Community Profile

Located on the eastern edge of Hidalgo County, centered between McAllen to the west and Harlingen to the east. Seven miles north of the Mexican Border city of Nuevo Progreso.

(Compiled by the Weslaco Area Chamber of Commerce)

Population

Year 1980 1990 2000 % Change 90-00 2005 (Census)
City 19,331 21,877 26,935 18.78 Estimate 30,416
County 283,229 383,545 569,463 32.6
State 14,229,000 17,045,000 20,851,820 18.20


Geographic Data

City Area: 14.12 sq. miles
Average elevation: 70.5 ft.
County area: 1,567 sq. miles
Miles of Street: Graded 1.65
Paved 97.54

Climate

Average Annual
Rain: 23.34"
Snow: 0"
Temperature: 74 °
Seasonal Temperature: January: 51 °, July 90°
Direction of Prevailing Wind: Southeast



Municipal Services

Date of Incorporation: 1919
Date of Adoption of City Charter: December 14, 1927
Council of Governments Member: yes
Form of Local Government: Single Member District
Annual Budget (08-09): $37,857,572
Building Permits: 2008
Permits Issued: 1,084
Estimated Cost: $30,168,960

Police (Full-time): 75 Firemen (Full-time): 72
Number Employees 105 Number Employees 76
Number of Sub-stations 2 Numbers of Sub-stations 0
Number of Stations 1 Number of Stations 3

Number of pumper trucks: 6 and 1 ladder
Dive Rescue team and Hazard Material team
Emergency Medical Response Team
Fire Insurance Rate: Class 4
Fire Service Outside the City: yes
Ambulance Service: yes     Rescue Service: yes
Number of Ambulances: 6
City Zoning Regulated: yes
City Planning Commission: yes


Utilities

WATER

Supplier: Hidalgo County Water District #9
Water Source: Rio Grande River
Plant Capacity: 8.12 mgd     Avg. Daily Use: 4.744
Peak Use: 6.688 mgd
Basic Rate: $10.06
Cost/1,000 gallons over Basic Rate: $1.79
Elevated Storage: 1.3 mgal     Ground Storage: 1.085 mgal


SEWER

North Sewer Treatment Plant Treatment Type: Extended, Aeration racetrack
Plant Capacity: 3.0 mgd     Present Load: 2.3 mgd
Sanitary Sewer: yes
Complete Sanitary Sewer Coverage: 112 miles
Storm Sewer: yes     Storm Sewer Coverage: 50.94 miles
Flat Rate: $10.80     Cost/1,000 gallons over Basic Rate: 1.23
Solid Waste Disposal Type: City
Residential: yes     Commercial: yes     Industrial: yes

SOUTH WASTE WATER TREATMENT PLANT
South Waste Water Treatment Plant
Treatment Type: Extended, Aeration racetrack
Plant Capacity: 2.5 mgd Present Load: 1.6
Sanitary Sewer: yes
Complete Sanitary Sewer Coverage: 101.27 miles

SERVICE SUPPLIERS

Electric Company:

  • Ambit Energy
  • Amigo Energy
  • Brilliant Energy, LLC
  • Champion Energy Services
  • Cirro Energy Texas Power
  • Commerce Energy
  • CPL Retail Energy
  • Dynowatt
  • First Choice Power
  • Gateway Power Services
  • Gexa Energy
  • Green Mountain Energy Company
  • Hudson Energy Services
  • LPT LLC A Liberty Power Company
  • Mega Energy, L.P.
  • MXenergy
  • Nueces Electric Cooperative Retail Division
  • Reliant Energy
  • Simple Power
  • Spark Energy, L.P
  • StarTex Power
  • Stream Energy
  • Texas Power
  • Texpo Energy
  • TriEagle
  • TXU Energy
  • U.S. Energy Savings Corp.
  • YEP Energy

