Todd Staples, Texas Department of Agriculture Commissioner, congratulated Harlingen on becoming a Go Texan Certified Retirement Community in May 2008. Harlingen is the 12th city out of 250 counties in Texas to become a Go Texan Certified Retirement Community (CRC).

During the certification process, Harlingen was evaluated on many different levels to verify the desirability of our city as a retirement destination. We were evaluated on available healthcare, transportation, climate, performing arts and more. Other points of interest for the reviewers of the Certified Retirement Community Application were prospective tourist destinations, home listings, and recreational areas. To our excitement, Texas Department of Agriculture found Harlingen a perfect fit for the Certified Retirement Community.
This certification encourages retirees to make their homes in Texas communities. Becoming a CRC reinforces efforts to market ourselves as a desirable retirement location. It will allow us to develop our community in a way that retirees would find attractive for a retirement lifestyle.

The development of our community as a long-term living community is beneficial for economic development and is a means of providing a potential workforce in our community. The Go Texan Certified Retirement Community brand encourages retirees to evaluate our state as a potential and desirable retirement location, thus generating tourism to Texas. It will bring in further tourism as people visit friends and relatives who have retired in Texas.

Becoming a Go Texan Certified Retirement Community is going to serve Harlingen in wonderful ways. The Harlingen Convention and Visitors Bureau will be attending strategic marketing seminars with other Certified Retirement Communities to gain the best results from the tourist and retiree market that come with this certification.