Sign, 1939
San Juan’s story
117 years in pictures
Census counts: 1,203 in 1920, 35,294 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1939 and 3 maps from 1914 on.
- 1909San Juan is settled
San JuanTX
A town of 37,868, settled in 1909.
Population
37,868
2025 Census estimate · +7.2% since 2020
Typical home
$178K
−0.6% in a year
Household income
$57K
median
Median age
30.7
years
Jobs based here
6,230
A commuter town
TownGrade
D
#498 of 640 in TX
Is San Juan a good place to live?
San Juan earns a D, 498th among Texas's 640 graded towns, mostly because of health and incomes. Residents are less healthy than 90% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. The median household income is $57K, and 22% of residents live below the poverty line. In its favor, its public schools beat 50% of Texas towns on state tests and graduation. San Juan’s January low is 50°F, above both the Texas town median (37°F) and the median of U.S. towns (22°F). San Juan's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 100% of U.S. towns. Only 80 of Texas’ 1,000 towns score lower on history.
A commuter town
95% of working residents leave San Juan for work
Where San Juan’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
6,230jobs based in San Juan
5%of working residents work in town
6 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How San Juan grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Texas), ordered by how far San Juan is from typical.
HealthRio Grande Regional Hospital 4.5 miles awayDOpen →Jobs & incomeCOpen →Hazard riskhurricanes tops the listCOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.9 of 20; 3.7% of households have no car; 0.7% of workers walk, bike or ride transitCOpen →Cost of livingC+Open →SafetyC+Open →SchoolsB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors4 miles of trails; 1% conserved landCOpen →HistoryDOpen →Civic life0.8 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, 99° summer afternoons–Open →Housing market108 days on market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 30.7; 15% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to San Juan: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in San Juan, and how to reach them.
PowerOncorEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of San Juan water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet9 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have San Juan’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 code7858978589 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 San Juan.
San Juan has more 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns, has home values climbing faster than Texas’s and has seen reported crime fall by a fifth or more.
HealthD
San Juan earns a D for health
36% of adults say their health is fair or poor in San Juan. San Juan beats the Texas average on 1 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 17. 35% of adults worry about having enough food in San Juan.
10%healthier than U.S. townsDHealth Grade
| San Juan | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 24% | 19% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 35% | 20% | 14% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 18% | 8.1% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 13% | 12% |
31 measures vs. Texas
1 better13 too close to call17 worse
| What stands out | San Juan | TX |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 4.1% | 6.1% |
| More uninsured adults | 39.8% | 19.1% |
Rio Grande Regional Hospital
4.5 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
15th
percentile among TX towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SchoolsB−
San Juan earns a B− for schools
Its public schools are run by Pharr-San Juan-Alamo ISD. Two of its 16 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
50%of TX districts it outscoresB−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austin MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 833 | D |
| Psja Early College H SLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 2,300 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TX on state tests and graduation
HousingCost of living grade C+
San Juan’s typical home value is about $178K
Home values rose 29% in five years, to about $178K, against 10% across Texas.
The typical San Juan home is worth about $178,000, down 0.6% in a year, 40% below the Texas typical home. San Juan’s median rent is $961 a month.
$178KZillow home value
| San Juan | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 80% | 69% | 73% |
| Median rent | $961 a month | $1,208 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
San Juan$178K
Texas$296K
Market temperature
108
days on market
100%
sale-to-list price
−0.6%
value change, 1 year
13
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
OutdoorsC
San Juan has set aside 1.1% of its land for conservation
4.3 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves. The biggest place to walk is San Juan Park, 26 acres with 1.5 miles of trail.
#241for trails in TX
| San Juan | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 1.1% | 1.9% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
1.1%
conserved · 88 of 7,735 acres
4.3 mi
of trails · 0.4 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. San Juan Park | 1.5 mi | 26 |
| 2. MayField Park | 0.8 mi | 14 |
| 3. Lions Park | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C
San Juan has 0.5 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Jobs based here grew from 3,612 in 2013 to 6,230.