    • For questions on how to choose a Retail Electric Provider call 1-866-PWR-4-TEX. For questions about a particular REP’s offer or pricing, contact REP directly. (Source: www.powertochoose.org)

    Natural Gas Company:
    Texas Gas Service Company
    1-800-700-2089
    Harlingen, TX 78553
    www.texasgasservice.com

    Telephone Company:
    Verizon
    Residential Service 1-800-483-4400
    Business Service 1-800-483-5000

    Cable Providers:
    Time Warner
    (956) 425-7880
    Harlingen, TX 78550
    www.timewarnercable.com/riograndevalley



    Transportation

    HIGHWAY/INTERSTATE TRANSPORTATION

    Nearest Interstate Hwy: I.H. 35     Distance: 100 miles
    Nearest Major Highway: U.S. Hwy 83     Distance: 0
    U.S. Highways: U.S. 83, U.S. 77, U.S. 281
    Nearest Bridge: Progreso/Nuevo Progreso International Bridge
    Distance to Nuevo Progreso: 7 miles

    MOTOR FREIGHT COMPANIES

    Major Freight Carriers:

    • Nafta Motor Freight
    • Overnite Transportation
    • Central Freight
    • Motor Express
    • Roadway Express
    • ABF Freight
    • Yellow Freight
    • FedEx
    • UPS Store

    AIR TRANSPORTATION

    Name of General Aviation Airport: Weslaco Mid-Valley Airport
    Length of Runway: 5,000 ft.     Surface Type: asphalt
    Landing Lights: yes
    Instrument Landing System: yes
    Aircraft Storage: yes
    Aircraft Maintenance: yes
    Name of nearest Airport with Commercial Services:
    Harlingen - 17 miles
    McAllen - 17 miles
    Commercial Air Freight Services: yes
    Air Carriers: American, Southwest, Continental, , Sun Country, Alligent, Delta


    BUS AND RAILROAD

    Providers: Valley Transit, Trailways, Rio Metro Transit
    Rail Express: Rio Valley Switching, Union Pacific


    SHIPPING

    Nearest Deepwater Port: Port of Brownsville
    Distance to Port: 40 miles
    Channel Depth: first 15 m. are 42 ft., last 2 m. to turning basin are 36 ft.
    Barge Service: yes
    Nearest Water Access: Port of Harlingen
    Distance to Water: 21 miles
    Water Depth: 12 ft.-14 ft.



    Tax Structure (2007)

    Property Tax (Rate/$100 of assessed value)
    Rate Assess. %
    City of Weslaco: .6967 100%
    Hidalgo County: .5900 100%
    Weslaco ISD: 1.1397 100%
    South Texas ISD: .0492 100%
    Hidalgo Co. Drainage Dist. #1 .0725 100%
    So. Texas Community College .1491 100%
    Total Effective Tax Rate: $2.6972

    Sales Tax
    City: 2 % County: 1.5% State: 6.25%

    State Taxes
    Corporate Income: 1%
    Individual Income: none       Gasoline: $0.20
    State Corporate Franchise Tax: 1% (0.5% for retail or wholesale)


    Education

    Number of School Districts: 3
    Major Independent School District:Weslaco Independent School District
    Number of Schools: 19 Total enrollment: 16,188
    Enrollment in 12th Grade: 746
    Avg SAT Score: 900       Avg ACT Score: 18
    Number of Teachers: 1,102
    Number of Private Schools: 5
    Number of Colleges within 30 miles: 3
    Number of Public Library Volumes: 80,000

    Weslaco Independent School District

    • Airport Drive Elementary School
    • A.N. Tony Rico Elementary School
    • Clecker-Heald Elementary School
    • Dr. R. E . Margo Elementary School
    • Justice Raul A. Gonzalez Elementary School
    • Louise Black Elementary School
    • Memorial Elementary School
    • North Bridge Elementary School
    • Rodolfo "Rudy" Silva, Jr. Elementary School
    • Sam Houston Elementary School
    • Beatriz G. Garza Middle School
    • Central Middle School
    • Dr. Armando Cuellar Middle School
    • Mary Hoge Middle School
    • Secondary Schools
    • Weslaco East High School-Grades 9-12
    • Weslaco High School Grades 9-12
    • South Palm Gardens High School -Grades 10-12

