Places › Texas › Harlingen

Living in Harlingen, TX

Small city in Texas

Harlingen is a small city in Texas, home to about 72,000 people, with 775,000 living within 31 mi. Day to day, a car is essential. Life moves at a relaxed pace, and homes are a mix of apartments and houses.

Is Harlingen a good place to live? Pros and cons

👍 Pros

  • Affordable housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $216k and rents for $1,410 a month
  • Strong healthcare: 3 top-rated (4–5★) hospitals within 31 mi
  • Sunny: more sunshine and clearer skies than most places
  • Low natural disaster risk: 11 federally declared disasters since 2000

👎 Cons

  • No dog parks within 9 mi
  • Fewer graduates: 22% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher
  • Quieter on culture: few museums and attractions nearby
  • Fewer outdoor escapes: no big hills or water close by

Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Harlingen ranks against your own priorities.

Key facts

Population
72,000
775,000 within 31 mi
Winter / summer highs
74°F / 97°F
Average daily highs
3-bedroom home
$216k
Typical value (Zillow)
3-bedroom rent
$1,410/mo
Incl. utilities (HUD)
Cost of living
86
US average = 100 (BEA)
Taxes
No income tax
State income tax per resident · 1.62% property tax
Safety
1.1× US
Violent crime vs US (FBI 2019)
Natural disasters
11 since 2000
Declared in the county · mainly hurricanes, flooding
Top-rated hospitals
3
4–5★ within 31 mi (CMS)
Adults with a degree
22%
1 research university within 31 mi
Nearest major airport
SAT
235 mi away

Living in Harlingen: common questions

What is the cost of living in Harlingen?

A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $216k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $1,410 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are below the US average (index 86, where the US is 100).

What are taxes like in Harlingen?

Texas has no state income tax, and homeowners here pay about 1.62% of their home's value in property tax each year.

Is Harlingen safe?

Violent crime is close to the national rate (1.1× in FBI 2019 data).

What is the weather like in Harlingen?

Harlingen is warm all year: winter days average around 74°F and summer days around 97°F.

Does Harlingen get natural disasters?

Natural disaster risk is moderate, mainly from hurricanes, flooding and cold waves: 11 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.86 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.

What is the nearest major airport to Harlingen?

The nearest major airport is SAT, about 235 mi away.

How Harlingen scores

Each bar compares Harlingen with the other 1143 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).

🏙️City size Small city Major metroSmall town
🏘️Urban or quiet Suburban Dense & urbanQuiet / rural
🚶Getting around Car essential Walk & transitCar essential
🌲Culture or nature Culture & nature Culture & nightlifeNature on the doorstep
🌡️Climate Warm all year Warm all yearLong, snowy winters
💰Cost of living Very affordable Very expensiveVery affordable
⏱️Pace Relaxed Very fast-pacedSlow & calm
🤝Community Friendly community AnonymousTight-knit community
🏡Housing Apartments & houses ApartmentsHouses with yards
🏷️Affordable housing Excellent
💸Low taxes Average
💼Job market Poor
🏥Healthcare Good
🎓Education Poor
🧸Kids & family Below average
🐕Dog-friendly Poor
⛰️Outdoors Poor
🎭Culture Poor
🛡️Safety Moderate crime
🌪️Few natural disasters Good
☀️Sunny Good
🌤️Mild summers Poor
✈️Airport Below average

Places like Harlingen

These places have the most similar overall profile across all 23 aspects.

Nearby

See all the best places to live in Texas.

Is Harlingen right for you?

Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.

Take the free quiz →

Sources: US Census ACS 2019–2023, Census State Tax Collections FY2025, Zillow 3-bedroom ZHVI, HUD Fair Market Rents, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, FBI 2019, FEMA National Risk Index v1.20, OpenFEMA disaster declarations, NOAA Normals 1991–2020, NASA POWER, CMS, NCES IPEDS 2023, IMLS, OpenStreetMap. How scores work.