Hidalgo County

What Buyers Should Know

Hidalgo County’s 2026 HUD area median income (AMI) for a 4-person household is approximately $58,600, with the TSAHC Heroes 115% AMI ceiling reaching ~$67,390. Most Hidalgo County buyers qualify for at least one TSAHC or TDHCA program; the county is not designated a HUD targeted area, so the standard income limits and first-time-buyer rules apply.

FHA loan limits in Hidalgo mirror the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission baseline. Conforming limits run $806,500 for 1-unit. VA loans are uncapped above conforming limits for full-entitlement veterans.

Property tax in Hidalgo County averages around 2.3% effective (verify current year at the county appraisal district). The Texas residence homestead exemption shaves $100,000 off school-district appraised value and caps appraised value growth at 10% per year — file with the appraisal district on or before April 30 of the year following purchase.

Rio Grande Valley + Cross-Border Commerce

Hidalgo County is the largest of the Rio Grande Valley counties, anchored by McAllen (~145,000), Edinburg (county seat), Mission, Pharr, San Juan, Weslaco, and Donna. The county shares a border with Reynosa, Mexico — the Pharr International Bridge handles significant cross-border commerce. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Edinburg campus + McAllen Medical Center anchor the regional economy. Edinburg CISD, McAllen ISD, Mission CISD, PSJA ISD, Sharyland ISD, Weslaco ISD, and Donna ISD serve the county. The McAllen-MSA AMI is among the lowest in Texas, which means TSAHC Home Sweet Texas 80% AMI is broadly accessible to most county residents.