Census-designated place · Cameron County, Texas

Palmer (CDP), Texas

Palmer is a census-designated place in Cameron County, Texas, part of the Brownsville-Harlingen, TX metro area. It has 1,435 residents. Palmer (CDP), Texas has a quality-of-life score of 5 out of 100 (very low), ranking #14,920 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Texas it ranks #912 of 1,016 cities and towns. It ranks best on injury deaths (low), unemployment rate (low) and drug overdose deaths (low). It ranks worst on bachelor's degree or higher (low), median household income (low) and uninsured residents (under 65) (high).

5Very low

Quality-of-life score: #14,920 of 15,651 cities and towns
Texas: #912 of 1,016 in TX
Population: 1,435 (2020-2024)
Land area: 1 mi²
Density: 1,276.9 /mi²
FIPS code: 4854748

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 74 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety56#6,936/15,637
Economy6#14,713/15,631
Housing39#9,151/14,977
Health44#8,729/15,609
Healthcare8#14,442/15,650
Environment4#14,831/15,453
Education14#13,524/15,649
Infrastructure8#14,404/15,650
Community1#15,507/15,651
Leisure & amenities12#13,758/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Palmer (CDP), Texas ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Cameron County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Injury deaths · low40 /100k
99/100Texas 69 /100kUnited States 87 /100k2019-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteCameron County value
Unemployment rate · low0.0%
98/100Texas 4.2%United States 4.3%2020-2024U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Census table B23025
Drug overdose deaths · low6.8 /100k
93/100Texas 13.4 /100kUnited States 18.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataCameron County value
Home price to income ratio · low1.9×
89/100Texas 3.6×United States 4.1×2019-2023U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Suicide rate · low9.8 /100k
84/100Texas 14.4 /100kUnited States 14.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataCameron County value
Depression · low19.5%
84/100Texas 21.2%United States 20.7%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimate

Weaknesses

Bachelor's degree or higher · low0.0%
0/100Texas 33.8%United States 35.7%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003
Median household income · low$18,675
0/100Texas $79,723United States $81,6042020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19013High uncertainty
Uninsured residents (under 65) · high56.0%
1/100Texas 19.1%United States 9.8%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B27010
Lack of reliable transportation · high22.1%
1/100Texas 10.5%United States 8.3%2022Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimate
Food insecurity · high44.6%
1/100Texas 19.4%United States 15.6%2022Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimate
Poverty rate · high76.2%
1/100Texas 13.4%United States 12.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B17001

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationRising
1,256 (2016-2020) → 1,435 (2020-2024)
+14%4 yearsCensus table B01003US 331,578,104 → 340,003,797
Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
51.7% (2016-2020) → 100.0% (2020-2024)
+48 pts4 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.1% → 51.1%
Child poverty rateWorsening
47.0% (2016-2020) → 85.3% (2020-2024)
+38 pts4 yearsCensus table B17001US 15.7% → 15.5%
Poverty rateWorsening
41.1% (2016-2020) → 76.2% (2020-2024)
+35 pts4 yearsCensus table B17001US 11.9% → 12.1%
Uninsured residents (under 65)Worsening
25.6% (2016-2020) → 56.0% (2020-2024)
+30 pts4 yearsCensus table B27010US 10.4% → 9.8%
High school diploma or higherWorsening
71.3% (2016-2020) → 42.5% (2020-2024)
−29 pts4 yearsCensus table B15003US 88.5% → 89.6%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

There is not enough history to compare Palmer (CDP), Texas over five years.

Cities and towns like Palmer (CDP), Texas five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Palmer (CDP), Texas in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

No place that looked like Palmer (CDP), Texas five years ago has more measures that improved than declined, with a higher standing among its peers today.

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

1,435 residents (±716)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†
50–59
40–49†
30–39†
20–29†
10–19†
Under 10†

Share of all residents, each sex

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

1,435 residents (±716)

Palmer (CDP), Texas
Texas share

White0.0%0
Black0.0%0
Hispanic or Latino100%†1,435

Education

636 residents (±324)

Palmer (CDP), Texas
Texas share

No high school diploma58%†366
High school or GED38%†240
Some college4.7%†30

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

335 households (±156)

Palmer (CDP), Texas
Texas share

Under $25k58%†194
$25k–50k30%†99
$50k–75k0.0%0
$75k–100k13%†42
$100k–150k0.0%0
$150k–200k0.0%0
$200k or more0.0%0

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

335 households (±156)

Palmer (CDP), Texas
Texas share

Own73%†243
Rent27%†92

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

44 households (±68)

Palmer (CDP), Texas
Texas share

Under $750100%†44
$750–1,0000.0%0
$1,000–1,5000.0%0

Home values

243 homes (±144)

Palmer (CDP), Texas
Texas share

Under $150k83%†202
$150k–250k17%†41
$250k–400k0.0%0

Age of homes

380 homes (±161)

Palmer (CDP), Texas
Texas share

2010 or later3.7%†14
2000–200923%†87
1980–199973%†279

Size of homes

380 homes (±161)

Palmer (CDP), Texas
Texas share

Studio2.1%†8
1 bedroom0.0%0
2 bedrooms45%†171

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

466 workers (±313)

Palmer (CDP), Texas
Texas share

Drive alone100%†466
Carpool0.0%0
Public transit0.0%0
Walk0.0%0
Bike0.0%0
Work from home0.0%0
Other0.0%0

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

466 workers (±313)

Palmer (CDP), Texas
Texas share

Under 15 min0.0%0
15–29 min74%†343
30–44 min17%†81

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Brownsville-Harlingen, TX

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Cameron County, the county holding most of Palmer's residents.

Cameron County has 6,732 employer establishments, 157 for every 10,000 residents (0.63× the US rate of 248; 0.72× Texas's), with 123,749 paid employees at an average annual pay of $36,649. The Census Bureau also counts 40,580 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 6,732; 40,580 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 157; US 248 · Texas 218
Paid employees: 123,749
Average annual pay: $36,649; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Cameron County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Ambulatory health care services	755	17.6	0.84×About typical	19,466	$34,177	1,501
Restaurants and other eating places	685	16	0.87×About typical	14,174	$18,945	433
Offices of physicians	339	7.9	1.22×About typical	3,360	$77,137	238
Limited-service restaurants	311	7.3	0.90×About typical	7,513	$17,416	87
Full-service restaurants	282	6.6	0.86×About typical	5,644	$21,142	230
Lessors of real estate	273	6.4	0.52×Fewer than typical	1,005	$33,441	2,022
Specialty trade contractors	215	5	0.32×Fewer than typical	1,811	$49,038	4,011
Insurance agencies and brokerages	180	4.2	0.96×About typical	1,433	$47,576	616
Legal services	178	4.2	0.77×Fewer than typical	758	$58,084	281
Construction of buildings	164	3.8	0.51×Fewer than typical	801	$57,733	2,572
Child day care services	157	3.7	1.50×More than typical	1,453	$25,502	1,060
Truck transportation	142	3.3	0.65×Fewer than typical	1,820	$53,987	2,099

Rank places for an industry Open Cameron County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 428,906 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

No federal contract obligations recorded here in FY2026.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Palmer is mostly in Cameron County.

See federal money in Cameron County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Palmer (CDP), Texas is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Vicente GonzalezD-TX-34 · 100% of residentsWith party 73%Missed 5.2%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Cameron County14100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Brownsville-Harlingen, TX10

Other cities and towns in Cameron County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

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