Harlingen and the Rio Grande Valley have experienced explosive growth over the past ten years. Census figures show an increase in population of more than 260,000 from 1990 to 2000. Projections call for continued increases of at least 13% between now and 2008. The median age of residents is 27. 39% of the population is between the ages of 18 and 45. This vibrant population translates into enthusiasm, innovation and productivity. In addition, Harlingen and the Rio Grande Valley rank among the lowest in cost of living in the US.
Demographic Detail
ACCRA Cost of Living
Industrial/Commercial Transportation
Harlingen is one of few locations that offer truly multi-modal transportation options!
Highways Two four-lane divided expressways intersect in Harlingen: U.S. Highway 77 and U.S. Highway 83.
U.S. Highway 77 links the Rio Grande Valley to the rest of the state. It connects to Interstate 37 at Corpus Christi.
U.S. Highway 83 runs east to west through the Valley, and connects to Interstate 35 at Laredo.
Interstate 69 is currently under construction, and will connect the Valley to all points north. Check on status of the project at www.I69texas.org.
Border Crossing The Free Trade Bridge at Los Indios provides passage from Texas into Mexico. This state-of-the-art international bridge is located just 10 miles from Harlingen. This four-lane crossing is one of the largest and most modern ports of entry in South Texas. With a full U.S. Customs inspection facility that accommodates up to 75 trucks simultaneously, the Free Trade Bridge is acclaimed as the most time-efficient crossing for “Just in Time” production materials. The Free Trade Bridge accesses a four-lane highway in northern Mexico, offering a fast route to the border cities of Matamoros and Reynosa, as well as the industrial city of Monterrey. With the completion of Mexico’s State of Tamaulipas new “autopista”, the Free Trade Bridge provides a seamless highway connection for more efficient distribution of industrial products to the interior of Mexico. The Bridge is primed for growth and industrial property on the U.S. side is readily available.
Air Service Harlingen’s Valley International Airport makes it easy to travel to and from Harlingen. Valley International Airport is the Rio Grande Valley's leading airport in terms of passenger activity, infrastructure, and services. The FAA selected Valley International Airport as Texas’ Best Regional Airport. Visit their website at www.flythevalley.com. VIA is served by Southwest Airlines, Continental Express, and Sun Country Airlines (seasonal).
NAFTA CargoPort Federal Express, United Parcel Service, Airborne Express, and several private charter operators provide airfreight services. Federal Express provides international service to Mexico from the VIA terminal. The new NAFTA Air Cargo Port opened in February 2004. The Cargo Port provides multiple tenants with 38,800 square feet of warehouse space, truck docks for intermodal accessibility and a public (non-tenant air freighter) ramp. Current tenants include Menlo Forwarding and BAX Global. The Cargo Port is a perfect location for logistics and distribution companies and their suppliers that seek proximity to scheduled air cargo hubs.
Port Access The Port of Harlingen is located four miles east of Harlingen on Highway 106. It is 25 miles west of Mile Marker 646 on the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, which stretches from the Mexican border at Brownsville along the entire coast of the Gulf of Mexico to St. Marks, Florida. The Gulf Intracoastal Waterway provides over 1,300 miles of protected waterway, 12’ deep and 125’ wide. The Harlingen Channel is maintained to a width of 125 feet and a depth of 12 feet. It is supplied by the Arroyo Colorado, a freshwater river. The Port of Harlingen’s services include barges, stevedoring and bridges, and utilities (including electric, natural gas and water service). Their facilities include 650’ concrete general dry cargo wharf, 100’ dry bulk wharf, 5 smaller docks (50’ x 25’) located near the turning basin and extending down the Harlingen channel, and unlimited acres of open storage. Visit their website for more information at www.portofharlingen.com.
Rail Union Pacific Railroad has a local terminal and switching yard in Harlingen. The Harlingen Industrial Parks and the Port of Harlingen have direct rail access.
Intellectual Capital
Harlingen has two branches of the University of Texas, two community colleges, and a branch of the state’s premier technical college all within a 40-mile radius. There’s no shortage here of resources for training and employees. Texas State Technical College (TSTC) is located right here in Harlingen, less than 2 miles from the Harlingen Industrial Parks, and generates a steady supply of highly trained technical and vocational graduates. TSTC specializes in high caliber, well respected programs in computer technology, electronics, information management, robotics, computerized drafting, welding, and CNC and aviation maintenance. Customized training opportunities are available for businesses on the TSTC campus or at the business site. TSTC has access to various training funds for business training needs, including Texas Skills Development Funds.
