South Texas is a subtropical paradise awaiting your arrival. We know that moving (or visiting) a new area can be a little scary, especially if you’ve never been there before. To help give you a little reassurance, we have put together some information to help you understand the area a little better.

McAllen, Texas lies in Hidalgo County in the heart of the Rio Grande Valley. For 2011, the McAllen area was rated the 11^th safest large metropolitan in the country during Farmers Insurance annual study. This study takes into consideration multiple factors including weather, air quality, and crime statistics.

Crime in the area, contrary to belief, has actually decreased significantly for the county and continues to have much lower rates than cities of comparable size. The following statements taken from an article by The Monitor, illustrate safety of the area.

"'Hidalgo County saw a significant reduction in overall crime last year, marking the second-lowest crime rate in the past 15 years,' Sheriff Lupe Trevino said.
'I'm very proud to report we had a 21.9 percent reduction in violent crime and a seven percent decrease in property crime,' Trevino said.
'You are safe,' Trevino said. 'There is no need to have an exaggerated fear of crime.'
'Sensationalism in the media affects perception,' he said, adding that Hidalgo county is the third safest of the seven larger counties in Texas, which include El Paso, Bexar, Harris, Tarrant, Travel and Dallas counties."
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In fact, crime in McAllen has decreased by nearly 50% since 2004. View the official police report for 2011. But, how does McAllen compare to other cities within the same population range? We’ve created a chart with data from city-data.com, a website which uses FBI Crime Statistics and Census information for 2010 to gain an accurate picture of life within a city.

Click here to visit city-data.com

Even more surprising was how McAllen compared to much smaller, but popular cities. The size of McAllen is triple the size of the communities listed below, but is three to four times safer! This disproportionate crime level further exemplifies how safe McAllen actually is.

Not only is the the Rio Grande Valley one of the safest places to live, it's also the most affordable! 
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