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Buell School Pharr Texas 2021Photo: Larry D. Moore · CC BY 4.0
Town Hall · Pharr

How is Pharr run?

Pharr’s city government spent $0 on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, about $0 per resident. These are Census Bureau estimates: Pharr didn’t report its figures, so this page shows them without comparisons.

Town website
Next public meeting

Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone #1

3:55 pm · 118 S. Cage Blvd., 2nd Floor - City Commissioners Room

All meetings →
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$0
year to September 30, 2022 · Census estimate
Per resident, 2022
$0
Census estimate · not compared
Long-term debt
$61.2M
end of FY2022 · Census estimate
City staff, 2022
776
full-time · 138 part-time · March payroll $3.6M
Typical tax bill
$2,537
2.08% of home value · TX 1.49%

What stands out about how Pharr is run

Read from the city’s budget, meetings and official records.

Agendas posted online6 upcoming meetings posted, with agendas.A shared school districtShares Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District with 2 other towns.Split between districts3 State House and 2 U.S. House districts cover Pharr; your street decides yours.Its own police and fire138 sworn officers and 76 full-time firefighters on the payroll.
★ What stands out · Meetings

6 upcoming meetings at town hall

From Pharr’s own agenda portal, checked daily. Agendas can change up to the meeting, so check before you go.

Recent meetings

Go in person

Most meetings are open to the public, and many have a public comment period at the start.

Agenda portal ↗
Compared with similar places · Over the years

No comparison or trend for Pharr yet

Every year of Pharr’s figures is a Census Bureau estimate: the city reported none of its dollars for 2022. Estimates are shown above, labeled, but never ranked against places that reported or drawn as a trend.

How Town Hall compares budgets →
Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $2,537 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 2.08% of the home’s value, vs 1.49% across Texas.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Texas$4,232
McAllen$3,287
Pharr$2,537
San Juan$2,464
$2,537
typical bill a year
2.08%
effective rate
$121,900
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Pharr’s rate.

Can I afford it? →

The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.

Tax bills are one input to Pharr’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Pharr →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Pharr

Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.

See pharr-tx.gov for Pharr’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Pharr yet.pharr-tx.gov ↗
Who works for Pharr

One full-time city employee for every 102 residents

On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (79,513).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022

Parks & libraries122 + 101 pt
Police163
Administration & buildings112 + 11 pt
Health & welfare103 + 16 pt
Roads & transportation84 + 8 pt
Fire79
Water & other utilities43 + 2 pt
Sewer & trash17
Courts, inspections & corrections8
Other45
776
full-time
138
part-time
$3.6M
payroll for March 2022
$43.7M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$54,500
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
138
sworn police officers
76
full-time firefighters
Not compared.Staff are compared with the same group as the budget, and Pharr’s 2022 budget was a Census estimate, so there is no group to compare with.

The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.

The school district

Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District

Pharr’s K–12 school district, shared with San Juan, Alamo. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Pharr →
$15,679
per pupil · TX $12,815
30,008
students
$228.1 million
long-term debt

Of the $15,679 per pupil, $9,103 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.

The district: schools, scores and graduation →

Where the district’s money comes from
Local 15%State 66%Federal 18%

Texas districts overall: 51% local, 36% state, 13% federal.

Also serving Pharr

Hidalgo Independent School District · $14,842 per pupil

Valley View Independent School District · $14,755 per pupil

School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.

Elections · 2024 general election

Pharr’s votes are counted by county

Texas reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Pharr alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Hidalgo County’s results.

President · Hidalgo County’s results217,265 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican51.0%110,760 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat48.1%104,517 votes

Others: 0.9% (1,988 votes).

Most votes in Hidalgo County: Donald J Trump

Texas: Trump 56.1%, Harris 42.5%

The county’s page

100% of Pharr lies in Hidalgo County. Every 2024 race in Hidalgo County is on the county’s page.

Hidalgo County’s 2024 results →
DemocratRepublicanLibertarianIndependent / other

Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.

Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.

Who represents Pharr

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Pharr.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Officials: pharr-tx.gov ↗
  2. 2
    Texas HousePharr is split between 3 districts
    Sergio MuñozBobby GuerraTerry Canales
  3. 3
    Texas SenateState senator
    Chuy Hinojosa
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Greg Abbott
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseSplit between districts
    Monica De La CruzVicente Gonzalez
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Texas
    John CornynTed Cruz
Find your state legislators by address ↗Find your House district by ZIP code ↗

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Next door

How Pharr compares with the towns next door

Pharr’s own figures are Census estimates, so it isn’t placed among its neighbors. 0 of the 2 towns next door reported 2022 figures. Tap a town to see its page.

Lopezville: unincorporated, no town budgetMcAllen: no reported 2022 figuresSan Juan: no reported 2022 figuresLopezvilleMcAllenSan JuanPharr
Spends the leastSpends the mostEstimate or no figures
TownDay-to-day, per resident (2022)Tax bill
McAllenestimate$3,287
San Juanestimate$2,464
Pharrestimate$2,537

Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).

Reach Pharr’s government

The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.

The Handbook →
Official websitepharr-tx.gov ↗

Questions about Pharr’s government

How much does Pharr spend per resident?

About $0 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, a Census Bureau estimate (Pharr didn’t report its figures). With building projects and interest, the whole budget was about $0.

What is the property tax rate in Pharr?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,537 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 2.08% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.49% across Texas. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see pharr-tx.gov.

Who runs Pharr’s government?

See pharr-tx.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Pharr yet.

How did Pharr vote in 2024?

Texas counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Pharr alone. Hidalgo County, where 100% of Pharr lies, voted Trump 51.0%, Harris 48.1% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Pharr?

776 full-time and 138 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $3.6M (about $43.7M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Pharr in the state legislature?

Pharr is split among 3 State House districts, so your address decides. The Texas Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 20 (Chuy Hinojosa). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

When is the next public meeting in Pharr?

The next posted meeting is Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone #1 on Monday, November 2, at 3:55 pm in 118 S. Cage Blvd., 2nd Floor - City Commissioners Room, from the city’s own agenda portal.

Ask neighbors about Pharr’s government

Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.

Town Square →
Ask neighbors

Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (for Pharr, the Bureau’s estimates); day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →