McAllen Senior AdvisorWhat is assisted living in McAllen, Texas?
Assisted living is a licensed residence that provides a room or apartment, meals, help with bathing, dressing and medications, and staff on site around the clock for people who do not need continuous nursing; in Texas, HHSC licenses it as Type A or Type B.
HHSC's active-license directory of November 5, 2026 lists 16 licensed assisted living facilities in Hidalgo County with 378 licensed places in all, 15 licensed Type B and 1 Type A; 11 of them are small homes licensed for 16 residents or fewer, and they sit in Mission, Edinburg, McAllen, Donna, Weslaco, Pharr.
Who is a good fit for assisted living?
Someone who needs daily help or supervision but is medically stable, would be safer with staff nearby at night, and wants meals, activities and company is a good fit, provided their evacuation ability matches the building's license type.
Someone who needs a nurse many times a day, or is permanently bedfast, needs a nursing home. Someone who needs only a few hours of help may do better at home with an attendant and adult day care, the arrangement most Valley families choose.
What does assisted living cost in the Valley?
CareScout's 2025 Texas median is $5,666 a month for a private one-bedroom; there is no published McAllen figure, and because none of Hidalgo County's licensed facilities reports accepting Medicaid, most residents here pay privately.
Ask for the base rate and every level-of-care charge in writing. A VA pension with Aid and Attendance or a long-term care insurance policy can help with the cost.
What should we ask a Valley assisted living facility before moving in?
Ask for the license type and number, the latest inspection and any penalties in TULIP, the written rate and every level-of-care charge, how many staff are awake overnight, whether staff on every shift speak Spanish, and what happens if savings run out.
Because most Hidalgo County facilities are small homes, also ask who covers the building when the manager is away, how residents get to doctor appointments, and how the home handles a resident who needs two people to help with a transfer.
Where are licensed assisted living providers in Hidalgo County?
HHSC's records show 16 licensed assisted living providers in Hidalgo County, 5 in Mission, 4 in Edinburg, 3 in McAllen, 2 in Donna, 1 in Weslaco, 1 in Pharr.
| City | Licensed providers | Licensed capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Mission | 5 | 124 |
| Edinburg | 4 | 73 |
| McAllen | 3 | 52 |
| Donna | 2 | 32 |
| Weslaco | 1 | 32 |
| Pharr | 1 | 65 |
Every one is on the roster.
Side by side
| Assisted living provides | Assisted living does not provide | |
|---|---|---|
| Help | Daily personal care and medication help | Continuous skilled nursing |
| Staff | Staff on site around the clock | A nurse at every bedside |
| Medical | Visiting home health, therapy and hospice | Hospital-level treatment |
Sources: Texas Health and Safety Code ch. 247 and 242; 26 TAC chapters 553, 554, 558 and 559; HHSC directories, TULIP and handbooks; CMS; CareScout; VA rate tables, as cited above. See our editorial standards.
