Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Elsa grades D overall, ranked 522nd of 640 in Texas, mostly because of safety and schools. It reports more crime per resident than 86% of U.S. towns, including 18 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. Its public schools trail 86% of Texas towns on state tests and graduation. What it does well: a typical home costs about $135K, 2.5 years of the McAllen metro’s $54K median household income. 32% of residents live below the poverty line in Elsa, above both Texas’ towns (12%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). Elsa's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 99% of U.S. towns. Only 4 of the 642 Texas towns we compare have a lower average trip to work than Elsa.
Where Elsa beats most towns.
Its founding year, 1800, comes before those of 99% of the Texas towns we grade with a known year.
Census counts: 1,006 in 1940, 5,668 in 2020. The archive holds 24 old photos and papers going back to 1939 and 3 maps from 1957 on.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Texas), ordered by how far Elsa is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Elsa, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Elsa.
Elsa draws workers from Edinburg and beyond, has more 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns and is healthier than towns with similar incomes.
2,277 jobs are based in Elsa, 2 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. The average commute takes 12.6 minutes, against 26.7 across Texas.
Most working residents leave Elsa for work: only 4% work in town. The median household income in Elsa is $42,000. Since 2013, Elsa has added 1,279 jobs, to 2,277 in 2023.
| Elsa | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $42,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 4.2% | 8.3% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its public schools are run by Edcouch-Elsa ISD. Two of its 5 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Edcouch-Elsa H S, with 1,309 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carlos F Truan J HLargest public middle schoolGrades 7–8 | Grades 7–8 | 584 | D |
| Edcouch-Elsa H SLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,309 | D |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TX on state tests and graduation
1.3 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. The biggest park or preserve is Mario Leal Park, at 21 acres. Elsa’s trail density is 0.6 miles per square mile.
| Elsa | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.6 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 1.5% | 1.9% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Mario Leal Park | 0.9 mi | 21 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
At 2.5 years of the McAllen metro’s $54K median household income, the typical home (about $135K) costs less against local pay than in 83% of Texas towns; that ratio is one input to its B+ for cost of living. Home values rose 49% in five years, to about $135K, against 10% across Texas.
The typical Elsa home is worth about $135,000, about the same as a year ago, 55% below the Texas typical home.
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Reported crimes fell from 236 to 112 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Elsa reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 86% report less.
| Elsa | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.1 per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 16.3 per 1,000 residents | 10.7 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Against the 3,170 U.S. towns with household incomes like Elsa’s, it is healthier than 73%, so its C− isn’t only a matter of income.
Elsa beats the Texas average on 3 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 12. 35% of adults worry about having enough food in Elsa.
| Elsa | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 35% | 20% | 14% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 18% | 8.1% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 13% | 12% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 24% | 19% |
| What stands out | Elsa | TX |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 4.7% | 6.1% |
| Fewer adults with COPD | 4.8% | 5.7% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 34.5% | 19.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The Santa Rosa 3 Wnw weather station, 8 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°.
Elsa has warm winters and hot summers. Snow is almost unheard of.
| Elsa | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 50°F | 37°F | 22°F |
| July high | 97°F | 95°F | 85°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 67% of U.S. communities. Since 1980, 22 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Elsa.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Elsa. Close and well known come first.
11 mi Stadium & arenaBert Ogden Arena
20 mi Stadium & arenaPayne Arena
37 mi National Historical ParkPalo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park169K visitors a year10 mi MuseumMuseum of South Texas History
16 mi GardenMcAllen Botanical GardensBert Ogden Arena: Wikidude10000, CC0 · Payne Arena: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0 · Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park: Schmorleitz, CC BY-SA 3.0 · McAllen Botanical Gardens: Whitney Cranshaw, Colorado State University, United States, CC BY 3.0 us
1 within 15 miles of the center of Elsa
About 8 of every 100 Elsa residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Texas.
Where Elsa’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
City in Texas
Elsa is a city in Hidalgo County, Texas, United States. The population was 5,668 at the 2020 census. It is part of the McAllen–Edinburg–Mission and Reynosa–McAllen metropolitan areas.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Elsa grades D overall, better than 8% of U.S. towns and #522 of 640 in Texas. It grades C− for health, D for safety and D for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a D.
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 B+.
