McAllen receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Donna
McAllen
Opportunity
36 · Bottom 12%
vs51 · Bottom 40%
Growth
45 · Bottom 41%
vs73 · Top 13%
Climate
69 · Bottom 44%
vs69 · Bottom 44%
Physical resilience
23 · Bottom 18%
vs23 · Bottom 18%
Housing affordability
86 · Top 40%
vs93 · Top 24%
Schools
12 · Bottom 3%
vs51 · Top 50%
Access
81 · Bottom 24%
vs74 · Bottom 15%
Economic stability
19 · Bottom 1%
vs39 · Bottom 17%
Measured values
| Metric | Donna | McAllen | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 16,833 | 145,385 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $40,438 | $61,579 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $16,316 | $30,885 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,030/sq mi | 2,331/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $86,100 | $190,400 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $806 | $1,049 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 57.5% | 59.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 7.0% | 5.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.1% | 0.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 13.7% | 32.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 40.7% | 20.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 34 | 1,445 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.0 | 9.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -43.3% | -6.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 99°F | 99°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 53°F | 53°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 22.2" | 22.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 24 mi | 37 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 25.8 min | 22.6 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 28.2 | 33.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 21 | 46 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.98 | 14.96 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 14.3% | 36.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 23.0% | 42.5% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 93.0% | 72.6% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Donna
Elevated or high exposure: cold wave, hurricane, hail.
McAllen
Elevated or high exposure: cold wave, hurricane, hail.
Full profiles: Donna, TX · McAllen, TX · How this is calculated: methodology