    Alternative Schools
    • WISD Alternative School Grades 5-8
    • Horton AEP Campus Grades 9-12

    Other Independent School Districts
    • Other Independent School Districts
    • IDEA Public Schools, Grades PreK-12
    • South Texas ISD, Grades 7-12
    Other Schools
    • First Christian Academy, Grades PK 3-8th
    • Mid Valley Christian School PK3-12th
    • San Martin de Porres Catholic School PK-6th
    • Valley Grande Adventist Academy, Grades K -12th
    • Horizon Montessori II, Grades PK- 3rd Public Charter School
    • Technology Education Charter High School, Grades 9-12
    Colleges and Universities
    • South Texas College
    • South Texas Vo-Tech
    • Valley Grande Institute for Academic Studies



    Commercial/Industrial Services

    Bank Branches: 13
    Credit Unions: 3
    Bank Deposits: $ 3,902,232,717.78 (December 2007)
    $ 946,031,142 (March 2008)

    Number of Daily Newspapers: 2
    Major Newspaper in City: Mid Valley Town Crier
    Circulation: 22,000
    Number of Radio Stations: 1
    TV Stations: 1
    Cable TV Service Available: yes


    Health Facilties

    Number of Hospitals: 1       Total Beds: 233
    Number of Doctors: 220
    Number of Dentists: 9
    Nearest Emergency Room:Knapp Medical Center Level 3 Trauma Facility, Heli-pad
    Home Health Care Agencies: 16
    Nursing Homes: 3
    Pharmacies: 11
    Number of Veterinarians: 1



    Recreational Facilties

    Golf Courses:2
    Swimming Pools: 2
    Lakes: 0
    Tennis Courts: 6
    Parks: 6
    Skateboard Park: 1
    Hunting & Fishing Available: yes



    Hotels & Churches

    Number of Churches: 33
    Number of Hotels & Motels: 9       Rooms: 642
    RV Parks: 8


    Labor Market (April 2008)

    Total Civilian Labor Force (MSA): 277,538
    Total Civilian Labor Force (Weslaco): 12,860
    Civilian Labor Force Unemployment Rate (MSA): 5.7%
    Civilian Labor Force Unemployment Rate (Weslaco): 5.5%
    Radius of Labor Drawing Area: 60 miles
    Wage and/or Labor Survey Available: yes
    Median Household Income: $26,573
    Distance to MSA: 15 miles
    Nearest MSA: McAllen-Edinburg-Mission

    Major Area Employers

    MAJOR AREA EMPLOYERS
    Employer Product Employees
    Weslaco ISD Education 2,825
    Knapp Medical Center Hospital 980
    Woodcrafters Manufacturer 541
    Wal-Mart Retail Dept. Store 455
    H-E-B (3 locations) Retail Grocery 407
    City of Weslaco Government 390
    Payne Auto Group Retail Auto Sales 330
    JC Penney Retail Dept. Store 198
    Lowe's Retail 195
    South Texas College Education-College 193
    Foremost Paving Construction 166
    Texas A&M Experiment Station;
    Extension Service;
    Citrus Center    		 147



    Economic Development Contact Information

    Martha Noell
    Weslaco Area Chamber of Commerce
    Phone: (956)968-2102
    Toll-Free: (888)968-2102
    Fax: 956/968-6451
    Email: chamber@weslaco.com
    Web Site: www.weslaco.com
    		Hernan Gonzalez
    Weslaco Economic Dev. Corp.
    Phone: (956)969-0838
    Fax: (956)969-8611
    Email: hgonzalez@weslacodc.com
    Web Site: www.weslacodc.com



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