Hidalgo County's Older Population Grew Faster Than the County Itself, 2020 to 2025

What the estimates show

The Census Bureau's Vintage 2025 county estimates, released in 2026, track the population by age from the April 2020 census base to July 1, 2025. For Hidalgo County:

The 65-and-older group now makes up 12.9% of the county, below the Texas figure of 14.9%. Neighboring Cameron County is older, at 15.7%.

Where people live

Growth is uneven across the county. Alton grew fastest, by about a third, and Edinburg added the most residents; McAllen remains the largest city. About 262,041 people live outside any city limits, in colonias and rural neighborhoods.

City-level estimates by age are not published every year, so the county is the best unit for the older population.

What it means for care

A growing older population lands on a care system built around families, adult day centers and attendants. Hidalgo County has 130 licensed adult day centers and 434 home health and attendant agencies, but only 16 licensed assisted living facilities and 23 nursing homes.

The 12,509 residents aged 85 and older are the group most likely to need help with daily activities and the most likely to need a residential setting eventually. As that group grows, so will demand for the county's limited assisted living and memory care.

What families can do now

Plan earlier than you think you need to. Visit adult day centers and assisted living before a crisis, so the choices are yours rather than the hospital's. Put legal documents in place while a parent can sign them.

Learn the payment picture. STAR+PLUS pays for much home and day care for people who qualify, but no licensed assisted living facility in the county reports accepting Medicaid. Families who expect to need assisted living should plan for private payment or know which nursing homes they would choose.

Women outnumber men among older residents

Of Hidalgo County's 118,695 residents aged 65 and older in 2025, about 66,300 were women, the familiar pattern of longer life expectancy for women. Many older women in the Valley live alone after a spouse's death, and many are cared for by daughters, which shapes how families arrange care.

It also means that spousal protections under Medicaid often matter to a wife at home when a husband needs nursing home care, and that survivors' pensions are worth checking for widows of wartime veterans.

Planning for the 85-and-older group

The county's 12,509 residents aged 85 and older are the ones most likely to need daily help and, eventually, a residential setting. Families with a parent in that age group should know which adult day centers, attendant agencies and nursing homes they would choose before a hospital stay forces a quick decision.

Why the Valley ages differently

The Valley's median age stays low because families are large and many residents are young. That masks a steady rise in older adults, both long-time residents growing older and people returning to the Valley to retire near family. A low median age can lead planners to underestimate demand for care.

For families, the practical effect is competition for a small number of residential places. Adult day centers and attendant agencies have grown to meet demand; assisted living and memory care have not kept the same pace.

How we use the figures on this site

Population figures on our city and county pages come from the same Census Vintage 2025 files used here. Facility counts come from HHSC's directories. Comparing the two gives a rough sense of supply, but the directory roster is the place to look for specific options.

A note on the numbers

These are estimates, not counts, and the Census Bureau revises them each year. Seasonal residents who spend winters in the Valley are generally counted at their usual residence elsewhere, so the county's winter population of older adults is larger than the estimates suggest.

If you are helping a parent from out of town, start with a phone call to the Area Agency on Aging of the Lower Rio Grande Valley at (956) 682-3481. Staff can explain local programs and waiting lists, and our city pages show every licensed provider near your parent's home.