Mid-Valley cities for years touted their heart-of-the-region location as a selling point for economic development and an ideal place to live for commuters with jobs in every part of the Rio Grande Valley.

For years there were no real numbers or data to back up the middle-of-the-Valley rationale as a winning strategy. New numbers from the U.S. Census Bureau are changing that narrative. Cities like Mercedes and Weslaco show some of the best population percentage growth rates among Valley cities from 2020 to 2024. New estimates provided by the Census Bureau show Weslaco has grown by just over nine percent over the last five years. Mercedes, meanwhile, has grown by nearly eight percent during that same period of time.

“It tells us we’re moving the needle,” said Mercedes City Commissioner and Mayor Pro-Tem Ruben Saldana. “Those growth numbers play very well in what we’re trying to do in elevating the city’s position in the Mid-Valley.”

In neighboring Weslaco, Sandra Charlton serves as president of the city’s Economic Development Corporation board. She says the city’s multi-prong approach to growth is paying off in looking at key economic indicators. 

“Weslaco has seen balanced growth in residential, commercial and retail sectors,” Charlton said. “With our newest industrial park, we are focusing on the industrial sector as well. These factors combine to produce healthy growth and are responsible for the greater-than-average growth we have been experiencing.”

New Homes Blooming

The new housing construction numbers put real numbers behind the Census estimates.

Weslaco over the last three years has issued nearly 6,000 permits for single-family homes and multi-family units. Steven Valdez, the local EDC’s executive director, calls this surge “a remarkable pattern of growth” as he says Weslaco “offers a compelling option for both residents and businesses.”

Weslaco’s current population is nearing 44,000 while Mercedes at current growth projections could approach a population of 20,000 by decade’s end. The latter figure may appear modest. But seeing it from the perspective of a city that was formerly seeing stagnant or declining population numbers leads Commissioner Saldana to say, “We’ll take it.”

Since 2006, Mercedes has been the site of the Rio Grande Valley Premium Outlets. Now ground is being cleared and levelled for a nearly $53 million retail plaza – the Shops at Mercedes – to be built adjacent to the outlets. Added to the retail activity are 15 housing developments and subdivisions at some current stage of activity in Mercedes, commissioner Saldana said. He said one housing development on Dawson Road just north of Expressway 83 had a quick sellout when its unit availability was made public.

“I’m being told that people who work at the Port of Brownsville are buying homes in Mercedes because housing in other communities is either limited or more expensive,” said Saldana. “In Mercedes, you’re going to get more bang for your buck.”

Weslaco can say the same with its growth corridors of new homes going north on Texas Boulevard or going south in the general vicinity of Westgate Drive. 

“Weslaco’s proximity to key destinations across the region means individuals can comfortably live in Weslaco and commute elsewhere, or reside nearby and easily travel into the city for work and often within just a 30-minute drive,” said Valdez.

Edinburg Tops The List

One RGV city’s growth numbers exceed those of the Mid-Valley and every other city in the region.

Edinburg now has a population of nearly 109,000 and is adding nearly 2,000 residents a year. In 2020, the city’s population stood at just over 100,000 residents. The Census Bureau puts Edinburg’s yearly population growth rate at 8.39 percent. No Valley city is adding more new residents yearly than Edinburg. 

“Edinburg is a city on the rise,” said Mayor Ramiro Garza, in a news release from the city. “This continued growth reflects our focused investments in quality of life, infrastructure and economic opportunity.”

In western Hidalgo County, the fastest-growing city is Alton, which is located just north of Mission. Alton now has a population of nearly 23,000 and is growing yearly at a 25 percent growth rate. McAllen is still Hidalgo County’s largest city with an estimated 148,782 residents. In Brownsville, the Census Bureau says the city has about 192,000 residents and holds its place as the largest city in the Valley. 

The region as a whole has an estimated population of 1.4 million in 2025, which represents a nearly four percent yearly growth rate since 2020. That’s the estimate provided by RGV Health Connect, but there are other estimates that put the region’s population at well over 1.5 million. Whatever the true numbers may be, there is enough known to enthuse city leaders across the region.

“It gives us confidence and a lot of hope,” said Saldana, the Mercedes city commissioner.