McAllen Senior Advisor
What is McAllen Senior Advisor?
McAllen Senior Advisor is a free senior care referral and advisory service for families in McAllen, Edinburg, Mission, Pharr, Weslaco and the rest of Hidalgo County in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas.
We publish what Texas rules require, what the published cost data says, and every licensed provider on the state's own records; then a local advisor helps you narrow the list, in English or Spanish. Partner communities pay us a referral fee when a family moves in, which is how the service stays free for you. We would rather you hear that from us first.
How many older adults and licensed care options are in Hidalgo County?
Hidalgo County had about 118,695 residents aged 65 and older on July 1, 2025 (12.9% of 921,549), by Census Bureau estimates, and the Texas Health and Human Services Commission licenses 16 assisted living facilities, 23 nursing homes and 130 adult day centers there.
| License type (HHSC) | Active licenses | Licensed capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Assisted living facilities | 16 | 378 |
| Alzheimer's certified assisted living | 4 | 132 |
| Nursing homes | 23 | 2,818 |
| Adult day (DAHS) centers | 130 | 13,737 |
| Home health agencies | 177 | — |
| Hospices | 52 | — |
| Personal assistance (PAS-only) agencies | 257 | — |
Population: U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 county population estimates by age (July 1, 2025). Licenses: HHSC directories as of November 5, 2026.
The county is young overall, with a median age of 31.7, but its older population is growing fast: from 101,878 residents 65 and older in April 2020 to 118,695 in 2025, up 17%, while the total population grew 6%.
Why does the Valley have so many adult day centers and so little assisted living?
Because most older adults in the Valley are cared for at home by family, with Medicaid paying for weekday adult day programs and in-home attendants: Hidalgo County holds 130 of Texas's 387 licensed DAHS centers but only 16 licensed assisted living facilities, none of which reports accepting Medicaid.
That shapes every search here. See adult day care, in-home care and the assisted living roster.
How does Texas license assisted living and memory care?
HHSC licenses assisted living as Type A or Type B under 26 TAC Chapter 553, depending on whether residents can evacuate without help, and only a Type B building or unit that HHSC has certified may advertise specialized Alzheimer's care.
Read how Texas licenses assisted living or how memory care is certified.
What does senior care cost in the Rio Grande Valley?
CareScout's 2025 Texas medians are $5,666 a month for assisted living, $185 a day for a semi-private nursing home room, about $30 an hour for home care and $90 a day for adult day care; no McAllen-specific or memory care median is published.
Texas Medicaid, through STAR+PLUS health plans, pays for adult day care and attendants for many Valley families, and for nursing home care. See costs and payment options.
Where should a McAllen family begin?
Begin with what just happened, not with a care type: a hospital discharge, a parent struggling alone, wandering from dementia, a worn-out caregiver or savings running low each call for a different first step.
What we are, and what we are not
| McAllen Senior Advisor is | McAllen Senior Advisor is not | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to families | Free; partner communities pay a referral fee | Billed to you, now or later |
| Data | Texas HHSC directories, TULIP and CMS Care Compare | Aggregator listings or paid placement |
| Ratings | CMS star ratings, labelled as CMS's | Our own scores or rankings |
| Affiliation | An independent referral service | A government agency or the Area Agency on Aging |