Harlingen has prime industrial property ready for development. Harlingen Industrial Parks include the AirPark, Port of Harlingen, and Harlingen Industrial Parks I through IV. Industrial Park III has 100 acres available with infrastructure in place. Industrial Park IV has over 50 acres available. Property with direct rail access is available at the industrial parks and the Port of Harlingen. Lots within the Industrial Parks offer these amenities:
The Chamber offers a variety of services to help you in your business endeavors. In a joint partnership with the University of Texas’s Small Business Development Center, a full time business counselor offices at the Chamber during all regular business hours. Some of the services provided at the HACC/SBDC office include Small Business Start-Up Assistance, Market & Feasibility Studies, Business Plan Development, Identification of Financing Sources, SBA Loan Packaging, and International Trade Assistance. Clients are counseled by appointment at the Chamber or at their business location. These services are not just limited to start-up situations. Existing businesses that are experiencing difficulty or need assistance in expansion can benefit from business counseling. Call 423-5565 ext. 206 to schedule an appointment.
The Economic Development Department is able to assist local citizens and businesses by providing business information and/or market research and by matching needs with resources. Please contact us if you need assistance.
International Trade
The Free Trade International Bridge is a direct connection between the I-69 transportation corridor and the most modern highway infrastructure in the State of Tamaulipas, Mexico – making it the fastest international crossing into Mexico.
In addition to the FAST Program of the US Customs and Border Protection agencies, the Free Trade Bridge has a SENTRI lane that allows for faster crossing and automatic log of shipments.
The Economic Development Department has an aggressive program to foster international trade opportunities, from trade missions to regional development programs. Please contact Elida Aguirre at 956-423-5565 ext. 212 or email eaguirre@harlingen.com if you are interested or have any questions.
Major Employers
Taxes
Employment / Unemployment
Industrial / Business Development Sites Available
Education
Education
Regional Academic Health Center (RAHC), Harlingen
A Lower Rio Grande Valley extension campus of the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.
Harlingen hosts many festivals and cultural events among which are:
Rio Fest
Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival
Jackson Street Market Days
Local productions at Harlingen Performing Arts Theater
Municipal Auditorium
Chopin Society of Texas piano concerts
Blues on the Hill summer concerts
Quality of Life
Quality of Life
Education
Harlingen Consolidated Independent School District
HCISD has 16 elementary schools, 5 middle schools, 2 high schools, the Keys Academy, a non-traditional alternative campus for at-risk youth, and a Secondary Alternative Center.
HCISD has earned the “Recognized District” distinction from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) for 7 consecutive years.
All of the district’s 23 eligible schools have been TEA Exemplary or Recognized during the past 4 years.
Montessori Academy of Harlingen (8 mos.-3rd grade)
St. Alban’s Episcopal Day School (2 yrs-6th grade)
St. Anthony’s Catholic School (PreK-8th grade)
St. Paul Lutheran (K-8th grade)
Higher Education
Regional Academic Health Center (RAHC), Harlingen
An extension campus of the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
Offers clinical training for 3rd and 4th year medical students and educational support services for medical residents in primary care fields www.rahc.uthscsa.edu
Texas State Technical College, Harlingen
Over 4,000 students
Offers associate technical degree programs, certificates programs, and customized workforce training www.harlingen.tstc.edu
University of Texas at Brownsville/Texas Southmost College
Over 11,000 students
Offers associate, bachelor’s and master’s degrees www.utb.edu
University of Texas-Pan American, Edinburg
Over 17,000 students.
Offers bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees www.utpa.edu
Harlingen’s 15 city parks features tennis, swimming, playgrounds, picnic areas, fields for soccer, softball and baseball along with an indoor hockey pavilion, a hike/bike trail, lakes and nature parks.
Harlingen is minutes away from Texas’ premier beach resort, South Padre Island.
Culture & Leisure
Exciting exhibits, concerts, performances and programs may be found at the Harlingen Municipal Auditorium Complex, the Performing Arts Theatre, the D’Arte Centre, the Iwo Jima Memorial & Museum and the Harlingen Art and Heritage Museum. The Harlingen Public Library has something for all ages while senior citizens enjoy activities organized by the Center for Creative Retirement.
The City’s award-winning celebration of the arts, RioFest, is held each spring and is the premiere educational and cultural event of the Rio Grande Valley and northeastern Mexico.
Harlingen, an official Texas Main Street City, hosts Market Days, an old fashioned street fair, the first Saturday of every month and an annual street jubilee each October in its historic downtown.
The Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival attracts birders from across the nation each November with field trips, seminars, a trade show and children’s activities.
