Housing data for Elsa, TX
Elsa, TX has an estimated 5,697 residents and 2,181 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is a city in Hidalgo County.
28.8% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $767 a month.
Its population shrank measurably since 2015–2019 (−21.1%).
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 5,697 (±17)
- Housing units
- 2,181 (±374)
- Households that rent
- 28.8%
- Median gross rent
- $767
- Residents since 2015–2019
- −21.1%
What stands out in Elsa
Median home value: $81,600 (±$35,894) in Elsa, lower than in Hidalgo County ($140,900).
Homes in buildings of 5 or more units: 2.5% (±5.2 points) in Elsa, lower than in Hidalgo County (8.5%).
Average commute: 12.6 minutes (±2.3) in Elsa, lower than in Hidalgo County (22.5 minutes).
Median real estate taxes: $1,582 (±$459) in Elsa, lower than in Hidalgo County ($2,279).
Housing in Elsa at a glance
- Median rent: $767 median gross rent a month (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Rent by bedrooms: $759 median gross rent, 2 bedrooms (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Rent burden: 81.9% of renters pay 30% or more of income
- Renters and owners: 28.8% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $42,439 median household income
- Home values: $81,600 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $1,327 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $1,582 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 2.5% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 61.8% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 28.2% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 5.5% rental vacancy rate (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Heating fuel: 95.5% heat with electricity
- Commute and cars: 12.6 minutes average trip to work
- Crime reported to police: 312 violent crimes per 100,000 residents
- Growth: −21.1% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 20.2% moved in since 2020 (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Crowding and facilities: 5.4% of homes have more than 1 person per room
Elsa against Hidalgo County, its state and the nation
| Elsa | Hidalgo County | Texas | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 5,697 (±17) | 891,977 (exact) | 30,188,424 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 2,181 (±374) | 308,556 (±148) | 12,128,515 (±1,574) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 28.8% (±13.5 points) | 32.5% (±0.7 points) | 37.4% (±0.2 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $767 (±$494) | $957 (±$14) | $1,403 (±$4) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $42,439 (±$15,953) | $54,338 (±$1,156) | $78,476 (±$263) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $81,600 (±$35,894) | $140,900 (±$3,806) | $283,800 (±$738) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $1,582 (±$459) | $2,279 (±$60) | $4,232 (±$19) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 28.2% (±12.6 points) | 17.9% (±0.6 points) | 33.2% (±0.2 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 12.6 minutes (±2.3) | 22.5 minutes (±0.5) | 26.7 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 84.5% (±9.7 points) | 88.0% (±0.6 points) | 91.4% (±0.1 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 34.0 years (±6.8) | 30.5 years (±0.1) | 35.6 years (±0.1) | 38.9 years |
Elsa covers 2.1 square miles of land, about 2,730 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Elsa has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 7,225 (±20) | 5,697 (±17) | −21.1% | Measurable decrease |
| Housing units | 2,167 (±276) | 2,181 (±374) | +0.6% | Not a measurable change |
| Median gross rent | $558 (±$218) | $767 (±$494) | +37.5% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median home value | $53,300 (±$11,548) | $81,600 (±$35,894) | +53.1% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median household income | $35,994 (±$6,597) | $42,439 (±$15,953) | +17.9% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $969 (±$42) | $1,327 (±$83) | +36.9% | Up after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $1,172 (±$401) | $1,582 (±$459) | +35.0% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Households that rent | 29.4% (±8.9 points) | 28.8% (±13.5 points) | −0.6 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 2.4% (±3.8 points) | 5.5% (±8.4 points) | +3.1 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.
Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.
The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.
Crime reported to police in Elsa
In 2025, the Elsa Police Department reported 312 violent and 1,664 property crimes per 100,000 residents to the FBI.
Across Hidalgo County, the departments that report recorded 285 violent and 1,307 property crimes per 100,000 residents that year.
ZIP codes in Elsa
| ZIP code | Share of the ZIP’s land in this place | Residents | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 78543 | 33% | 8,400 | $844 | $87,800 | $44,527 |
A ZIP code is a mail route rather than a boundary, so the Census Bureau publishes figures for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas built from census blocks; the share column says how much of each one’s land lies in this place.
