Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Harlingen earns a D, ranked 557th of 640 in Texas, mostly because of safety and health. Its crime rate is higher than 81% of U.S. towns, with 167 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 79% of the country. In its favor, it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 56% of U.S. towns. 41% of working residents work locally in Harlingen, where Texas’ towns sit at 8.3% and U.S. towns at 8%. Harlingen's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 90% of U.S. towns. Baxter Building is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Where Harlingen beats most towns.
64,849 counted in 2010 and 71,829 in 2020; an estimated 72,467 in 2025.
Growth has leveled off: within 1% of 2020, after 10.8% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Texas), ordered by how far Harlingen is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,784 in 1920, 71,829 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1917 and 5 maps from 1929 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Harlingen, 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 Harlingen.
Harlingen has more 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns and is healthier than towns with similar incomes, but it has poverty well above the Texas rate.
27 miles of trail in 23 parks and preserves. The biggest place to walk is Harlingen Soccer Complex, 85 acres with 1.4 miles of trail. Harlingen’s trail density is 0.7 miles per square mile.
| Harlingen | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.7 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 2.3% | 1.9% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Hugh Ramsey Nature Park | 1.6 mi | 49 |
| 2. Harlingen Soccer Complex | 1.4 mi | 85 |
| 3. Harlingen Thicket World Birding Center | 1.3 mi | 53 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by Harlingen CISD. Three of its 46 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moises Vela MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 761 | C |
| Harlingen H SLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 2,433 | C |
| Harlingen School of Health ProfessionsTop results in townGrades 8–12 | Grades 8–12 | 448 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TX on state tests and graduation
Reported crimes fell from 2,205 to 1,802 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
The property crime rate in Harlingen is 22.6 per 1,000 residents. Harlingen reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 81% report less.
| Harlingen | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 22.6 per 1,000 residents | 10.7 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.3 per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Against the 7,007 U.S. towns with household incomes like Harlingen’s, it is less healthy than 58%, so its C− isn’t only a matter of income.
19% of adults have diabetes in Harlingen. Harlingen beats the Texas average on 1 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 14. 33% of adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance in Harlingen.
| Harlingen | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 13% | 12% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 18% | 8.1% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 20% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 24% | 19% |
| What stands out | Harlingen | TX |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 77.4% | 74.1% |
| More uninsured adults | 33.1% | 19.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The median property tax bill is $2,059, against $4,232 across Texas, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
The typical Harlingen home is worth about $197,000, down 1% in a year, 34% below the Texas typical home.
| Harlingen | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $928 a month | $1,208 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 47% | 51% | 48% |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
1,539 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 211 properties have flooded more than once.
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 72% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 1,539 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Harlingen.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The Harlingen weather station records that about 151 days a year reach 90°, more than in 99% of U.S. towns. January nights average 50.8°, milder than in 99% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 95.7°.
Harlingen has warm winters and hot summers. Snow is almost unheard of.
| Harlingen | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 51°F | 37°F | 22°F |
| July high | 96°F | 95°F | 85°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The average commute for its 25,743 working residents takes 17.9 minutes, against 26.7 across Texas.
25% of Harlingen residents live below the poverty line. Jobs based in Harlingen grew to 38,405 in 2023, 2,419 more than in 2013. The top destinations are Brownsville (9%), San Benito (5%) and McAllen (4%).
| Harlingen | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 25% | 12% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $54,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
None within 15 miles of Harlingen; the nearest are
About 4 of every 100 Harlingen residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Texas.
21 notable people were born in Harlingen.
City in Texas, United States
Harlingen ( HAR-lin-jin) is a city in Cameron County, Texas. It is located in the central region of the Rio Grande Valley, about 30 miles (48 km) from the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. The city covers more than 40 square miles (104 km2) and is the second-largest city in Cameron County, as well as the sixth-largest in the Rio Grande Valley. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 71,892. Harlingen is a principal city of the Brownsville–Harlingen metropolitan area, which is part of the larger Brownsville–Harlingen–Raymondville combined statistical area, included in the Matamoros–Brownsville metropolitan region.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
7 towns share a border with Harlingen.
| Town | TX rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harlingen | #557 | D | C+ | C− | C+ | C− |
| San Benito | #600 | D− | B | C− | C− | D |
| Juarez | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Las Palmas II | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Combes | #332 | C | B− | B− | C+ | C |
| Palm Valley | — | — | D | — | C+ | C− |
| Primera | #371 | C− | C+ | — | C+ | C+ |
| Lasana | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Palm Valley has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Palm Valley and Primera report no FBI crime data of their own. Juarez, Las Palmas II and Lasana aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Harlingen with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Harlingen grades D overall, better than 6% of U.S. towns and #557 of 640 in Texas. It grades C− for health, C− for safety and C+ for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a C−.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.
21 notable people were born here, including Bobby Morrow and Nick Stahl.