Most working residents leave San Juan for work: only 5% work in town. Since 2013, San Juan has added 2,618 jobs, to 6,230 in 2023. 6.3% of San Juan workers work from home.
5%work in town
| San Juan | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 6.3% | 9.7% | 11% |
| Median household income | $57,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 4.9% | 8.3% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In San Juan5%
McAllen24%
Pharr20%
Edinburg11%
Mission5%
6 mi
median commute distance
6,230
jobs based in San Juan
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C
Walkability grade: more walkable than 33% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
San Juan has mild winters and hot summers
The Mcallen weather station, 6 miles away, records that about 170 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 97.2°.
San Juan has warm winters and hot summers, with very little rain. The July high in San Juan is 97°F. Snow is almost unheard of.
99°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter52–73°
Spring66–87°
Summer76–97°
Fall66–87°
+1.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
99°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C
Hurricanes leads a high hazard risk in San Juan
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 67% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 13 flood insurance claims have been paid out in San Juan.
67risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
HurricanesCold wavesInland flooding
13
paid flood claims since 1979
9
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
SafetyC+
San Juan reports more crime per resident than 58% of U.S. towns
Reported crimes fell from 641 to 481 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
42%of U.S. towns report more crimeC+Safety Grade
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
San Juan1.7
Texas3.5
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
San Juan11
Texas18.1
U.S.15.5
42nd
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
52nd
percentile among TX towns
63
violent crimes reported in 2025
418
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Nearby attractions
All 10 attractions →Bert Ogden Arena and 5 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around San Juan. Close and well known come first.
5 mi Stadium & arenaBert Ogden Arena7 mi Stadium & arenaRobert and Janet Vackar Stadium
7 mi Stadium & arenaPayne Arena8 mi MuseumMuseum of South Texas History
6 mi GardenMcAllen Botanical Gardens
11 mi TheatreBorder TheaterSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Bert Ogden Arena: Wikidude10000, CC0 · Payne Arena: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0 · McAllen Botanical Gardens: Whitney Cranshaw, Colorado State University, United States, CC BY 3.0 us · Border Theater: Andres Gonzalez, CC BY-SA 4.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about San Juan
19pages on San Juan
The big questions
SchoolsB−Beat 50% of TX districts · 16 schoolsSafetyC+1.7 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthDBetter than TX on 1 of 31 CDC measuresCost of livingC+$178K typical home · down 0.6% in a yearWork & commuteC$57K median household income · 6,230 jobs hereNatural hazardsCFEMA risk higher than 67% of U.S. communities · hurricanes
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of San Juan
South Texas CollegeCommunity college · Public · McAllen6.6 mi$4,920 in-state tuitionThe University of Texas Rio Grande ValleyUniversity or college · Public · Edinburg8.2 mi$9,987 in-state tuition
About 6 of every 100 San Juan residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Texas.
About San Juan
City in Texas
San Juan is a city in Hidalgo County, Texas, United States. As of the 2020 census, its population was 35,294, an increase over the 33,856 tabulated in 2010. It is part of the McAllen–Edinburg–Mission and Reynosa–McAllen metropolitan areas. The city is known for the Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle, one of the largest churches in South Texas.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 11 sq mi
- Elevation
- 105 ft
- ZIP code
- 78589
- Area code
- 956
San Juan’s neighbors
3 towns share a border with San Juan.
North AlamoLopezvillePharrSan Juan
How the neighbors grade
| Town | TX rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Juan | #498 | D | C+ | C+ | B− | D |
| North Alamo | #278 | C+ | A | — | B− | D |
| Lopezville | — | — | B+ | — | B− | D |
| Pharr | #492 | D | C | C+ | B− | D |
Lopezville has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. North Alamo and Lopezville report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare San Juan with a neighbor →
Questions about San Juan
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is San Juan, TX a good place to live?
San Juan grades D overall, better than 9% of U.S. towns and #498 of 640 in Texas. It grades D for health, C+ for safety and B− for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D.
Is San Juan, TX expensive?
That is 3.3 years of the area's median household income ($54,338 across the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.