Demographics
Mercedes covers 8.6 square miles and is located in the center of the Rio Grande Valley. It is 5 miles north of the Mexico-Texas international border, 69 feet above sea level and is 35 miles west of the nearest deep water seaport.
| Distance to Major Cities | ||
|---|---|---|
| McAllen | W | 20 miles |
| Brownsville | E | 35 miles |
| Corpus Christi | NE | 142 Miles |
| Monterrey, Mexico | SE | 143 Miles |
| San Antonio | N | 248 Miles |
| Austin | N | 333 Miles |
| Houston | NE | 335 Miles |
| Mexico City, Mexico | SW | 697 Miles |
Mercedes, Texas is within McAllen-Edinburg-Mission MSA and is ranked:
- Fastest growing MSA in Texas
- 1st in job growth in the US
- 2nd lowest cost area to live in the US
- 4th in job creation & retention in the US
- 8th fastest growing MSA in the US
| Population Growth Rate | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercedes | MSA | Texas | United States | |
| 1990 | 11,581 | 383,545 | 16,986,510 | 248,709,873 |
| 2000 | 13,649 | 569,463 | 20,851,820 | 281,421,906 |
| 2008 | 15,131 | 710,514 | 23,385,340 | 298,757,310 |
| Growth Rate | 11% | 25% | 12% | 6% |
| Age & Gender Distribution | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercedes | MSA | |||
| Under 18 | 4,487 | 33% | 201,002 | 35% |
| 18 – 24 | 1.567 | 12% | 64,529 | 11% |
| 25 – 44 | 3,117 | 23% | 157,323 | 28% |
| 45 – 64 | 2,511 | 18% | 91,335 | 16% |
| 65 and older | 1,967 | 14% | 55,274 | 10% |
| Male | 6,413 | 47% | 276,523 | 49% |
| Female | 7,236 | 53% | 292,940 | 51% |
| Median Age | 29.4 | 27.2 | ||
Household Characteristics
Mercedes Household characteristics chart illustrates that 50% of the households in Mercedes are valued over $40,100. The distributions of Mercedes household income depicts 16% of residents earn between $25,000 and $35,000. 16% of residents earn between $35,001 and $50,000, 9% of residents earn between $50,001 and $75,000, and 5% of Mercedes residents earn over $75,001 a year.
| Household Characteristics | ||
|---|---|---|
| Mercedes | MSA | |
| Amount of households | 4,192 | 156,824 |
| Median home value | $40,100 | $52,400 |
| Median household income | $23,064 | $24,863 |
| Household income distribution | ||
| $25,000 $35,000 | 675 | 22,720 |
| $35,001 - $50,000 | 665 | 22,102 |
| $50,001 - $75,000 | 392 | 18,505 |
| $75,001 and above | 206 | 14,660 |
| Average household size | 3.27 people | 3.60 people |
Education
Mercedes educational attainment chart for residents over 25 years of age portrays the importance of education for the community. In Mercedes, 53% of residents have at minimum a high school diploma and 15% have or are attending college. 2.5% of its residents possess an associate’s degree, 6.8% have a bachelor’s degree, and 3.2 % of Mercedes residents have acquired a graduate degree.
| Educational Attainment | ||
|---|---|---|
| Surveyed population over 25 | Mercedes | MSA |
| High school graduate | 1,922 | 87,489 |
| Some college, no degree | 1,152 | 55,040 |
| Associates degree | 188 | 10,847 |
| Bachelor’s degree | 514 | 38,868 |
| Graduate degree | 244 | 15,881 |