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Hidalgo County, Texas

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Hidalgo County (Template:IPAc-en; Template:IPA) is located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 870,781,<ref name="QF">Template:Cite web</ref> making it the ninth-most populous county in Texas, and the most populous county outside of the counties in the Texas Triangle. The county seat is Edinburg<ref name="GR6">Template:Cite web</ref> and the largest city is McAllen. The county is named for Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, the priest who raised the call for Mexico's independence from Spain.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> It is located in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas and is one of the fastest-growing counties in the United States. Hidalgo County is designated by the U.S. Census Bureau as the McAllen–Edinburg–Mission metropolitan statistical area, which itself is part of the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission-Rio Grande City, Texas combined statistical area with neighboring Starr County.

With a population that is 91.9% Hispanic as of 2020, it is Texas' second-most populous majority-Hispanic county and the fifth-largest nationwide. It is also the largest county which is over 90% Hispanic.<ref name="2020Hispanic">Template:Cite web</ref> It is also the southernmost landlocked county in the United States, and in 2021, it was the largest county in the nation with a total fertility rate above the replacement level (at 2.13).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Geography

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According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert (0.8%) are covered by water.<ref name="GR1">Template:Cite web</ref> The northern part of the county has sandy and light loamy soils over deep reddish or mottled, clayey subsoils. In some areas, limestone lies within Template:Cvt of the surface. The southern part of the county has moderately deep to deep loamy surfaces over clayey subsoils. Along the Rio Grande, brown to red clays are found. Hidalgo County is in the South Texas Plains vegetation area, which features grasses, mesquite, live oaks, and chaparral. Native plants, reduced in recent years by extensive farming, include chapote, guayacán, ebony, huisache, brasil, and yucca.

Natural resources included caliche, sand, gravel, oil, and gas. Oil and gas production in 1982 totaled Template:Convert of gas-well gas, 139,995 barrels of crude oil, 1,101,666 barrels of condensate, and Template:Convert of casinghead gas. The climate is subtropical and humid. Temperatures range from an average low of Template:Convert in January to an average high to Template:Convert in July; the average annual temperature is Template:Convert. Rainfall averages Template:Convert a year, and the growing season lasts for 320 days of the year.<ref name="Almanac" />

Major highways

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Adjacent counties and municipalities

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National protected areas

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Demographics

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Hidalgo County, Texas – Racial and ethnic composition
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Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) Pop 1930<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Pop 1980<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Pop 1990<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Pop 2000<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Pop 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref> Template:Partial<ref name=2020CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref> % 1930 % 1980 % 1990 % 2000 % 2010 Template:Partial
White alone (NH) 34,933 51,719 54,259 59,423 60,553 53,338 Template:Percentage Template:Percentage 14.15% 10.43% 7.82% 6.13%
Black or African American alone (NH) 491 422 518 1,934 2,777 3,364 Template:Percentage Template:Percentage 0.14% 0.34% 0.36% 0.39%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 229 428 524 635 0.06% 0.08% 0.07% 0.07%
Asian alone (NH) 847 3,207 7,122 8,604 0.22% 0.56% 0.92% 0.99%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 37 49 78 0.01% 0.01% 0.01%
Other race alone (NH) 41,580 876 720 171 348 1,915 54.00% Template:Percentage 0.19% 0.03% 0.04% 0.22%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) 1,163 1,190 2,846 0.20% 0.15% 0.33%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 230,212 326,972 503,100 702,206 800,001 Template:Percentage 85.25% 88.35% 90.63% 91.87%
Total 77,004 283,229 383,545 569,463 774,769 870,781 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%

2010 census

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As of the census of 2010, there were 774,769 people living in the county. 88.0% were White, 1.0% Asian, 0.6% Black or African American, 0.3% Native American, 8.8% of some other race and 1.3% of two or more races. 90.6% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race).

There were 216,471 households, and 179,668 families living in the county. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 248,287 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. There were 216,471 households, out of which 54.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.00% were married couples living together, 18.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.0% were non-families. 14.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.55 and the average family size was 3.94.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 34.7% under the age of 18, 10.7% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 18.2% from 45 to 64, and 9.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28.3 years. For every 100 females there were 94.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.90 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $30,134, and the median income for a family was $31,760. Males had a median income of $22,635 versus $17,526 for females. The per capita income for the county was $12,130. About 32.60% of families and 35.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 47.4% of those under age 18 and 29.8% of those age 65 or over. The county's per-capita income makes it one of the poorest counties in the United States. In 2009, it was tied with Bronx County, New York for "the greatest share of people receiving food stamps: 29 percent."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Las Milpas, previously unincorporated, was annexed by Pharr in 1987.<ref name=HandbookLasMilpas>"LAS MILPAS, TX." Handbook of Texas. Retrieved on September 27, 2013.</ref>

Metropolitan Statistical Area

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The McAllen–Edinburg–Mission Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), is a U.S. metropolitan statistical area defined by the United States Census Bureau, consisting of one county – Hidalgo – in the Rio Grande Valley region of South Texas, anchored by the cities of McAllen, Edinburg, Pharr and Mission. It is ranked the fifth most populated metropolitan area in the state of Texas. It is also part of the transnational metropolitan area of Reynosa–McAllen.

