TX residents (24.7k 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 Cameron County (West)--Harlingen & San Benito Cities PUMA, TX was 15.7%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Cameron County (West)--Harlingen & San Benito Cities PUMA, TX compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Non-English Households

Most Common Non-English Languages

Spanish
80,591 households (57.5%)
Japanese
228 households (0.163%)
Vietnamese
199 households (0.142%)

58.6% of the households in Cameron County (West)--Harlingen & San Benito 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 Cameron County (West)--Harlingen & San Benito Cities PUMA, TX was Spanish. 57.5% of the households in Cameron County (West)--Harlingen & San Benito 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
1,907 ± 384
Gulf War (2001-)
1,435 ± 328
Gulf War (1990s)
1,002 ± 267

Cameron County (West)--Harlingen & San Benito Cities PUMA, TX has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.33 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Cameron County (West)--Harlingen & San Benito Cities PUMA, TX.

Health

76% of the population of Cameron County (West)--Harlingen & San Benito Cities PUMA, TX has health coverage, with 29.1% on employee plans, 24.4% on Medicaid, 9.84% on Medicare, 10.8% on non-group plans, and 1.93% 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, 49.8% were men and 50.2% 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 30.2% under 18 years, 21.6% between 18 and 34 years, 32.9% between 35 and 64 years, and 15.3% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.8% were men and 50.2% were women.

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

Uninsured People

24%

Uninsured

29.1%

Employer Coverage

24.4%

Medicaid

9.84%

Medicare

10.8%

Non-Group

1.93%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Cameron County (West)--Harlingen & San Benito Cities PUMA, TX grew by 4.28% from 23% to 24%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Cameron County (West)--Harlingen & San Benito Cities PUMA, TX changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Economy

The economy of Cameron County (West)--Harlingen & San Benito Cities PUMA, TX employs 55.8k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Cameron County (West)--Harlingen & San Benito Cities PUMA, TX were Elementary & secondary schools (6,013 people), Restaurants & Food Services (3,727 people), and Construction (3,383 people), and the highest paying industries were Aerospace products & parts manufacturing ($125,902), National security & international affairs ($95,720), and Legal services ($95,655).

Males in Cameron County (West)--Harlingen & San Benito Cities PUMA, TX have an average income that is 1.29 times higher than the average income of females, which is $46,331. The income inequality in Cameron County (West)--Harlingen & San Benito Cities PUMA, TX (measured using the Gini index) is 0.432, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Workforce Diversity

Measure

RACE/ETHNICITY

26,477

Women

47.5%

29,303

Men

52.5%

The workforce of Cameron County (West)--Harlingen & San Benito Cities PUMA, TX in 2024 was 55,780 people, with 47.5% woman, and 52.5% men.

The visualization shows the distribution of the workforce by gender and age in Cameron County (West)--Harlingen & San Benito Cities PUMA, TX.

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

Occupations

55.8k

2024 Value

2.58%

1 Year growth

± 2.58%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Cameron County (West)--Harlingen & San Benito Cities PUMA, TX grew at a rate of 2.58%, from 54.4k employees to 55.8k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Cameron County (West)--Harlingen & San Benito Cities PUMA, TX, are Home health aides (2,133 people), Customer service representatives (1,865 people), and Elementary & middle school teachers (1,551 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Cameron County (West)--Harlingen & San Benito 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

55.8k

2024 Value

2.58%

1 Year growth

± 2.58%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Cameron County (West)--Harlingen & San Benito Cities PUMA, TX grew at a rate of 2.58%, from 54.4k employees to 55.8k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Cameron County (West)--Harlingen & San Benito Cities PUMA, TX, are Elementary & secondary schools (6,013 people), Restaurants & Food Services (3,727 people), and Construction (3,383 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Cameron County (West)--Harlingen & San Benito Cities PUMA, TX, though some of these residents may live in Cameron County (West)--Harlingen & San Benito Cities PUMA, TX and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$37,636

Median earning men ± $3,411

$29,566

Median earning women ± $1,461

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Public Administration ($69,135), Information ($56,875), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($50,384).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($52,432), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($45,326), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($41,078).

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.

Education

The student population of Cameron County (West)--Harlingen & San Benito Cities PUMA, TX in 2024 is skewed towards women, with 300 male students and 330 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Cameron County (West)--Harlingen & San Benito Cities PUMA, TX are Hispanic or Latino (332 and 68%), White (143 and 29.3%), Black or African American (5 and 1.02%), and Two or More Races (4 and 0.82%).

