Housing data for San Benito, TX
San Benito, TX has an estimated 24,709 residents and 9,367 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is a city in Cameron County.
34.0% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $839 a month.
Its population grew measurably since 2015–2019 (+1.4%).
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 24,709 (±31)
- Housing units
- 9,367 (±683)
- Households that rent
- 34.0%
- Median gross rent
- $839
- Residents since 2015–2019
- +1.4%
What stands out in San Benito
Median home value: $85,300 (±$7,386) in San Benito, lower than in Cameron County ($136,500).
Median real estate taxes: $1,286 (±$147) in San Benito, lower than in Cameron County ($2,042).
Homes in buildings of 5 or more units: 7.6% (±3.4 points) in San Benito, lower than in Cameron County (13.8%).
Homes built before 1980: 39.5% (±6.1 points) in San Benito, higher than in Cameron County (29.7%).
- Home values in San Benito
- Property taxes in San Benito
- Types of homes in San Benito
- Age of homes in San Benito
Housing in San Benito at a glance
- Median rent: $839 median gross rent a month
- Rent by bedrooms: $838 median gross rent, 2 bedrooms
- Rent burden: 60.9% of renters pay 30% or more of income
- Renters and owners: 34.0% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $43,639 median household income
- Home values: $85,300 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $1,338 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $1,286 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 7.6% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 55.5% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 39.5% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 4.6% rental vacancy rate
- Heating fuel: 86.8% heat with electricity
- Commute and cars: 17.5 minutes average trip to work
- Crime reported to police: 203 violent crimes per 100,000 residents
- Growth: +1.4% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 17.9% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 8.3% of homes have more than 1 person per room
San Benito against Cameron County, its state and the nation
| San Benito | Cameron County | Texas | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 24,709 (±31) | 426,120 (exact) | 30,188,424 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 9,367 (±683) | 159,679 (±95) | 12,128,515 (±1,574) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 34.0% (±5.1 points) | 34.8% (±1.0 points) | 37.4% (±0.2 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $839 (±$109) | $912 (±$25) | $1,403 (±$4) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $43,639 (±$4,426) | $52,601 (±$1,632) | $78,476 (±$263) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $85,300 (±$7,386) | $136,500 (±$3,909) | $283,800 (±$738) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $1,286 (±$147) | $2,042 (±$72) | $4,232 (±$19) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 39.5% (±6.1 points) | 29.7% (±1.1 points) | 33.2% (±0.2 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 17.5 minutes (±1.5) | 21.3 minutes (±0.4) | 26.7 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 80.9% (±4.6 points) | 84.4% (±0.7 points) | 91.4% (±0.1 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 33.8 years (±3.8) | 32.7 years (±0.2) | 35.6 years (±0.1) | 38.9 years |
San Benito covers 15.8 square miles of land, about 1,564 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How San Benito has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 24,371 (±20) | 24,709 (±31) | +1.4% | Measurable increase |
| Housing units | 9,124 (±410) | 9,367 (±683) | +2.7% | Not a measurable change |
| Median gross rent | $703 (±$45) | $839 (±$109) | +19.3% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median home value | $57,000 (±$4,498) | $85,300 (±$7,386) | +49.6% | Up after inflation |
| Median household income | $27,460 (±$4,084) | $43,639 (±$4,426) | +58.9% | Up after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $928 (±$115) | $1,338 (±$145) | +44.2% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $1,027 (±$133) | $1,286 (±$147) | +25.2% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Households that rent | 34.4% (±4.1 points) | 34.0% (±5.1 points) | −0.4 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 12.6% (±5.1 points) | 4.6% (±4.2 points) | −8.0 percentage points | Measurable decrease |
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 San Benito
In 2025, the San Benito Police Department reported 203 violent and 2,488 property crimes per 100,000 residents to the FBI.
Across Cameron County, the departments that report recorded 331 violent and 1,577 property crimes per 100,000 residents that year.
ZIP codes in San Benito
| ZIP code | Share of the ZIP’s land in this place | Residents | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 78586 | 10% | 50,964 | $796 | $87,200 | $45,575 |
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 San Benito
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palmer (community) | 4.4 mi | — | — | 27.5% |
| Rice Tracts | 5.1 mi | — | $241,000 | 0.0% |
| La Paloma | 5.4 mi | $666 | $82,400 | 16.0% |
| Harlingen | 5.4 mi | $928 | $140,600 | 43.9% |
| Encantada-Ranchito-El Calaboz | 6.6 mi | — | $68,800 | 8.7% |
| Los Indios | 7.9 mi | $819 | $63,500 | 15.6% |
| Rio Hondo | 8.2 mi | $691 | $104,000 | 41.8% |
| Rancho Viejo | 8.5 mi | $1,392 | $264,500 | 34.3% |
Places in Texas most like San Benito
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercedes | $812 | $111,800 | $46,904 | 37.2% |
| Center | $823 | $83,300 | $48,293 | 43.5% |
| Rio Grande City | $767 | $113,200 | $44,577 | 30.6% |
| Queen City | $774 | $116,300 | $43,457 | 38.5% |
| Buffalo | $733 | $73,500 | $45,202 | 40.2% |
| La Feria | $1,037 | $106,900 | $45,081 | 29.2% |
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 San Benito, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $827 | $884 | $1,042 | $1,393 | $1,496 |
HUD income limits for San Benito, 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 Brownsville-Harlingen, TX MSA, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $64,600.
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 San Benito
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 San Benito beside you.
Create a landlord account · See what landlords get
Looking for a place to rent?
Browse homes for rent near San Benito, 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 San Benito, and send estimates and invoices from your phone.
Questions about San Benito
What is the average rent in San Benito, TX?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in San Benito is $839 (±$109) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.
How much is a one-bedroom apartment in San Benito?
The median gross rent for a one-bedroom home in San Benito, TX is $641 (±$602) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Are renters in San Benito rent-burdened?
60.9% of renting households in San Benito 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 San Benito?
San Benito has an estimated 2,836 (±509) renting households, 34.0% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the median household income in San Benito?
The median household income in San Benito is $43,639 (±$4,426) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in San Benito, TX?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $85,300 (±$7,386) for owner-occupied homes in San Benito (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is San Benito growing?
In San Benito, the number of residents went from 24,371 in 2015–2019 to 24,709 in 2020–2024 (+1.4%), a measurable increase.
What ZIP codes are in San Benito?
The ZIP code that covers San Benito is 78586.
What is the median rent in ZIP code 78586?
The median gross rent in ZIP Code Tabulation Area 78586 is $796 (±$98) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — San Benito city, Texas
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — San Benito city, Texas
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — San Benito city, Texas
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — San Benito city, Texas
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — San Benito city, Texas
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — San Benito city, Texas
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — San Benito city, Texas
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX MSA
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Brownsville-Harlingen, 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: San Benito Police Department (ORI TX0310900)
- 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 San Benito city, Texas (place:65036, 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 .