McAllen receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
McAllen
Alton
Opportunity
51 · Bottom 40%
vs39 · Bottom 16%
Growth
73 · Top 13%
vs74 · Top 12%
Climate
69 · Bottom 44%
vs69 · Bottom 44%
Physical resilience
23 · Bottom 18%
vs23 · Bottom 18%
Housing affordability
93 · Top 24%
vs87 · Top 38%
Schools
51 · Top 50%
vs17 · Bottom 7%
Access
74 · Bottom 15%
vs71 · Bottom 13%
Economic stability
39 · Bottom 17%
vs37 · Bottom 13%
Measured values
| Metric | McAllen | Alton | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 145,385 | 20,214 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $61,579 | $52,715 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $30,885 | $18,575 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,331/sq mi | 2,661/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $190,400 | $156,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,049 | $1,038 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 59.5% | 55.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.4% | 7.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.1% | 0.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 32.5% | 14.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 20.0% | 27.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 1,445 | 293 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 9.9 | 14.5 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -6.7% | -1.7% | 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 | 37 mi | 41 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 22.6 min | 25.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 33.5 | 26.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 46 | 10 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.96 | 14.54 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 36.4% | 14.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 42.5% | 28.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 72.6% | 91.9% | 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
McAllen
Elevated or high exposure: cold wave, hurricane, hail.
Alton
Elevated or high exposure: cold wave, hurricane, hail.
Full profiles: McAllen, TX · Alton, TX · How this is calculated: methodology