Harlingen, TX

Census Place

2024 Population

72,087

US Senator

John Cornyn

Republican Party

US Senator

Ted Cruz

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

33.4

0.602% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

25.1%

2.19% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$53,645

4.02% 1-year decline

2024 Median Property Value

$140,600

11.9% 1-year growth

Population & Diversity

Harlingen, TX is home to a population of 72.1k people, from which 91.4% are citizens.

As of 2024, 14.6% of Harlingen, TX residents were born outside of the country (10.6k people).

In 2024, there were 1.4 times more Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents (30k people) in Harlingen, TX than any other race or ethnicity. There were 21.4k White (Hispanic) and 10k White (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

91.4%

2024 Citizenship

92.5%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 91.4% of Harlingen, TX residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Harlingen, TX was 92.5%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Harlingen, TX compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Harlingen, TX

Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
30k ± 1.97k
White (Hispanic)
21.4k ± 2.08k
White (Non-Hispanic)
10k ± 820

82.3%

Hispanic Population

59.3k people

82.3% of the people in Harlingen, TX are hispanic (59.3k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Harlingen, TX as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for Texas.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
2,408,340 ± 36,549 people
India
354,317 ± 14,528 people
El Salvador
223,512 ± 11,564 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Texas was Mexico, the natal country of 2,408,340 Texas residents, followed by India with 354,317 and El Salvador with 223,512.

Foreign-Born Population

14.6%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

10.6k people

13.5%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

9.69k people

As of 2024, 14.6% of Harlingen, TX residents (10.6k 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 Harlingen, TX was 13.5%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Harlingen, TX compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
1,234 ± 359
Gulf War (2001-)
525 ± 184
Gulf War (1990s)
519 ± 193

Harlingen, TX has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.35 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Harlingen, TX.

Economy

The economy of Harlingen, TX employs 29.3k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Harlingen, TX were Health Care & Social Assistance (5,658 people), Educational Services (3,620 people), and Retail Trade (2,984 people), and the highest paying industries were Public Administration ($62,865), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($59,464), and Utilities ($58,056).

Employment

Occupations

29.3k

2024 Value

± 1,550

−0.462%

1 Year decline

± 7.59%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Harlingen, TX declined at a rate of −0.462%, from 29.4k employees to 29.3k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Harlingen, TX, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (4,026 people), Sales & Related Occupations (2,461 people), and Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (2,284 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Harlingen, 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

29.3k

2024 Value

± 1,550

−0.462%

1 Year decline

± 7.59%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Harlingen, TX declined at a rate of −0.462%, from 29.4k employees to 29.3k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Harlingen, TX, are Health Care & Social Assistance (5,658 people), Educational Services (3,620 people), and Retail Trade (2,984 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Harlingen, TX, though some of these residents may live in Harlingen, TX and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$40,889

Median earning men ± $4,358

$31,692

Median earning women ± $1,624

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Public Administration ($76,190), Information ($65,180), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($52,110).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Information ($53,047), Wholesale Trade ($53,008), and Public Administration ($49,154).

Education

The student population of Harlingen, TX in 2024 is skewed towards women, with 300 male students and 330 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Harlingen, 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 Harlingen, 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 Harlingen, 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 Harlingen, 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 Harlingen, 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 Harlingen, 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 Harlingen, 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.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Harlingen, TX was $140,600 in 2024, which is 0.423 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $125,700 to $140,600, a 11.9% increase. The homeownership rate in Harlingen, TX is 56.1%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Harlingen, TX have an average commute time of 17.9 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Harlingen, TX is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$140,600

Median Property Value 2024

±$10,004

$14,586

Median Property Taxes

±$1,028

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 Harlingen, TX the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Harlingen, TX compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

56.1%

Homeownership

2024

64.9%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 56.1% of the housing units in Harlingen, TX were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 57.4%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Harlingen, 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.

$53,645

Median Household Income

± $5,116

26k

Number of Households

± 1,400

In 2024, the median household income of the 26k households in Harlingen, TX declined from $53,645 from the previous year's value of $55,891.

The following chart displays the households in Harlingen, 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

The closest comparable wage GINI for Harlingen, TX is from Texas.

0.475

2024 Wage GINI in Texas

0.475

2023 Wage GINI in Texas

In 2024, the income inequality in Texas was 0.475 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.0391% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Texas was higher than than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed less evenly in Texas in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Texas across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (76.2%)
Worked At Home (10.4%)
Carpooled (9.86%)

In 2024, 76.2% of workers in Harlingen, TX drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (10.4%) and those who carpooled to work (9.86%).

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

17.9 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Harlingen, TX have a shorter commute time (17.9 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 0.778% of the workforce in Harlingen, TX have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Harlingen, TX compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Harlingen, TX distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Harlingen, TX have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

25.1% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Harlingen, TX (17.9k out of 71.2k 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 Females < 5, followed by Females 25 - 34 and then Males < 5.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Harlingen, 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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