The Town FilesPenitas, Texas
City in Hidalgo County · population 6,460 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $167,000
- Household income
- $48,993
- Jan low / Jul high
- 47° / 95°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 10
- Median age
- 32.6
Penitas is a city of 6,460 people in Hidalgo County, Texas. The median home is worth $167,000, below the typical Texas town ($184,100). It ranks better for a vacation home than 92% of Texas towns, better for families than 70% of Texas towns.
How Penitas 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 Penitas is worth $167,000, below the typical Texas town ($184,100). Homes cost about 3.4 times the median household income of $48,993, which is more affordable than 32% of Texas towns. Median rent is $697 a month. 85.8% of households own their home.
| Housing | Penitas | Typical Texas town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $167,000 | $184,100 |
| Median rent | $697 | $1,086 |
| Median household income | $48,993 | $65,842 |
| Home value ÷ income | 3.4× | 2.9× |
| Homeownership | 85.8% | 72.9% |
| Median year built | 2004 | 1985 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Penitas
| People | Penitas | Typical Texas town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 32.6 | 37.1 |
| Age 65 and over | 10.8% | 15.6% |
| Under 18 | 31.7% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 11.7% | 18.9% |
| Below the poverty line | 23.8% | 13.1% |
| Veterans | 2.5% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 31.0% | — |
| Work from home | 12.2% | 7.8% |
| Average commute | 22.1 min | 26.1 min |
| Homes with broadband | 91.9% | 89.2% |
Weather in Penitas
July highs average 95.1°F and January lows 46.8°F. About 20.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.2 inches of snow (typical Texas town: 0.2 in). Expect about 183 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 2 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
10 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Penitas 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 3.2 miles from the town center. The most recent was on July 20, 2005.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 30 times; the largest was 4.50 inches on March 14, 1997.
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 Penitas itself the ACS puts it at 7.4%.
Public schools in Penitas
4 public schools with 2,276 students, about 14.4 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| JOHN F KENNEDY EL | PK-5 | 661 | 16.5 |
| DR JAVIER SAENZ MIDDLE | 6-8 | 594 | 11.9 |
| CORINA PENA EL | PK-5 | 517 | 14.8 |
| WILLIAM J CLINTON EL | PK-5 | 504 | 15.3 |
Towns near Penitas
- La Joya, TX2.2 mi · 4,457 people · home $108,000
- Perezville, TX2.4 mi · 2,685 people · home $105,800
- Doffing, TX3.6 mi · 5,618 people · home $101,700
- Palmview, TX4.0 mi · 15,830 people · home $113,600
- Salida del Sol Estates, TX4.7 mi · 6,496 people · home $96,800
- La Homa, TX5.2 mi · 11,267 people · home $109,200
- Citrus City, TX5.6 mi · 3,291 people · home $93,800
- Sullivan City, TX7.9 mi · 3,908 people · home $94,600
Penitas questions
Is Penitas, Texas a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Penitas scores better for retirees than 23% of Texas towns and quieter than 31%. 10.8% of residents are 65 or older (median age 32.6).
How much does a house cost in Penitas?
The median owner-occupied home in Penitas is valued at $167,000 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $48,993, so homes cost about 3.4 times income. Median rent is $697 a month.
What is the weather like in Penitas?
July highs average 95.1°F and January lows 46.8°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 20.2 inches of precipitation a year and 0.2 inches of snow.
Does Penitas get tornadoes?
10 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Penitas 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)