Laredo, Texas

Locals will tell you Laredo is unlike any city you’ve been to and that you won’t really “get it” unless you visit. For starters, Laredo has the largest Hispanic population out of any city in the US, outside of Puerto Rico, making it technically one of the least ethnically diverse cities in the US. It’s one of the oldest crossing points along the Mexico-United States border and that fact means it’s steeped in history and Hispanic heritage, from the food to the shopping and even the language spoken (a true Spanglish). Grab some mariachis (breakfast tacos, not the band), attend the famous Washington Birthday Celebration throughout February, shop at Mall del Norte, or just walk around and experience it yourself!

Laredo is segregated, economically, especially for a smaller metro area. Most of the wealth of the city is in gated communities, while the areas that are classified as poor have been that way for quite some time. Laredo’s poverty rate is about three times that of the national average, and locals say you can tell when you drive around the city. The good news is that the poverty rates do appear to be dropping if you look at the averages year over year.

Laredo is a big city with small-town energy. People here love their community, their families, food, and, surprisingly, George Washington! Every year, over 400,000 people attend the George Washington’s Birthday festivities in February. You might be confused as to why a celebration honoring our first president happens on the border and you wouldn’t be the only one! The event, dubbed “GWBA” was originally planned by the patriotic Improved Order of the Red Men, the local chapter of Yaqui Tribe #59. The members were made up of prominent Laredoans from both Mexican and American ancestry. This event highlights the heritage and history of the town and has a huge economic impact on the city. GWBA is just one of the many things that makes Laredo Laredo. It's a town you won’t understand unless you visit.

If you want to see what people do in Laredo check out the calendar of events.

Laredo is the largest inland port in the United States and one of the oldest border crossing locations in the country mainly due to its location, benefits from NAFTA, the twin assembly plants across Nuevo Laredo, and the import-export agencies expediting trade. Understandably so, the largest industries are trade, transportation, and utilities closely followed by government and education and health services. Despite having such a large proportion of its population living below the poverty line, the unemployment rates in Laredo have been steadily dropping since the mid-1990s. Despite all of the above, it is important to note that women moving to Laredo are in for a shock when they find out that the city has one of the largest gender pay gaps in the country, according to a study from NerdWallet.