Child care · County · Texas
Child care centers and preschools in Hidalgo County, TX
Competitor counts, household spending and official business counts for child care centers and preschools in Hidalgo County, TX, set against other counties and the U.S.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 22 out of 100: Low
Ranked #1,465 of 1,611 scored counties
#98 of 104 scored counties in Texas
- Listings
- 281
- 12 chain locations (4%)
- Official establishments
- 303
- +20.7% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $93.5M
- On child care and other personal services · $346 a household
- Spending per listing
- $333K
- 67% below the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 10.4
- 79% above the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 921,549
- +5.6% since 2020
See the child care centers and preschools around any address in Hidalgo County
The site report maps the child care centers and preschools on map listings near the address, by name and distance, and sizes the households and spending around it. Or open the report at the center of Hidalgo County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardSurvey estimates 2020–2024 · population estimates 2025 · official business counts 2023 · map listings September 2026 · Data credits · How we measure
What this means
For child care centers and preschools, Hidalgo County has a Groundwork market score of 22 (low): #1,465 of 1,611 scored counties and #98 of 104 scored counties in Texas. That puts it in the bottom quarter of counties.
At $346 per household (40% below the U.S. average), households in Hidalgo County spend about $93.5M a year on child care and other personal services. That works out to $333K per center, 67% below the U.S. figure of $1M.
There are 281 child care centers and preschools on map listings in Hidalgo County as of September 2026. 12 of them (4%) are chain locations, against 12% across the U.S. That is 10.4 per 10,000 households, 79% above the U.S. rate of 5.8.
The official count of businesses with payroll classed as child care services in Hidalgo County was 303 in 2023, up 20.7% from 2019. That is one for every 892 households, against one for every 1,573 across the U.S. Since fiscal 2022, 8 SBA-backed loans worth $2M have gone to businesses classed as child care services in Hidalgo County. Between 2020 and 2025, the population of Hidalgo County grew 5.6%, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%).
How Hidalgo County compares
The same measures for Texas and the whole U.S. Spending per listing divides a year of household spending on all child care and other personal services by the child care centers and preschools counted, so it measures the demand for each competitor, not any business’s revenue. Households per establishment does the same with the official count.
| Measure | Hidalgo County | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 10.4 | 5.5 | 5.8 |
| Spending per listing | $333K | $916K | $1M |
| Households per official establishment | 892 | 1,761 | 1,573 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | +20.7% | +10.1% | +5.7% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +5.6% | +8.5% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on child care and other personal services | $346 | $507 | $581 |
| Median household income | $54,338 | $78,476 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 22 | 65 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 251 → 303+20.7% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 1,995
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $46.5M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 2,721Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 28112 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 93The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 8
- Amount
- $2M
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as child care services in Hidalgo County, through June 2026, placed by the borrower’s ZIP code. Official establishments are businesses with payroll; the official counts leave out places with fewer than 3.
Population and households in Hidalgo County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 921,549+5.6% since 2020
- Households
- 270,210
- Median age
- 31.5
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 67%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.9
- Land area
- 1,571 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 568
- Median household income
- $54,338+35.8% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $74,309
- Median home value
- $140,900
- Jobs located here
- 292,679
- Daytime population
- 862,027Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Hidalgo County?
These figures cover the whole county. A site report draws rings around one address and counts what’s inside them: households, spending, jobs, and the child care centers and preschools on map listings by name and distance.
Or open the report at the center of Hidalgo County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardChild care and preschools across Texas
Every Texas market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Texas for child care centers and preschools, numbered among those based in Texas, with Hidalgo County marked.
Top counties in Texas
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Waller County, TX | 93 | 5 | 2.7 | $2M | +21.9% | #3 of 1,611 |
| 2Kendall County, TX | 92 | 9 | 5.1 | $1.4M | +19.6% | #8 of 1,611 |
| 3Comal County, TX | 91 | 33 | 4.6 | $1.4M | +27.9% | #13 of 1,611 |
| 4Johnson County, TX | 88 | 23 | 3.5 | $1.4M | +20.5% | #23 of 1,611 |
| 5Montgomery County, TX | 86 | 119 | 4.8 | $1.3M | +24.9% | #35 of 1,611 |
| 6Rockwall County, TX | 85 | 22 | 5.3 | $1.4M | +28.9% | #39 of 1,611 |
| 7Hunt County, TX | 84 | 10 | 2.6 | $1.6M | +23.0% | #45 of 1,611 |
| 8Wise County, TX | 83 | 10 | 4.0 | $1.4M | +21.5% | #57 of 1,611 |
| 9Chambers County, TX | 82 | 7 | 4.1 | $1.6M | +22.6% | #63 of 1,611 |
| 10Midland County, TX | 81 | 29 | 4.3 | $1.4M | +10.0% | #71 of 1,611 |
| 98Hidalgo County, TX | 22 | 281 | 10.4 | $333K | +5.6% | #1,465 of 1,611 |
Other business types in Hidalgo County
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
Groceries and convenience
Auto
Beauty and personal care
Fitness and classes
Health care
Child care
- Child care and preschools22
Clothing and laundry
Home services
Real estate
Funeral services
Questions
How many child care centers and preschools are in Hidalgo County, TX?
As of September 2026, map listings count 281 child care centers and preschools in Hidalgo County. 12 of them (4%) are chain locations. The listings count day care centers and preschools. Official counts show 303 businesses with payroll classed as child care services in 2023, up 20.7% from 2019. Official counts list 2,721 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in Hidalgo County, TX spend on child care and other personal services?
About $93.5M a year, or $346 per household. That is 40% below the U.S. average (an index of 60, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 281 child care centers and preschools on map listings, it comes to $333K per center. It is estimated from the incomes of the 270,210 households in Hidalgo County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Hidalgo County, TX compare with the U.S. for child care centers and preschools?
Hidalgo County has 10.4 child care centers and preschools per 10,000 households, 79% above the U.S. rate of 5.8. Spending per center is $333K, 67% below the U.S. figure of $1M. At the U.S. ratio of child care centers and preschools to household spending, Hidalgo County would have about 93, against 281 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 892 households, against one for every 1,573 across the U.S. The official count rose 20.7% from 2019 to 2023, against +5.7% for the U.S.
How fast is Hidalgo County, TX growing?
Population estimates put Hidalgo County at 921,549 people in 2025, up 5.6% since 2020, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 270,210 households. Median household income in Hidalgo County is $54,338, 33% below the U.S. median of $80,734. Against the 2015–2019 survey, the median rose 35.8%, before inflation.
What is the Groundwork market score?
The Groundwork market score runs from 0 to 100 and compares a market with others of its kind for one business type: states with states, metro areas with metro areas, small-town markets and counties with their own. It weighs household spending per competitor (35%), households per business with payroll (25%), population growth (20%) and spending power (20%), each ranked against those peers. A higher score means that, taken together, the market has more household spending and more households for each business already there, faster population growth and more spending per household than similar markets. It describes a market, not any one site or deal. Hidalgo County scores 22 for child care centers and preschools (low), #1,465 of 1,611 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Hidalgo County. It maps the child care centers and preschools on map listings near the site and sizes the households and spending within the distance you choose. New accounts get 10 actions over 3 days, no card.
How the score works · Top markets for child care centers and preschools · All 56 business types in Hidalgo County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Hidalgo County?
A site report maps the competitors on map listings near an address and sizes the households and spending around it.
The button opens the report at the center of Hidalgo County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are estimates for research only. Not investment or real estate advice.