Pharr Chamber of Commerce Circa 2011

 


The Pharr Chamber of Commerce in Pharr Texas, closed in 2013. The Pharr Chamber of Commerce had the responsibility for the economic well being of the City of Pharr, preserving our business system and promoting business, growth and development. Its professional business services were taken over by the Pharr Economic Development Corporation.
Content is from the site's 2011 archived pages, as well as from other sources.

The former Pharr Chamber of Commerce facility was renovated in late 2014 through a partnership between the Pharr Economic Development Corporation and the Pharr Innovation & Technology department to create the valleys first innovation center. This center offers several spacious meeting rooms which are equipped with the state of the art business and educational systems for use by the community.
For more information on the Pharr Economic Development Corporation, visit its website at http://pharredc.com/
The Pharr Economic Development Corporation (EDC) is the primary economic development agency for the City of Pharr.

 



 

2011 Look Back

The Pharr Chamber of Commerce is primarily an organization of business and professional men and women who have joined together to work for a strong local economy and favorable business environment.  In Pharr, there is a distinct need for an organized group such as the Chamber of Commerce, for there is challenges and opportunities which an individual alone cannot possibly solve.  However, by working with others and combining time and business resources, accomplishments can be made.

In brief, the Pharr Chamber of Commerce is an organization through which the volunteer manpower of our community works effectively to make Pharr a better place in which to live and work.  The Chamber acts as a spokesperson for the business community and translates into action the group thinking of its members, and it renders specific services of a type that can be most effectively rendered by a community organization both to its members and to the community as a whole.

Each year the goals and accomplishments, which the Chamber hopes to attain, are carefully prepared and presented in a comprehensive Plan of Action. 

 

Mission Statement

“The Chamber of Commerce is an organization of business people united to promote commercial enterprise, enhance community image and improve the quality of life”.

Values and Principles

  • To respect and recognize the value of our members to our organization and represent their economic interest
  • To provide and serve our members with informative issues crucial for their success and awareness
  • To exceed members expectations of services and programs conducted by the chamber
  • To support and provide educational programs for training for our members and their staff to enhance the value of their service
  • To provide opportunities that will contribute to the success of our members operations and initiatives
  • To operate a business organization with uncompromised core values
  • To operate effectively and efficiently by encouraging our volunteers and utilizing their talents to accomplish our goals and objectives established by our Chamber.

Objectives

The Pharr Chamber of Commerce is organized to advance the general welfare and prosperity of the Pharr area so that its citizens and all area of its business community shall prosper. Particular attention and emphasis shall be given to the development and promotion of employment, leadership, tourism, and the agricultural, industrial, economic, cultural educational and general business interest of the total community.

 

~~~~~

Pharr, Texas is located on the Missouri Pacific line and old U.S. Highway 83, five miles west of McAllen in south central Hidalgo County. It is located within a Spanish land grant made in 1767 to Juan José Hinojosa. During the late nineteenth century the Hinojosa family and heirs, occupying the area as late as 1882, sold off portions of their land to various groups.

In 1909, John Connally Kelly and Henry Newton Pharr became co-owners of 16,000 acres. Henry Pharr founded the Louisiana and Rio Grande Canal Company, which constructed an irrigation system in the hopes to establish a sugar plantation. John Kelly formed the Pharr Townsite Company, which laid out the town for development. He named Pharr in honor of his partner.

By 1911, the town of Pharr had established a bank, hotel, and several other prominent businesses, which all led to Pharr’s rapid growth. Due to the soil conditions, Henry Pharr never established a sugarcane empire. John Kellyeventually took over the irrigation system that Pharr had started and continued to supply water to vegetable and cotton farms.  Pharr was incorporated in 1916 and officially recognized as part of Hidalgo County.

Pharr is a city with a bright future. Located in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas, Pharr is part of one of the fastest growing MSAs in the United States. Pharr and its surrounding cities have become a hub of economic growth and development.

And the growth is hardly a surprise when you think of all that Pharr has to offer. Just minutes from Mexico and South Padre Island, tourists flock to the area to take advantage of the sunshine and shopping. The weather and location have also made it a draw for birders and wildlife enthusiasts who can spot many rare species during visits. And while in Pharr, there are plenty of museums and restaurants to enjoy.

With a low cost of living and international trade opportunities, Pharr continues to attract new businesses. The proximity to the U.S.-Mexico border provides Pharr a base to tap into two countries for sales tax revenue.

So enjoy your time in Pharr, a city that really is on the rise and leaving its mark in South Texas!

 

~~~~~


City Hall 1914

Life goes on: I grew up in Pharr. Not as far back as 2014! My parents still live there. When I visit them I am always surprised by the changes. I don't know why after all forty plus years is a long time. I have seen changes occur in my neighborhood on the west side of NYC where I live now that are equally amazing. Perhaps it's that my childhood memories of Pharr are so vivid it's harder to accept those changes. I want everything to remain the same. My mother says, Look at me, I've changed so why shouldn't Pharr. True true. My parents have watched the age of computers take off along with the internet, the invention of cell phones, solar panels, microwave ovens, LED (Light Emitting Diode) lights, digital cameras, 3D printers, and designer beds for doggy friends. I mention the dog beds since I grew up with dogs, but we never had the type of dog beds that are now available for those fuzzies. One of my NY friends just bought a dog bed for their huge great Dane, Macbeth. The dog bed looks like a large floor pillow. It's cover in a fancy decorator toille fabric that matches their living room drapes. I thought they must have had it custom made, but no. They bought it at an online site called GoodnightDog. All the round dog beds on the site are covered in high end decorator fabrics. But hey. Dog beds have also evolved from a pile of old towels to beds that look like miniature sofas, canopy beds to hand made rustic platforms, to special orthopedic dog beds.

