Texas · Census, HUD and BEA figures · Updated

Cost of Living in Hidalgo County, TX

Prices around Hidalgo County, TX run 14.1% below the U.S. average (BEA, the metro area). The typical household there earns $54,338 a year, and HUD puts a two-bedroom at $1,060 a month. Keeping that rent under 30% of income takes about $42,400 a year.

Hidalgo County, TX at a glance

Median household income

$54,338$4,528 per month · U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year
2-bedroom rent$1,060HUD FY2026 Fair Market Rent
Price level (U.S. = 100)85.9-14.1% · BEA, the metro area
Electricity15.9¢per kWh · EIA Residential TX
Population891,977Census ACS 5-year estimate

How much rent can you afford in Hidalgo County, TX?

HUD’s fair market rent for each size, against what a typical household here earns. Change the income to see yours.

Affordable (< 30% of income)
HUD Fair Market Rent$1,060Monthly market rent
Share of gross income23.4%Recommended max: 30%
Annual income needed$42,400To meet the 30% standard
Max affordable rent$1,358At 30% of $54,338
0%30% (Affordability standard)100%
Compare against:

How much is rent in Hidalgo County, TX? By bedroom, 2026

HUD's fiscal 2026 Fair Market Rents for McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX MSA, with the income each one takes if rent stays under 30% of it.

HUD Fair Market Rent in Hidalgo County, TX, fiscal 2026
Unit SizeMonthly RentAnnual Rent30% Rule Min. Income% of Median Income
Studio / Efficiency$842$10,104$33,68018.6%
1-Bedroom Apartment$847$10,164$33,88018.7%
2-Bedroom ApartmentBenchmark$1,060$12,720$42,40023.4%
3-Bedroom Home$1,376$16,512$55,04030.4%
4-Bedroom Home$1,522$18,264$60,88033.6%

Rent in Hidalgo County, TX, with the wage each unit needs →

What a typical income covers in Hidalgo County, TX

The 50/30/20 rule applied to the local median of $54,338 a year ($4,528 a month before tax).

Needs (50%)$2,264/moRent ($1,060 2-BR), utilities (~$143/mo), groceries, transit
Wants (30%)$1,358/moEating out, travel, subscriptions and the rest
Savings and debt (20%)$906/moEmergency fund, retirement, paying down loans

What $54,338 leaves after Texas taxes

Federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and Texas tax on the local median income. Change the salary to see yours.

$54,338
$20,000$110,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$54,338
Net 84%
Fed 8%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$45,841After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,820Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,763Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate15.6%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$4,341 / yr
Texas state income taxNo state wage tax$0
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$4,157 / yr

Living in Hidalgo County, TX: common questions

What is the median household income in Hidalgo County, TX?

According to the latest U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year survey, the median household income in Hidalgo County, TX is $54,338 per year (approximately $4,528 per month).

What is the average rent in Hidalgo County, TX?

The closest official figure is HUD's Fair Market Rent for 2026: $842 for a studio, $847 for one bedroom, $1,060 for two, $1,376 for three and $1,522 for four, utilities included.

It is not an average of listings. HUD sets it at the rent 40% of recent movers paid or less for a standard unit, so a new lease on a nicer place will usually cost more.

Is Hidalgo County, TX expensive to live in?

Prices there run 14.1% below the U.S. average. BEA's regional price parity for the metro area is 85.9, where the U.S. is 100. Rent moves the number most: housing is where places differ, while goods cost about the same everywhere.

How much do you need to earn to comfortably afford rent in Hidalgo County, TX?

To keep a $1,060 two-bedroom under 30% of gross income, a household needs about $42,400 a year, or $3,533 a month. That is 78% of what the typical household in Hidalgo County, TX earns.

How much do you need to live comfortably in Hidalgo County, TX?

On the local median income of $54,338 ($4,528 a month before tax), the 50/30/20 rule leaves $2,264 a month for needs like rent, utilities and groceries, $1,358 for everything else and $906 for savings or debt. A two-bedroom at $1,060 takes 47% of the needs share.

How much is the electric bill in Hidalgo County, TX?

Homes in Texas paid 15.9¢ per kWh on average (EIA). At 900 kWh a month, a typical use, that is about $143. Your bill depends mostly on heating and cooling.