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      Barely any heating season · Very hot summers

      Best heat pumps for McAllen, TX

      McAllen barely needs heating; choose on cooling efficiency (SEER2 and EER2).

      A typical heat pump costs about $128 a year to heat a house here and $1,186 to cool it. A 95% gas furnace would cost $142 for the same heat, so the heat pump is cheaper to run.

      This guide also covers Edinburg, which share McAllen's weather station and climate data.

      Cheapest to run in McAllen

      Ranked by yearly electricity cost in this climate, so the balance of heating and cooling efficiency is the one that matters here.

      Running cost calculator for McAllen

      Pre-filled with McAllen's climate and Texas prices. Pick a model, tell it what you heat with today, and add your quote.

      Heat pump $757/yrYou save $699/yrSee details ↓
      1. Where you live
      Adjust heating and cooling hours

      Filled in from your city's climate. Change them if you run the system much more or less than usual.

      2. The heat pump pick a model or type its ratings
      3. What it replaces
      4. Price replace the example with your quote
      Heat pump, per year
      $757
      Current system, per year
      $1,456
      You save per year
      $699
      Payback
      12.9 years
      Net after 10 years
      -$2,011

      Cooling $672Heating $85Electricity used: 4,733 kWhSaved vs. a minimum-efficiency heat pump: $285

      Estimates use the unit's rated SEER2 and HSPF2, full-load hours derived from NOAA 1991-2020 degree days, average residential electricity prices from the U.S. EIA (12 months to July 2026) and fuel prices from EIA (2025 for natural gas, week of 2026-10-05 for propane and heating oil). Very cold days that need backup heat are not modelled. Federal minimum for comparison: 14.3 SEER2 / 7.5 HSPF2.

      More for McAllen

      Top 5 12,000 BTU mini-splitsfrom $241/yr
      ModelSEER2HSPF2Per year
      Fujitsu AOUH12KTAP131.513.7$241
      Fujitsu AOUH12KZAH130.512.7$251
      Mitsubishi Electric MUZ-FX12NLHZ29.912.4$256
      Hisense AO-12U3T25P30.011.8$257
      Carrier 37MPRAQ12AA329.512.7$258

      All 12,000 BTU mini-splits

      Top 5 24,000 BTU mini-splitsfrom $542/yr
      ModelSEER2HSPF2Per year
      SLIMAIR SHC24VH2AG27.514.5$542
      TOSOT TW24HAY32A1DO27.010.0$575
      TCL TMH27HEI2NAS0U2526.510.5$580
      Samsung AM024HCMDCG26.010.7$589
      GREE GWH24AGEXF-D6DNA4J/O26.010.0$594

      All 24,000 BTU mini-splits

      Top 5 3-ton central heat pumpsfrom $773/yr
      ModelSEER2HSPF2Per year
      TOSHIBA CARRIER MCY-MUB0368HS2P-UL29.712.2$773
      LG KUSXA361A23.510.5$968
      Heil H5H3V36*K*AAA22.59.5$1,017
      LG KUSXB361A22.010.3$1,028
      Trane 5TWV0X36A121.010.5$1,070

      All 3-ton central heat pumps

      Heat pump vs. gas, propane and oilheat pump is cheaper than gas

      Yearly cost to heat a typical house (36,000 BTU/h of heat, 200 full-load hours) at Texas prices.

      • Heat pump (typical, 9.0 HSPF2)$128/yr
      • Natural gas furnace, 95% AFUE$142/yr
      • Natural gas furnace, 80% AFUE$168/yr
      • Propane furnace, 95% AFUE$257/yr
      • Electric baseboard or furnace$338/yr
      • Heating oil, 85% AFUE$365/yr

      Electricity and natural gas: Texas residential averages from the U.S. EIA; propane and heating oil: latest EIA weekly prices.

      Month by monthpeak $179 in August

      Heating and cooling degree days (NOAA 1991-2020 normals) and what a typical 3-ton heat pump costs in each month at 16.0¢/kWh.

      MonthHeating DDCooling DDCost
      January15081$62
      February79139$55
      March28274$73
      April5407$98
      May0577$137
      June0681$162
      July0733$174
      August0752$179
      September0599$142
      October4438$105
      November51206$63
      December136104$63
      What size heat pump for a McAllen home?3 ton for 2,000 sq ft
      • 1,000 sq ft house2 ton · heating load 10,000 BTU/h
      • 1,500 sq ft house2.5 ton · heating load 15,000 BTU/h
      • 2,000 sq ft house3 ton · heating load 20,000 BTU/h
      • 2,500 sq ft house3.5 ton · heating load 25,000 BTU/h

      Average insulation, 8 ft ceilings. Size calculator for your own home

      Questions4
      Do heat pumps work in McAllen winters?
      McAllen barely needs heating; choose on cooling efficiency (SEER2 and EER2). The average winter low is 55°F, and the heating season adds up to 453 heating degree days (NOAA 1991-2020 normals).
      How much does it cost to run a heat pump in McAllen?
      A typical 3-ton central heat pump (17.0 SEER2, 9.0 HSPF2) uses about $128 of electricity a year for heating and $1,186 for cooling in McAllen, at the Texas average of 16.0¢/kWh. The most efficient models cost less - see the rankings above.
      Is a heat pump cheaper than a gas furnace in McAllen?
      Yes, for heating at today's prices: about $128 a year with a typical heat pump versus $142 with a 95% gas furnace, using Texas averages of 16.0¢/kWh and $1.87/therm.
      What size heat pump do I need for a 2,000 sq ft house in McAllen?
      With average insulation, roughly a 3-ton system: the estimated cooling load is 35,100 BTU/h and the heating load 20,000 BTU/h. Use the size calculator for your own house, and ask installers for a Manual J calculation.

      Nearby cities

      Climate: NOAA 1991-2020 normals, station MCALLEN MILLER INTL AP (5 km away).