McAllen Senior AdvisorWhich Valley cities does McAllen Senior Advisor cover?
We cover all of Hidalgo County, the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission metro: McAllen, Edinburg, Mission, Pharr, Weslaco, San Juan, Alamo, Donna, Mercedes, the western county from Palmview to Sullivan City, and the Delta towns.
| City or area | Population (2025) | Assisted living | Nursing homes | Adult day | Home care offices |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| McAllen | 150,640 | 3 | 8 | 10 | 148 |
| Edinburg | 110,700 | 4 | 4 | 17 | 88 |
| Mission, Alton & Palmhurst | 115,692 | 5 | 2 | 27 | 81 |
| Pharr & Hidalgo | 96,206 | 1 | 1 | 18 | 53 |
| Weslaco, Progreso & the Delta towns | 61,078 | 1 | 4 | 23 | 50 |
| San Juan & Alamo | 58,493 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 20 |
| Donna & Mercedes | 34,613 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 16 |
| Palmview, Peñitas, La Joya & Sullivan City | 31,521 | 0 | 1 | 19 | 29 |
U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 city and town population estimates (sub-est2025_48.csv); [2025 estimate, April 2020 base]; licenses from HHSC directories as of November 5, 2026.
How old is Hidalgo County's population?
Hidalgo County is young, with a median age of 31.7 in 2025, but it had 118,695 residents aged 65 and older (12.9%), 52,161 aged 75 and older and 12,509 aged 85 and older, and its 65-plus population grew 17% between 2020 and 2025.
For comparison, 14.9% of all Texans are 65 or older, and neighboring Cameron County (Brownsville and Harlingen) is at 15.7%. About 262,041 Hidalgo County residents live outside any city, in colonias and rural neighborhoods where distance to services is a real factor.
Why is assisted living so scarce in the Valley compared with adult day care?
Because family care is the norm and Medicaid pays for day programs and attendants rather than assisted living rent: Hidalgo County has 130 licensed adult day centers but 16 licensed assisted living facilities, and none of those facilities reports accepting Medicaid.
For families who need a residential setting, that means planning ahead: knowing which certified memory care units and nursing homes are closest, and what each costs, before a crisis.
Do all Hidalgo County cities share the same agencies?
Yes. The whole county is served by the Area Agency on Aging of the Lower Rio Grande Valley and its ombudsman program in Weslaco, is regulated by the same HHSC regional office, and falls in the same STAR+PLUS service area with the same health plans.
A parent in La Joya can attend an adult day center in Mission or move to a nursing home in Weslaco without changing programs; what changes is the drive for visiting family.
Can families choose care outside Hidalgo County?
Yes. Texas licenses are statewide and STAR+PLUS operates statewide with different health plans in each service area, so a family can choose a facility in Cameron County, Corpus Christi or San Antonio, though a Medicaid member may need to change health plans.
Most Valley families choose care close to the relative who will visit most, which usually means staying in the county.