Well, there you go. Another example of how places, people, and things evolve and change. Pharr fits right up there as it has evolved and grown to over 80,000 people.


City Hall 2015

~~~~~

 

City of Pharr, TX Community Profile

The community of Pharr, located in the South Texas area called the Rio Grande Valley, is an unusual mixture. Its proximity to the border and beach has influenced the culture in the area. In turn, the area hangs onto its traditions despite the rapid growth and development the area has been experiencing. Hidalgo County is one of the fastest growing communities in the United States, and as a part of that, Pharr is riding the wave of development.

City Overview

  • As of 2007, Pharr's population is 61,360 people. Since 2000, it has had a population growth of 31.50 percent.
  • The median home cost in Pharr is $119,500. Home appreciation the last year has been 4.00 percent.
  • Compared to the rest of the country, Pharr's cost of living is 25.91% Lower than the U.S. average.
  • Pharr public schools spend $5,617 per student. The average school expenditure in the U.S. is $6,058. There are about 16 students per teacher in Pharr.
  • The unemployment rate in Pharr is 4.80 percent(U.S. avg. is 4.60%). Recent job growth is Positive. Pharr jobs have Increased by 1.77 percent.

People

The 2007 Pharr, TX, population is 61,360. There are 2,952 people per square mile (population density).

Family in Pharr, TX

The median age is 27.5. The US median is 37.6. 64.14% of people in Pharr, TX, are married. 5.04% are divorced.

The average household size is 3.66 people. 37.10% of people are married, with children. 11.08% have children, but are single.

Weather

Annual precipitation (inches): 22.96
High temp in July: 96
Low temp in Jan: 50

Pharr, TX, gets 21 inches of rain per year. The US average is 37. Snowfall is 0 inches. The average US city gets 25 inches of snow per year. The number of days with any measurable precipitation is 57.

On average, there are 228 sunny days per year in Pharr, TX. The July high is around 96 degrees. The January low is 48. Our comfort index, which is based on humidity during the hot months, is a 18 out of 100, where higher is more comfortable. The US average on the comfort index is 44.

Climate Pharr, TX United States
Rainfall (in.) 21.4 36.6
Snowfall (in.) 0 25.2
Precipitation Days 57 101
Sunny Days 228 205
Avg. July High 95.7 86.5
Avg. Jan. Low 48.2 20.8
Comfort Index (higher = better) 18 44
UV Index 6.1 4.3
Elevation ft. 121 1,062

Quality of Life

Air quality index (% of days AQI ranked as good): 77%
Personal crime risk: 103
Average travel time to work: 25.6 minutes
Healthcare facilities: 8
Churches: 15

Leisure and culture

Movie theaters (within 15 miles): 11
Restaurants (within 15 miles): 1,143
Bars (within 15 miles): 80
Public golf courses (within 30 miles): 15
Libraries (within 15 miles): 14
Museums (within 30 miles): 9
Performing arts (within 30 miles): 15
Annual Cultural Events (within 15 miles): 7
Recreational outlets (within 60 miles): 14

Transportation

The average one-way commute in Pharr, TX, takes 22 minutes. 74% of commuters drive their own car alone. 20% carpool with others. 1% take mass transit and 2% work from home.

Transportation Pharr, TX United States
Commute Time 21.8 27.4
Commute Mode    
Auto (alone) 73.52% 71.32%
Carpool 19.83% 14.52%
Mass Transit 0.72% 2.00%
Work at Home 1.89% 5.46%
Commute Time to Work    
Commute Less Than 15 min. 33.04% 28.89%
Commute 15 to 29 min. 46.63% 36.08%
Commute 30 to 44 min. 15.39% 19.35%
Commute 45 to 59 min. 1.75% 7.57%
Commute greater than 60 min. 3.18% 8.12%

Religion

50.37% of the people in Pharr, TX are religious, meaning they affiliate with a religion. 39.01% are Catholic; 8.70% are Protestant; 0.98% are LDS; 1.47% are another Christian faith; 0.09% in Pharr, TX are Jewish; 0.03% are an eastern faith; 0.11% affiliate with Islam.

Religion Pharr, TX United States
Percent Religious 50.37% 50.03%
Catholic 39.01% 21.92%
Protestant 8.70% 19.12%
LDS 0.98% 1.57%
Baptist 4.16% 8.16%
Episcopalian 0.23% 8.12%
Pentecostal 1.54% 1.89%
Lutheran 0.66% 2.81%
Methodist 1.80% 3.84%
Presbyterian 0.31% 1.33%
Other Christian 1.47% 4.66%
Jewish 0.09% 2.16%
Eastern 0.03% 0.05%
Islam 0.11% 0.54%

Pharr, TX Health Index

Air quality in Pharr, TX is 19 on a scale to 100 (higher is better). This is based on ozone alert days and number of pollutants in the air, as reported by the EPA.

Water quality in Pharr, TX is 61 on a scale to 100 (higher is better). The EPA has a complex method of measuring watershed quality using 15 indicators.

Superfund index is 98 on a scale to 100 (higher is better). This is upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts.

Health Pharr, TX United States
Air Quality (100 = best) 19 48
Water Quality (100=best) 61 55
Superfund Sites (100=best) 98 71
Physicians per 100k 101.4 169.7

 


 

PharrChamberOfCommerce.com