The largest universities in Cameron County (West)--Harlingen & San Benito Cities PUMA, TX by number of degrees awarded are Southern Careers Institute-Harlingen (355 and 72.7%) and UCAS University of Cosmetology Arts & Sciences-Harlingen (133 and 27.3%).

The most popular majors in Cameron County (West)--Harlingen & San Benito Cities PUMA, TX are Welding Technology (125 and 25.6%), Medical Assistant (109 and 22.3%), and HVAC & Refrigeration Engineering Technology (67 and 13.7%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2024 there were 630 students enrolled in Cameron County (West)--Harlingen & San Benito Cities PUMA, TX, 47.6% men and 52.4% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in Hispanic or Latino with 426 records, of which 51.6% were women and 48.4% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Welding Technology
125 degrees awarded
Nail Specialist & Manicurist
50 degrees awarded
Aesthetician & Skin Care Specialist
35 degrees awarded

In 2024, the most common concentation for Certificate of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years recipients in Cameron County (West)--Harlingen & San Benito Cities PUMA, TX was Welding Technology with 125 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Certificate of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years from schools in Cameron County (West)--Harlingen & San Benito Cities PUMA, TX according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Southern Careers Institute-Harlingen
355 degrees awarded
UCAS University of Cosmetology Arts & Sciences-Harlingen
133 degrees awarded

In 2024, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Southern Careers Institute-Harlingen with 355 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2024, 213 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Cameron County (West)--Harlingen & San Benito Cities PUMA, TX, which is 0.775 times less than the 275 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 332 degrees mean that there were 2.32 times more degrees awarded to Hispanic or Latino students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, White, with 143 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, 2.11% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 2.06% 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 Cameron County (West)--Harlingen & San Benito Cities PUMA, TX in 2024 were High School or Equivalent (33.1k), Primary Education (24.8k), and Some college (23.2k).

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 Cameron County (West)--Harlingen & San Benito Cities PUMA, TX was $123,500 in 2024, which is 0.371 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $112,800 to $123,500, a 9.49% increase. The homeownership rate in Cameron County (West)--Harlingen & San Benito Cities PUMA, TX is 64.4%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Cameron County (West)--Harlingen & San Benito Cities PUMA, TX have an average commute time of 19.3 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Cameron County (West)--Harlingen & San Benito Cities PUMA, TX is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$123,500

Median Property Value 2024

±$6,739

$32,905

Median Property Taxes

±$1,443

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 Cameron County (West)--Harlingen & San Benito Cities PUMA, TX the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Cameron County (West)--Harlingen & San Benito Cities PUMA, TX compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

64.4%

Homeownership

2024

65.5%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 64.4% of the housing units in Cameron County (West)--Harlingen & San Benito Cities PUMA, TX were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 65.5%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Cameron County (West)--Harlingen & San Benito 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.

$52,928

Median Household Income

± $3,180

51.1k

Number of Households

± 1,985

In 2024, the median household income of the 51.1k households in Cameron County (West)--Harlingen & San Benito Cities PUMA, TX declined from $52,928 from the previous year's value of $53,360.

The following chart displays the households in Cameron County (West)--Harlingen & San Benito 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

0.432

2024 Wage GINI in Cameron County (West)--Harlingen & San Benito Cities PUMA, TX

0.443

2023 Wage GINI in Cameron County (West)--Harlingen & San Benito Cities PUMA, TX

In 2024, the income inequality in Cameron County (West)--Harlingen & San Benito Cities PUMA, TX was 0.432 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 2.38% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Cameron County (West)--Harlingen & San Benito Cities PUMA, TX was lower than than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Cameron County (West)--Harlingen & San Benito Cities PUMA, TX in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Cameron County (West)--Harlingen & San Benito Cities PUMA, TX across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (76.3%)
Carpooled (10.7%)
Worked At Home (9.92%)

In 2024, 76.3% of workers in Cameron County (West)--Harlingen & San Benito Cities PUMA, TX drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (10.7%) and those who worked at home (9.92%).

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

19.3 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Cameron County (West)--Harlingen & San Benito Cities PUMA, TX have a shorter commute time (19.3 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.16% of the workforce in Cameron County (West)--Harlingen & San Benito Cities PUMA, TX have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Cameron County (West)--Harlingen & San Benito 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 Cameron County (West)--Harlingen & San Benito 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 Cameron County (West)--Harlingen & San Benito Cities PUMA, TX have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

24.3% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Cameron County (West)--Harlingen & San Benito Cities PUMA, TX (36.4k out of 150k 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 < 5 and then Females 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Cameron County (West)--Harlingen & San Benito 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.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798, followed by New York (5,087).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

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