It has the lowest per capita income of the 276 MSAs within the 50 states at $9,899. Its median household income is also the lowest within the 50 states at $24,863. In a survey done in over 190 metropolitan areas it had the highest obesity rate of residents at 38.8 percent.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Today, the states with the highest poverty rates (of over 20 million living on $2 a day) are all in the southern part of the country (Table 1) [7], and the nation's poorest large metropolitan area is McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, Texas.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

Major/Anchor cities

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Unincorporated places

Government and politics

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Hidalgo County tends to vote for the Democratic Party, although there is representation of the Republican Party in some of the offices that affect the county. Hidalgo County is represented by Monica De La Cruz of Template:Ushr and Vicente González of Template:Ushr. In the 2012 presidential election, 70.4% voted for Barack Obama, while 28.6% voted for Mitt Romney. In the 2020 presidential election, Hidalgo County saw a significant shift to the Republican Party, with Donald Trump increasing the Republican vote from 27.9% in 2016 to 41%.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> However, as an urban county, the shift was not as large as nearby less densely populated counties. In 2024, on his third run, Trump won the county by 3 points, following a trend that resulted in many Hispanic-majority counties in Texas and Florida flipping red, the first time the county voted for the Republican nominee since 1972.

In the Texas House of Representatives, it is covered by districts 39, 40, and 41.

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County services

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The Hidalgo County Sheriff's Office operates jail facilities and is the primary provider of law enforcement services to the county's unincorporated areas.

County government

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Position Name Party
County Judge Richard Cortez Democratic
Commissioner, Precinct 1 David Fuentes Democratic
Commissioner, Precinct 2 Eduardo "Eddie" Cantu Democratic
Commissioner, Precinct 3 Everardo Villareal Democratic
Commissioner, Precinct 4 Ellie Torres Democratic
Criminal District Attorney Toribio "Terry" Palacios Democratic
District Clerk Laura Hinojosa Democratic
County Clerk Arturo Guajardo, Jr. Democratic
Sheriff J.E. "Eddie" Guerra Democratic
Tax Assessor-Collector Pablo "Paul" Villarreal Democratic
Treasurer Lita Leo Democratic
Constable, Precinct 1 Celestino Avila, Jr. Democratic
Constable, Precinct 2 Martin Cantu Democratic
Constable, Precinct 3 Lazaro Gallardo, Jr. Democratic
Constable, Precinct 4 Atanacio "J.R." Gaitan Democratic
Constable, Precinct 5 Danny Marichalar Democratic

Education

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The following school districts serve Hidalgo County:<ref>Template:Cite web - list</ref>

In addition, the county is served by the multi-county South Texas Independent School District.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Roman Catholic Diocese of Brownsville operates three PK-8th Grade schools, two lower-level elementary schools and two high schools.

The Edinburg campus of the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (formerly University of Texas-Pan American) is located in Hidalgo County.

All of the county is in the service area of South Texas College.<ref>Texas Education Code, Sec. 130.199. SOUTH TEXAS COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT SERVICE AREA..</ref> The Pecan, Mid-Valley, Technology, and Nursing & Allied Health campuses of South Texas College are located in Hidalgo County.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Economy

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In 2020, the total value of products produced in Hidalgo was $11.5 billion.<ref>Hidalgo economy</ref>

In 1982, 91% of the land was in farms and ranches, with 52% of the farmland under cultivation and 85% irrigated; 51 to 60% of the county was considered prime farmland. The primary crops were sorghum, cotton, corn, and vegetables; Hidalgo County led Texas counties in the production of cabbage, onions, cantaloupes, carrots, and watermelons. The primary fruits and nuts grown in the county were grapefruit, oranges, and pecans. Cattle, milk cows, and hogs were the primary livestock products.<ref name="Almanac">Template:Cite web</ref> Hidalgo is the highest-producing county in the state for oilseeds and dry beans.<ref name="census-2017">Template:Cite web</ref>

The Southern Cattle Tick (Rhipicephalus microplus) is invasive here.<ref name="Thomas" /> Populations here have also become highly permethrin resistant.<ref name="Thomas" /> In 2014 the problem had become so severe in Cameron that spread here (and to other neighboring counties) was feared.<ref name="Thomas" /> A Temporary Preventative Quarantine Area was established in Cameron to preserve efficacy in these counties.<ref name="Thomas" /> This was unsuccessful however, due at least in part to the ticks' infestation of wildlife including whitetail (Odocoileus virginianus).<ref name="Thomas">

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Media

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Newspapers

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  • The Community Press
  • The Valley Town Crier
  • The Monitor
  • The Mercedes Enterprise
  • RGV Business Journal
  • The Progress Times
  • Texas Border Business
  • Mega Doctor News

Radio stations

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Magazine

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Communities

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Cities

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Census-designated places

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Former census-designated places

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Unincorporated community

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See also

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References

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