Abilene vs Pharr
The short version
- Pharr is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 5% lower than in the Abilene area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $121,900 in Pharr and $183,700 in Abilene.
- Households earn more in Abilene ($62,648 vs $52,814 median).
- Pharr has the warmer winter: January highs of 73°F vs 59°F.
- Pharr has more scorching days: 177 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 102.
- Abilene is growing faster: +5.3% since 2020 vs +1.4%.
- Commutes are shorter in Abilene (16 vs 21 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Abilene, TX | Pharr, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 131,588 | 80,830 |
| Growth since 2020 | +5.3% | +1.4% |
| People per square mile | 1,234 | 3,344 |
| Median age | 32.8 | 29.7 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 27% | 19% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $62,648 | $52,814 |
| Median home value | $183,700 | $121,900 |
| Home value to income | 2.9× | 2.3× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,157 | $1,037 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 90.4 | 85.9 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 73.8 | 55.9 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $67,800 | $64,400 |
| Homeowners | 56% | 59% |
| Top state income tax | None | None |
| Combined sales tax | 8.2% | 8.2% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 15.6 | 21.1 |
| Work from home | 8% | 7% |
| Take public transit | 0% | 0% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 3% | 7.2% |
| Poverty rate | 16.1% | 27.6% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 59° / 34° | 73° / 53° |
| July high / low | 96° / 73° | 99° / 79° |
| Precipitation per year | 25 in | 22 in |
| Snowfall per year | 4 in | 0 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 102 | 177 |
| Nights below freezing | 48 | 1 |
| Comfortable months | 4 | 5 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Moderate | Relatively High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 83.8 | 99.0 |
| Good air days, 2025 | n/a | 44% |
| Home prices, past year | +9% | +7.6% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +46.3% | +54.5% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Abilene: March to April and October to November. Pharr: November to March.
Full monthly tables: Abilene weather by month and Pharr weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $67,800 in Abilene and $64,400 in Pharr. Moving from Abilene to Pharr, you would need about $71,300 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
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