Harlingen, Texas Housing Market

What stands out in Harlingen?

• Asking price per square foot has moved +6.9% a year over five years: among the strongest five-year price growth of 763 tracked cities. Long-run appreciation has been strong here.
• Asking price per square foot is up 4.9% on the year: among the fastest-rising asking prices per square foot of 763 tracked cities. Sellers will price off recent gains. Comp carefully.
• 13% of sellers have cut their price: among the lowest share of price cuts of 763 tracked cities. Sellers are holding firm on price.

How much more is for sale in Harlingen than before the pandemic?

There are 334 homes for sale in Harlingen, 45% more than in 2017–2019 at this time of year. That count is down 10% on last year, with 100 new listings this month. More choice means you can walk away from any home priced for the market of three years ago.

Are Harlingen price gains broad or limited to a few ZIP codes?

Asking price per square foot in Harlingen is up 4.9% over the last year. Over five years the pace has been 6.9% a year. Underwrite closer to that than to the last twelve months.

How does Harlingen compare with other Texas markets?

Ranked among the 77 Texas markets we track:

• Asking price: 8th cheapest of 77. Harlingen is at $240,880. Closest: Beaumont and Texas City.
• Buyer competition: 21st least competitive of 67. Harlingen is at 0.23 buyers per home. Closest: Texas City and Irving.
• Time on market: 15th longest time on market of 77. Harlingen is at a median of 76 days on market. Closest: Huntsville and Waco.
• Price cuts: 7th fewest price cuts of 77. Harlingen is at 13% of sellers cutting. Closest: Laredo and Edinburg.

How much can you negotiate in Harlingen?

For every 100 homes still for sale, 23 are under contract. In 2017–2019 at this time of year it was 22. The rest are still waiting for a buyer. Few sellers are dropping their price. Asking prices are holding firm. Your discount will come from one stale listing.

Harlingen listings spend a median 76 days on the market. There are 334 homes for sale in Harlingen. That is 5.2 times the tightest month on record, but below the peak of 403. Supply is shrinking against last year.

What to do about it

• Judge each listing on its own.
• Homes listed 90+ days ago with a price cut are where your discount is.
• Fresh, well-priced homes will not move on price. Do not waste offers on them.

What is the fair market rent in Harlingen?

HUD sets one fair market rent for Cameron County. For fiscal year 2026:

• 1 bedroom: $866 a month. Up 14% on last year, up 66% since FY2016.
• 2 bedrooms: $1,047 a month. Up 10% on last year, up 54% since FY2016.
• 3 bedrooms: $1,414 a month. Up 12% on last year, up 61% since FY2016.
• 4 bedrooms: $1,479 a month. Up 13% on last year, up 44% since FY2016.

The figures include tenant-paid utilities and apply to all of Cameron County, so one home's rent can sit well above or below them. See fair market rent by city.

Is now a good time to buy in Harlingen?

The median asking price is 29.0% below its Jun 2023 peak. Per square foot, asking prices are at their high. Part of the drop is smaller homes coming to market. Prices are rising again. Every month you wait costs money. The question is no longer when. It is which house. Harlingen prices have risen in 92 of the last 112 months. Drops here have been short and shallow. Buying in a slow month has rarely hurt a long hold.

This market is turning. Which way is not settled yet. Check the monthly numbers above before you commit.

What numbers should you underwrite a Harlingen deal with?

• Price growth to assume — +6.9%/yr. Harlingen has grown about 6.9% a year for five years and for ten. That pace held before and after the 2020–2021 boom, so it is a fair long-run input. Prices rose 4.9% over the last year. Use it for timing. The five-year rate is the better guide.
• Months of carrying cost — 3. Budget at least 76 days of holding costs, the current median time on market, when you exit or refinance.
• Odds you cut your price to sell — 1 in 8. 13% of Harlingen listings have cut their asking price. Underwrite your exit below asking.
• Comp on price per square foot — $160/sqft. The typical Harlingen listing shrank from 2,090 to 1,620 sqft since Jul 2016. So median price hides real growth: 88% per sqft versus 40% on the median. Comp on median price and you will overpay for small homes.
• Competition when you exit — -10%. Homes for sale in Harlingen are down 10% on last year, so your resale faces less competition than today's comps did.

Read what days on market tells you about leverage and how we read these numbers, then run the numbers on a deal.

What is the median home price in Harlingen?

The median asking price in Harlingen is about $241,000 as of Oct 2026, down 14.0% from a year ago. The typical listing is 13% smaller than a year ago, and asking price per square foot is up 4.9%. So the size of homes on the market explains much of the drop. This is the asking price on homes listed for sale. Sites that report sold prices or estimated home values will show a different number. Our Harlingen figures cover the 4 ZIP codes with a Harlingen mailing address, which can reach past city limits.

Is Harlingen a buyer's or seller's market in 2026?

Neither side has the upper hand in Harlingen right now. We compare Harlingen with 2017–2019 at this time of year: there are 45% more homes for sale; 13% of sellers have cut their price, against 12% then; there are 23 pending sales per 100 listings, against 22 then.

Are Harlingen home prices going up or down?

The median asking price is 29.0% below its Jun 2023 peak. Per square foot, asking prices are at their high. Part of the drop is smaller homes coming to market. Prices are rising again. Every month you wait costs money. The question is no longer when. It is which house.

What rent can Harlingen tenants afford?

At 30% of income, a tenant on the median income can pay about $1,437 a month. The median Harlingen household earns $57,483 a year.

What is the best month to buy a house in Harlingen?

Across 9 full years, Harlingen asking prices ran lowest in January, about 5.5% below the year's average. They peaked in June. The most homes for sale show up in November, about 10% above the yearly average.

What price growth should I assume for Harlingen?

Assume +6.9% a year. Harlingen has grown about 6.9% a year for five years and for ten. That pace held before and after the 2020–2021 boom, so it is a fair long-run input. Prices rose 4.9% over the last year. Use it for timing. The five-year rate is the better guide.

What is the fair market rent in Harlingen?

HUD's fiscal year 2026 fair market rent for Cameron County is $1,047 a month for 2 bedrooms and $1,414 for 3 bedrooms. The figures include tenant-paid utilities and cover the whole county.