Rio Grande Valley cities hit 1 million residents. See the fastest growing

The population of the Rio Grande Valley among incorporated communities hit 1 million in July 2025, adding 7,734 residents over the year, according to recently released U.S. Census estimates. 

The county-level data released earlier this year included unincorporated communities, which showed a total of 1.4 million residents across the four-county region of Hidalgo, Cameron, Starr, and Willacy. 

Most cities across the Valley grew over the past year and the last five years, with several increasing their populations by double digits, such as Alton, 23%; Bayview, 16.7%; La Joya, 14.4%; La Villa, 13.1%; and Rio Hondo, 12.7%. The city of Mercedes grew by 9.2% between 2020 and 2025 to 17,915 residents. 

Some of the smallest cities have experienced population loss since 2020, including Edcouch, which lost 4.7% of its population, bringing its population to 2,600 residents. 

The city of Brownsville remained the largest across the Valley, hitting 192,957 residents in July 2025, up from 192,417 the year before – that’s less than 1% increase over the year. Over a five-year stint, Brownsville’s population grew by 3.3%. 

McAllen was the second-largest city in the Valley and grew by 1.3% over the year to 150,640 residents. It was the fastest-growing over a five-year period, with its population increasing by 5.4% between 2020 and 2025. 

Edinburg was the fastest-growing city between 2020 and 2025, increasing its population by 8.9% to 110,700 residents.