Valley Race Park offers seasonal live greyhound racing and simulcast greyhound and horse racing from racetracks throughout the U.S
Healthcare
Harlingen has a dynamic, world class medical and health care complex. Valley Baptist Health System, the largest hospital in the Valley, Harlingen Medical Center, numerous clinics and doctor practices, as well as the Regional Academic Health Center are at the heart of this complex.
Major Events / Festivals
Community Services
Healthcare Services
Industrial Parks
Business Parks:
Harlingen has prime industrial property ready for development. Harlingen Industrial Parks include the AirPark, Port of Harlingen, and Harlingen Industrial Parks I through IV. Industrial Park III has 100 acres available with infrastructure in place. Industrial Park IV has over 50 acres available. Property with direct rail access is available at the industrial parks and the Port of Harlingen. Lots within the Industrial Parks offer these amenities:
Harlingen, Texas is located in the Rio Grande Valley, an international border region comprised of two vibrant metropolitan statistical areas with a population of nearly one million people on the U.S. side and over one million in the border communities of Matamoros, Valle Hermoso, Reynosa and Rio Bravo in the State of Tamaulipas, Mexico. Our community's central location in the Rio Grande Valley, just a few miles from the Mexican border, and the availability of skilled labor force at competitive wages makes us an ideal location for manufacturing and distribution projects. Harlingen is directly located on Expressway 77/83 (future I-69 corridor) connecting all major U.S. and Mexican markets via the Free Trade International Bridge. In addition, our warm climate permits year-round productivity and outdoor fun. Harlingen offers a high quality of life at a low cost of living.
Distance to Major Texas Cities
Austin
299 miles
Brownsville
25 miles
Corpus Christi
132 miles
Houston
323 miles
Laredo
177 miles
McAllen
34 miles
San Antonio
245 miles
Source:
Texas Mileage Guide
Distance to Major Mexican Cities
Matamoros
29 miles
Valle Hermoso
39 miles
Reynosa
53 miles
Monterrey
189 miles
San Luis Potosi
418 miles
Source:
Government of the State of Tamaulipas
Valley International Airport, Harlingen
The Rio Grande Valley’s leading airport in terms of passenger activity, infrastructure and services.
Served by Continental Express, Southwest Airline and Sun Country Airlines.
Designated as a NAFTA CargoPort TM handling the majority of the air cargo for the region.
Airfreight companies include: Bax Global, DHL, Federal Express, Menlo, United Parcel Service, among others.
Free Trade Bridge at Los Indios
Located 10 miles south of Harlingen.
Four-lane bridge with direct connection between future !-69 and the state of Tamaulipas - The fastest crossing into Mexico.
Facilities include a SENTRI lane with advanced technology to track and expedite commercial crossings as well as dedicated FAST program lines.
Port of Harlingen
Located four miles east of Harlingen.
Part of the Intercoastal Waterway System.
Has over 150 acres of on-and-off channel sites available for industrial development.
Union Pacific Railroad
Local terminal and switching yard in Harlingen, providing direct access to the city's industrial parks and the port of Harlingen.
Federal and State Highways
Interstate 69 (NAFTA Superhighway) will pass through Harlingen connecting markets in the eastern U.S., Canada and central Mexico.
U.S. 77 and 83 intersect in Harlingen. U.S. 77 connects to Interstate 37 at Corpus Christi. U.S. 83 connects with Interstate 35 in Laredo.
Military Highway and State Highway 107 link Harlingen to points east and west in the Rio Grande Valley.
Population Demographics
Population
Harlingen enjoys an exciting blend of two cultures and two nations. The city's population is estimated at around 65,000, 75 percent of whom are Hispanic. According to the 2003 Milken Institutes Best Performing Cities report, Harlingen's MSA (Cameron County) is identified as one of the top ten best performing regions in the U.S.
Population Growth
1990
2000
2004 Estimate
2010 Projection
Change 1990-2004
City of Harlingen
48,735
57,564
63,404
72,735
30%
Cameron County
260,120
335,227
367,603
434,351
41%
Source: US Census Bureau; Texas State Data center; Office of the State Demographer
Retail Trade Area
Harlingen's trade area extends beyond the city's geographic limits, encompassing the cities of La Feria, Los Fresnos, Raymondville and San Benito, among others. Population wise, the Harlingen retail trade area in 2004 is estimated at more than 187,000 people.