Places near Elsa
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edcouch | 1.9 mi | $552 | $58,500 | 50.3% |
| La Blanca | 2.2 mi | $923 | $82,300 | 25.2% |
| La Villa | 4.1 mi | — | $101,000 | 16.0% |
| San Carlos | 4.3 mi | $711 | $75,600 | 29.8% |
| Olivarez | 4.8 mi | $860 | $79,300 | 7.9% |
| Monte Alto | 5.4 mi | $927 | $89,400 | 21.3% |
| Mila Doce | 5.6 mi | $640 | $67,700 | 18.9% |
| Muniz | 6.6 mi | — | $96,400 | 8.5% |
Places in Texas most like Elsa
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Benito | $839 | $85,300 | $43,639 | 34.0% |
| Mercedes | $812 | $111,800 | $46,904 | 37.2% |
| San Carlos | $711 | $75,600 | $49,132 | 29.8% |
| Escobares | $815 | $72,800 | $29,844 | 34.3% |
| Rio Grande City | $767 | $113,200 | $44,577 | 30.6% |
| Raymondville | $881 | $52,200 | $51,442 | 30.3% |
Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across Texas.
HUD Fair Market Rent for Elsa, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $801 | $806 | $1,017 | $1,305 | $1,439 |
HUD income limits for Elsa, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $17,600 | $29,300 | $46,900 |
| 2 people | $21,640 | $33,500 | $53,600 |
| 3 people | $27,320 | $37,700 | $60,300 |
| 4 people | $33,000 | $41,850 | $66,950 |
| 5 people | $38,680 | $45,200 | $72,350 |
| 6 people | $44,360 | $48,550 | $77,700 |
| 7 people | $50,040 | $51,900 | $83,050 |
| 8 people | $55,250 | $55,250 | $88,400 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX MSA, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $64,000.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
What you can do on Seayora in Elsa
One account for renting, owning, managing and fixing homes, with these figures beside you.
Own or manage a rental?
List it, sign the lease and collect rent online, with the figures for Elsa beside you.
Create a landlord account · See what landlords get
Looking for a place to rent?
Browse homes for rent near Elsa, save the ones you like and apply online.
Browse rentals · Create a renter account
Do repairs, renovations or maintenance?
Get found by owners and renters near Elsa, and send estimates and invoices from your phone.
Questions about Elsa
Are renters in Elsa rent-burdened?
81.9% of renting households in Elsa pay 30% or more of their income in gross rent, the share housing researchers usually call rent-burdened (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many renters are there in Elsa?
Elsa has an estimated 569 (±308) renting households, 28.8% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the median household income in Elsa?
The median household income in Elsa is $42,439 (±$15,953) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Elsa, TX?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $81,600 (±$35,894) for owner-occupied homes in Elsa (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average mortgage payment in Elsa?
The Census Bureau publishes total owner costs rather than the mortgage alone: the median for owners with a mortgage in Elsa, TX is $1,327 (±$83) a month, including taxes, insurance and utilities.
How much are property taxes in Elsa?
The median real estate tax paid by homeowners in Elsa, TX is $1,582 (±$459) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is Elsa growing?
In Elsa, the number of residents went from 7,225 in 2015–2019 to 5,697 in 2020–2024 (−21.1%), a measurable decrease.
What ZIP codes are in Elsa?
The ZIP code that covers Elsa is 78543.
What is the median rent in ZIP code 78543?
The median gross rent in ZIP Code Tabulation Area 78543 is $844 (±$239) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Elsa city, Texas
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Elsa city, Texas
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Elsa city, Texas
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Elsa city, Texas
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Elsa city, Texas
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Elsa city, Texas
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Elsa city, Texas
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX MSA
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX MSA
- US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas
- FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Crime Data Explorer: Elsa Police Department (ORI TX1080500)
- FBI: Uniform Crime Reporting statistics and their proper use
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Elsa city, Texas (place:24036, in state:48).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.
Figures last updated on .