Gas station. Edcouch, Texas, 1939
Edcouch’s story
99 years in pictures
Census counts: 914 in 1930, 2,732 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 1939 and 3 maps from 1957 on.
- 1927Edcouch is settled
EdcouchTX
A town of 2,650, settled in 1927.
Population
2,650
2025 Census estimate · −4.7% since 2020
Typical home
$140K
+4.2% in a year
Household income
$22K
median
Median age
37.4
years
Jobs based here
968
A job hub
TownGrade
D
#531 of 640 in TX
Is Edcouch a good place to live?
Edcouch grades D overall, ranked 531st of 640 in Texas, mostly because of health and incomes. Residents are less healthy than 94% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. The median household income is $22K, and 38% of residents live below the poverty line. One bright spot: a typical home costs about $140K, 2.6 years of the McAllen metro’s $54K median household income. 38% of residents live below the poverty line in Edcouch, against 12% in Texas’ towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. Edcouch's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 100% of U.S. towns. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 88% of U.S. towns.
What makes Edcouch stand out
Where Edcouch beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
A shrinking town
Edcouch has shrunk 18% since 2010
3,161 counted in 2010 and 2,732 in 2020; an estimated 2,650 in 2025.
The decline has continued: down 4.7% since 2020, after 13.6% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Edcouch grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Texas), ordered by how far Edcouch is from typical.
HealthKnapp Medical Center 9.8 miles awayDOpen →Jobs & incomeDOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 5.8 of 20; 20.8% of households have no car; 0% of workers walk, bike or ride transitDOpen →Cost of livingAOpen →SchoolsDOpen →Hazard riskcold waves tops the listC−Open →SafetyC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1 mile of trail; 1% conserved landB−Open →History1 notable person born hereC−Open →Civic life0.7 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsD−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
ClimateMild winters, 98° summer afternoons–Open →Housing market$140K typical home, up 4.2% in a year–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 37.4; 8% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Edcouch: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Edcouch, and how to reach them.
PowerOncorEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Edcouch water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Edcouch’s trash rules yet
Register to voteIn personTexas has no online registration; you can register in person until 30 days before Election Day or by mail (postmarked 30 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereHidalgo County Early Voting ClerkHidalgo County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code7853878538 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Edcouch.
Edcouch draws workers from Edinburg and beyond and has more 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns, but it reports violent crime at about twice the Texas rate.
HealthD
A larger share of adults in Edcouch have diabetes than in the typical Texas or U.S. town
Against the 114 U.S. towns with household incomes like Edcouch’s, it is healthier than 72%, so its D isn’t only a matter of income.
22% of Edcouch adults have diabetes. Edcouch beats the Texas average on 2 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 21. 46% of Edcouch adults have obesity.
6%healthier than U.S. townsDHealth Grade
| Edcouch | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 24% | 19% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 13% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 15% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 45% | 30% | 25% |
31 measures vs. Texas
2 better8 too close to call21 worse
| What stands out | Edcouch | TX |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 4.6% | 6.1% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 76.7% | 74.1% |
| More uninsured adults | 43.7% | 19.1% |
Knapp Medical Center
9.8 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
9th
percentile among TX towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SchoolsD
Public schools in Edcouch fall behind 86% of Texas districts
Its public schools are run by Edcouch-Elsa ISD. One of its 3 schools is below, with why it’s listed.
14%of TX districts it outscoresDSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ruben C Rodriguez ElLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 457 | D− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TX on state tests and graduation
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
About one in ten working residents works right in Edcouch
968 jobs are based in Edcouch, 1.7 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. Jobs based here fell from 1,279 in 2013 to 968.
Most working residents leave Edcouch for work: only 10% work in town. Edcouch’s average trip to work is 21 minutes. Since 2013, Edcouch has lost 311 jobs, to 968 in 2023.
10%work in town
| Edcouch | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 9.8% | 8.3% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Edcouch10%
Edinburg13%
McAllen9%
Weslaco7%
Harlingen6%
16 mi
median commute distance
968
jobs based in Edcouch
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
D
Walkability grade: more walkable than 12% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HousingCost of living grade A
Edcouch stands out in Texas and nationally, with the median rent lower than most
At 2.6 years of the McAllen metro’s $54K median household income, the typical home (about $140K) costs less against local pay than in 81% of Texas towns; that ratio is one input to its A for cost of living. Values rose 4.2% in the past year while the Texas typical home fell 1.5%.