South of the Border
More than one million people live within 30 miles of the Lower Rio Grande Valley-Mexico border. Many of these individuals, as well as others from areas further south, cross the border into the Valley on a regular basis to shop, to vacation, to visit family, etc. In 2004, crossings by Mexican nationals into the Lower Rio Grande Valley exceeded 20 million. Research studies indicate that these crossers spend as much as 1.4 billion annually in the area. Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics; CBEST Research
Local Economy
Local Economy
Harlingen’s economy relies heavily on retail trade, which constituted 58 percent in 2004. Wholesale trade is another major sector contributing 14 percent to gross sales, followed closely by the services sector, which accounted for 11 percent. Retail trade has consistently expanded over the 2000-2004 period. In 2004, this sector grew by 5.1 percent relative to 2003, surpassing Cameron County’s growth of 2.7 percent. Wholesale trade had double digit growth rates in 2000 and 2001. The sector, however, suffered in 2002 and 2003. It bounced back again in 2004 with a growth rate of 6 percent for the city of Harlingen. The services sector consistently grew from 2000 to 2004 at rates generally higher than those of the county.
Growth in Major Sectors
Retail trade has consistently expanded over the 2000-2004 period. In 2004, this sector grew by 5.1 percent relative to 2003, surpassing Cameron County’s growth of 2.7 percent. Wholesale trade had double digit growth rates in 2000 and 2001. The sector, however, suffered in 2002 and 2003. It bounced back again in 2004 with a growth rate of 6 percent for the city of Harlingen. Services consistently grew from 2000 to 2004 at rates generally higher than those of the county.
Employment Data
Employment Data
Wage Rates
Industry
Avg. Hourly Rate
Avg. Entry Wage
Avg. Experienced Wage
All Industries
$11.98
$6.03
$14.96
Retail Trade
$9.85
$5.97
$11.79
Manufacturing
$12.20
$6.69
$14.95
Public Administration
$15.04
$8.13
$18.50
Accomodation & Food Service
$7.15
$5.95
$7.74
Health Care & Social Assistance
$11.42
$5.98
$14.14
Educational Services
$14.70
$6.81
$18.64
Source: Texas Workforce Commission
Income Profile
Income Profile
Houselold Income Distribution
Harlingen
Cameron County
Less than $15,000
23%
32%
$15,000 to $24,999
16%
17%
$25,000 to $34,999
14%
11%
$35,000 to $49,999
16%
13%
$50,000 to $74,999
16%
17%
$75,000 to $99,999
7%
6%
$100,000 to $149,999
5%
3%
$150,000 or more
3%
2%
Average household income
$44,014
$38,064
Median household income
$32,436
$26,290
Per Capita Income
$14,523
$12,779
Source: Demographics Now; 2004 American Community Survey
Cost of Living
ACCRA Index*
Average Rent*
Median Home Price**
Harlingen
85.9
$618
$59,400
Austin
95.0
$821
$124,700
Dallas
91.5
$845
$89,800
Houston
88.0
$769
$79,300
San Antonio
92.0
$965
$68,800
Kansas City, MO
93.8
$712
$84,000
Springfield, IL
91.7
$611
$88,600
St. Louis, MO
98.1
$796
$63,900
Source: *ACCRA Cost of Living Index, **Census 2000
Property Tax Rates
Taxing Entity
2004 rate
City of Harlingen
0.59%
School District
1.55%
Cameron County
0.36%
Total
2.50%
Sales Tax Rates
Taxing Entity
2004 Rate
State
6.25%
City of Harlingen
2.00%
No personal income tax is assessed in the state of Texas. Source: Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
Building Costs
Industrial Lease Cost
$0.28-$0.32/SF/Month*
Office Lease Cost
$0.75-$1.15/SF/Month*
Cost of land
$15,000-$20,000/acre (w/infrastructure)
Industrial building construction cost:
Metal building
$25-$33/SF
Tilt wall
$35-$45/SF
*Triple Net figures Source: Harlingen Area Chamber of Commerce
Harlingen, Texas is located in the Rio Grande Valley, an international border region comprised of two vibrant metropolitan statistical areas with a population of nearly one million people on the U.S. side and over one million in the border communities of Matamoros, Valle Hermoso, Reynosa and Rio Bravo in the State of Tamaulipas, Mexico. Our community's central location in the Rio Grande Valley, just a few miles from the Mexican border, and the availability of skilled labor force at competitive wages makes us an ideal location for manufacturing and distribution projects. Harlingen is directly located on Expressway 77/83 (future I-69 corridor) connecting all major U.S. and Mexican markets via the Free Trade International Bridge. In addition, our warm climate permits year-round productivity and outdoor fun. Harlingen offers a high quality of life at a low cost of living.
Harlingen enjoys an exciting blend of two cultures and two nations. The city's population is estimated at around 65,000, 75 percent of whom are Hispanic. According to the 2003 Milken Institutes Best Performing Cities report, Harlingen's MSA (Cameron County) is identified as one of the top ten best performing regions in the U.S.
