1939 · Packing broccoli. Elsa, Texas · Library of Congress
Elsa’s story
Elsa in pictures
24 postcards, papers and photographs from public archives.
ElsaTX
A town of 5,697. A regional job hub with 2,277 jobs.
Population
5,697
+0.1% since 2010
Typical home
$140K
+0.7% in a year
Household income
$42K
median
Median age
34.0
years
Jobs based here
2,277
A job hub
What makes Elsa stand out
The 3 things Elsa does most differently from other towns.
2,277jobs here
Work
2,277 jobs
based in Elsa, a regional job hub
4% of working residents work in town.
$140Ktypical home
Housing
$140K typical home
53% below the TX typical home
Up 0.7% in a year.
Outdoors
#75 most walkable in TX
1.3 miles of trails across 1 parks and preserves
1.5% of the town is conserved land.
A job hub
Every workday, about 2,228 people come to Elsa for work
Where Elsa’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
2,277jobs based in Elsa
4%of working residents work in town
16 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Elsa’s report card
Commute16 miHalf of commuters travel lessHousing$140K53% below the TX typical homeOutdoors1 mi#141 for trails in TXHealthCHealthier than 25% of U.S. townsSchoolsDBeats 11% of TX districtsSafetyC−Less crime than 15% of U.S. townsClimate98°/50°Summer high · winter low · 0″ snowHazards67/100High risk of storm & flood damage
Now in Elsa
Be the first to start the conversation.
Residents weigh in
Elsa is #5 of 653 in TX for “Shortest commute”. Fair?
Your answer becomes a post in Elsa’s Town Square.
Start a conversation
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Elsa. Another town gets a different order.
Work & commute
Most working residents commute out of Elsa
Most working residents leave Elsa for work: only 4% work in town. The top destinations are Edinburg (11%), McAllen (9%) and Weslaco (8%). Half commute less than 16 miles.
4%work in town
Where working residents work
In Elsa4%
Edinburg11%
McAllen9%
Weslaco8%
Pharr6%
16 mi
median commute distance
2,277
jobs based in Elsa
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Housing
A typical Elsa home is worth about $140K
The typical Elsa home is worth about $140,000, up 0.7% in a year, 53% below the Texas typical home.
$140KZillow home value
Typical home value
Elsa$140K
Texas$299K
+0.7%
value change, 1 year
4
homes sold in April
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Outdoors
1.5% of Elsa is conserved land
1.3 miles of trails across 1 parks and preserves.
#141for trails in TX
1.5%
conserved · 20 of 1,329 acres
1.3 mi
of trails · 0.6 per sq mi
#75
most walkable in TX
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Mario Leal Park | 0.9 mi | 21 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Health
Healthier than 25% of U.S. towns
Elsa beats the Texas average on 3 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 7.
CHealth Grade
26 measures vs. Texas
3 better16 too close to call7 worse
| What stands out | Elsa | TX |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 4.7% | 6.1% |
| Fewer adults with COPD | 4.8% | 5.7% |
| More uninsured adults | 32.5% | 19.1% |
Knapp Medical Center
10.1 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
38th
percentile among TX towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Schools
Elsa’s public schools outperform 11% of Texas districts
The public schools Elsa’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 89% of Texas’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the bottom.
DSchool Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lyndon B Johnson El | K–5 | 470 | D |
| John F Kennedy El | K–5 | 383 | D− |
| Carlos F Truan J H | 7–8 | 584 | D |
| Edcouch-Elsa H S | 9–12 | 1,309 | D |
| Edcouch-Elsa H S Academy | 9–12 | 70 | D− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TX on state tests and graduationAll 5 schools →
Safety
Less crime per resident than 15% of U.S. towns
Elsa reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 85% report less.
C−Safety Grade
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Elsa3.1
Texas3.5
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Elsa16.3
Texas18.1
U.S.15.5
15th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
11th
percentile among TX towns
18
violent crimes reported in 2025
94
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →
Climate
Mild winters, hot summers
Elsa has warm winters and hot summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 97°, a January night drops to 50°, and snow is almost unheard of.
98°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter52–73°
Spring65–86°
Summer76–97°
Fall65–87°
+1.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
98°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Natural hazards
High risk, with hurricanes at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 67% of U.S. communities.
67risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
HurricanesCold wavesInland flooding
22
paid flood claims since 1980
10
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
About Elsa
City in Texas
Elsa is a city in Hidalgo County, Texas, United States. The population was 5,668 at the 2020 census. It is part of the McAllen–Edinburg–Mission and Reynosa–McAllen metropolitan areas.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Population
- 5,668
- Area
- 1.5 sq mi
- Elevation
- 66 ft
- ZIP code
- 78543
- Area code
- 956