The Town FilesMonte Alto, Texas
Community in Hidalgo County · population 1,930 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $89,400
- Household income
- $30,486
- Jan low / Jul high
- 49° / 96°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 7
- Median age
- 24.0
Monte Alto is a community of 1,930 people in Hidalgo County, Texas. The median home is worth $89,400, below the typical Texas town ($184,100). It ranks better transit than 90% of Texas towns, better for first-time buyers than 87% of Texas towns.
How Monte Alto ranks
Percentile among Texas towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Texas towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Monte Alto is worth $89,400, below the typical Texas town ($184,100). Homes cost about 2.9 times the median household income of $30,486, which is more affordable than 53% of Texas towns. Median rent is $927 a month. 78.7% of households own their home.
| Housing | Monte Alto | Typical Texas town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $89,400 | $184,100 |
| Median rent | $927 | $1,086 |
| Median household income | $30,486 | $65,842 |
| Home value ÷ income | 2.9× | 2.9× |
| Homeownership | 78.7% | 72.9% |
| Median year built | 2001 | 1985 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Monte Alto
| People | Monte Alto | Typical Texas town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 24.0 | 37.1 |
| Age 65 and over | 8.1% | 15.6% |
| Under 18 | 38.8% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 11.1% | 18.9% |
| Below the poverty line | 67.1% | 13.1% |
| Veterans | 6.3% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 34.3% | — |
| Work from home | 3.9% | 7.8% |
| Average commute | 21.8 min | 26.1 min |
| Homes with broadband | 80.0% | 89.2% |
Weather in Monte Alto
July highs average 96.3°F and January lows 48.8°F. About 24.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.1 inches of snow (typical Texas town: 0.2 in). Expect about 166 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 2 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
7 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Monte Alto since 1950, compared with 21 for the typical Texas town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on April 26, 1967 about 2.0 miles from the town center. The most recent was on March 27, 2025.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 8 times; the largest was 2.75 inches on June 6, 1983.
Severe weather in Hidalgo County since 1996
Hidalgo County has been included in 32 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, freezing.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| May 21, 2025 | Flood | DR-4871: Severe Storms And Flooding |
| July 9, 2024 | Hurricane | DR-4798: Hurricane Beryl |
| February 19, 2021 | Severe Ice Storm | DR-4586: Severe Winter Storms |
| February 14, 2021 | Severe Ice Storm | EM-3554: Severe Winter Storm |
| July 26, 2020 | Hurricane | EM-3530: Hurricane Hanna |
Jobs and pay in Hidalgo County
Hidalgo County had 291,901 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $42,905 a year. Unemployment was 6.1% in 2023; in Monte Alto itself the ACS puts it at 2.5%.
Public schools in Monte Alto
3 public schools with 820 students, about 13.7 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| ROBERTO GARATE EL | PK-5 | 359 | 17.1 |
| MONTE ALTO H S | 9-12 | 281 | 11.7 |
| JOSE BORREGO MIDDLE | 6-8 | 180 | 12.0 |
Towns near Monte Alto
- Hargill, TX5.4 mi · 800 people · home $75,400
- Elsa, TX5.4 mi · 5,668 people · home $81,600
- Edcouch, TX5.6 mi · 2,732 people · home $58,500
- La Blanca, TX5.9 mi · 2,078 people · home $82,300
- La Villa, TX6.1 mi · 2,804 people · home $101,000
- Lasara, TX7.3 mi · 909 people · home $57,700
- San Carlos, TX7.8 mi · 3,087 people · home $75,600
- Doolittle, TX9.0 mi · 4,061 people · home $78,200
Monte Alto questions
Is Monte Alto, Texas a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Monte Alto scores better for retirees than 8% of Texas towns and quieter than 27%. 8.1% of residents are 65 or older (median age 24.0).
How much does a house cost in Monte Alto?
The median owner-occupied home in Monte Alto is valued at $89,400 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $30,486, so homes cost about 2.9 times income. Median rent is $927 a month.
What is the weather like in Monte Alto?
July highs average 96.3°F and January lows 48.8°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 24.6 inches of precipitation a year and 0.1 inches of snow.
Does Monte Alto get tornadoes?
7 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Monte Alto since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on April 26, 1967. The typical Texas town has had 21.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)