Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
San Benito earns a D−, 600th of 640 graded towns in Texas, mostly because of health and incomes. Residents are less healthy than 88% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. The median household income is $44K, and 30% of residents live below the poverty line. One bright spot: homes are within reach, about $159K for a typical one, or 3 years of the Brownsville metro’s $53K median household income. 30% of residents live below the poverty line in San Benito, against 12% in Texas’ towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. San Benito's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 100% of U.S. towns. Palmville is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Texas), ordered by how far San Benito is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 5,070 in 1920, 24,861 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1909 and 4 maps from 1929 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in San Benito, 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 San Benito.
San Benito has more 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns, is healthier than towns with similar incomes and trades workers with Harlingen and other neighbors.
Against the 3,547 U.S. towns with household incomes like San Benito’s, it is less healthy than 54%, so its D isn’t only a matter of income.
36% of adults say their health is fair or poor in San Benito. San Benito beats the Texas average on 3 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 21. 41% of adults get no exercise outside work in San Benito.
| San Benito | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 24% | 19% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 13% | 12% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 30% | 25% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 20% | 14% |
| What stands out | San Benito | TX |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 14.4% | 17% |
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.2% | 6.1% |
| More uninsured adults | 39.4% | 19.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by San Benito CISD. Two of its 20 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Texas Isd Rising Scholars AcademyLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 781 | A |
| San Benito H SLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 2,057 | D |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TX on state tests and graduation
Values rose 4.8% in the past year while the Texas typical home fell 1.5%. The median property tax bill is $1,286, against $4,232 across Texas, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
San Benito’s median rent is $839 a month. Typical home values rose 4.8% in the year to September 2026.
| San Benito | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $839 a month | $1,208 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 66% | 69% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Reported crimes fell from 867 to 661 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
The property crime rate in San Benito is 24.8 per 1,000 residents.
| San Benito | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 24.8 per 1,000 residents | 10.7 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2 per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
| San Benito | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 1.6% | 1.9% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Kennedy Park | 0.4 mi | 7 |
| 2. Landrum Park | 0.3 mi | 2 |
| 3. Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge | 0.1 mi | 120 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
229 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 15 properties have flooded more than once.
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 72% of U.S. communities. Since 1980, 229 flood insurance claims have been paid out in San Benito.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The Harlingen weather station, 5 miles away, records that about 151 days a year reach 90°, more than in 99% of U.S. towns. January nights average 51°, milder than in 99% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 95.6°.
Only 9 of the 642 Texas towns we compare have a higher January low than San Benito. San Benito has warm winters and hot summers. Snow is almost unheard of.
| San Benito | 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
San Benito has about as many jobs (7,866) as working residents, but only 1,246 people both live and work here. The average commute takes 17.5 minutes, against 26.7 across Texas.
Most working residents leave San Benito for work: only 14% work in town. Jobs based in San Benito grew to 7,866 in 2023, 1,130 more than in 2013. The top destinations are Harlingen (28%), Brownsville (13%) and McAllen (3%).
| San Benito | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $44,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 14% | 8.3% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around San Benito. Close and well known come first.
Big draw30 mi Park & preserveStarbase
19 mi LandmarkFort Brown
18 mi Zoo & aquariumGladys Porter Zoo32 mi Stadium & arenaRobert and Janet Vackar Stadium
34 mi Stadium & arenaBert Ogden Arena
12 mi National Historical ParkPalo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park169K visitors a yearStarbase: Jared Krahn, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Fort Brown: Pi3.124, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Gladys Porter Zoo: Jc161991, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Bert Ogden Arena: Wikidude10000, CC0 · Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park: Schmorleitz, CC BY-SA 3.0
None within 15 miles of San Benito; the nearest are
About 5 of every 100 San Benito residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Texas.
8 notable people were born in San Benito.
City in Texas, United States
San Benito is a city in Cameron County, in the U.S. state of Texas, United States. Its population was 24,861 at the 2020 census. On April 3, 2007, San Benito celebrated the 100th anniversary of its naming. The post office was named "Diaz" from April to May 1907. The San Benito Museum, Freddy Fender Museum, and Conjunto Music Museum opened in the same building on November 17, 2007. On October 25, 1975, on the television show Hee Haw, Freddy Fender saluted his hometown of San Benito, population 15,177. San Benito is part of the Brownsville–Harlingen–Raymondville and the Matamoros–Brownsville metropolitan areas.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
4 towns share a border with San Benito.
All 3 graded towns on its borders grade higher than its D−; Brownsville (D) is closest. Brownsville next door grades higher for schools (B to San Benito’s C−) and lower for cost of living (C to B).
| Town | TX rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Benito | #600 | D− | B | C− | C− | D |
| Harlingen | #557 | D | C+ | C− | C+ | C− |
| El Camino Angosto | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Brownsville | #559 | D | C | C− | B | C− |
| La Paloma | #441 | C− | A+ | — | C− | D |
La Paloma reports no FBI crime data of its own. El Camino Angosto isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare San Benito with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
San Benito grades D− overall, better than 4% of U.S. towns and #600 of 640 in Texas. It grades D for health, C− for safety and C− for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D.
8 notable people were born here, including Freddy Fender and Charley Crockett.