The median rent in Edcouch is $552 a month. The typical Edcouch home is worth about $140,000, 53% below the Texas typical home. 50% of households own their home in Edcouch.
$140KZillow home value
| Edcouch | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 50% | 69% | 73% |
| Median rent | $552 a month | $1,208 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Edcouch$140K
Texas$296K
+4.2%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C−
Cold waves leads a high hazard risk in Edcouch
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 70% of U.S. communities. Since 2008, 11 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Edcouch.
70risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Cold wavesHurricanesInland flooding
11
paid flood claims since 2008
10
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Edcouch has mild winters and hot summers
The Santa Rosa 3 Wnw weather station, 6 miles away, records that about 166 days a year reach 90°, more than in 99% of U.S. towns. January nights average 50°, milder than in 99% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 96.7°.
Edcouch has warm winters and hot summers. Snow is almost unheard of.
98°summer high
| Edcouch | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 50°F | 37°F | 22°F |
| July high | 97°F | 95°F | 85°F |
Typical low → high °F
Winter52–73°
Spring65–86°
Summer76–97°
Fall65–87°
+1.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
98°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
SafetyC+
More crime per resident in Edcouch than in 56% of U.S. towns
Violent crime runs at 7.9 per 1,000 residents, about twice the Texas rate; the Safety Grade counts each violent crime four times, so this weighs most on its C+. Reported crimes rose from 18 to 37 over the last three FBI years, a rise beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
44%of U.S. towns report more crimeC+Safety Grade
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Edcouch7.9
Texas3.5
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Edcouch6
Texas18.1
U.S.15.5
44th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
55th
percentile among TX towns
21
violent crimes reported in 2025
16
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
OutdoorsB−
Edcouch has set aside 0.8% of its land for conservation
0.8 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves.
0.8%conserved
| Edcouch | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.8 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 0.8% | 1.9% | 4.3% |
0.8%
conserved · 5 of 660 acres
0.8 mi
of trails · 0.8 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Edcouch Park | — | 4 |
| 2. Edcouch Municipal Park | 0.1 mi | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 11 attractions →Robert and Janet Vackar Stadium and 7 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Edcouch. Close and well known come first.
11 mi Stadium & arenaRobert and Janet Vackar Stadium
13 mi Stadium & arenaBert Ogden Arena
39 mi Zoo & aquariumGladys Porter Zoo
21 mi Stadium & arenaPayne Arena
35 mi National Historical ParkPalo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park169K visitors a year12 mi MuseumMuseum of South Texas History
13 mi Stadium & arenaBert Ogden Arena39 mi Zoo & aquariumGladys Porter Zoo21 mi Stadium & arenaPayne Arena35 mi National Historical ParkPalo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park169K visitors a year12 mi MuseumMuseum of South Texas HistorySources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Bert Ogden Arena: Wikidude10000, CC0 · Gladys Porter Zoo: Jc161991, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Payne Arena: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0 · Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park: Schmorleitz, CC BY-SA 3.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Edcouch
20pages on Edcouch
The big questions
SchoolsDBehind 86% of TX districts · 3 schoolsSafetyC+7.9 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthDBetter than TX on 2 of 31 CDC measuresCost of livingA$140K typical home · up 4.2% in a yearWork & commuteD$22K median household income · 968 jobs hereNatural hazardsC−FEMA risk higher than 70% of U.S. communities · cold waves
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Edcouch
About 2 of every 100 Edcouch residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Texas.
A job hub
Every workday, about 911 people come to Edcouch for work
Where Edcouch’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
968jobs based in Edcouch
10%of working residents work in town
16 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Edcouch
City in Texas
Edcouch is a city in Hidalgo County, Texas, United States. As of the 2020 census, Edcouch had a population of 2,732. It is part of the McAllen–Edinburg–Mission and Reynosa–McAllen metropolitan areas. The town was founded in 1927 and named for Edward Couch, landowner and banker.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.0 sq mi
- Elevation
- 59 ft
- ZIP code
- 78538
- Area code
- 956
Questions about Edcouch
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Edcouch, TX a good place to live?
Edcouch grades D overall, better than 8% of U.S. towns and #531 of 640 in Texas. It grades D for health, C+ for safety and D for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D.
Is Edcouch, TX expensive?
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A.