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CITY · 2000 CENSUS

Brownsville

Texas · 139,722 residents · 131.796 sq mi
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The short version

Brownsville has notably lower household income than the US average, with a median household income of $24,468. Population has grown 41% since 1990. 13% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, below the national rate of 24%. Median home value is $49,400. At a median age of 27.7, residents skew younger than the country as a whole. Households here earn about 39% less than the Texas median.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $42,589
Younger
median age 27.7
US median: 35.2
Less educated
13% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 24%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $120,530
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
139,722
+41%since 1990
from 98,962 in 1990
1990 – 2025
Median age
27.7
+6%since 1990
from 26.2 in 1990
US average: 35.2
Population, 1990 – 2024
90K117K144K171K198K1990201020202024Brownsville
2024189K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2000
Under 59.9%(13,801)
US avg: 6.8%
5 to 99.9%(13,770)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 149.3%(12,986)
US avg: 7.3%
15 to 199.2%(12,853)
US avg: 7.2%
20 to 247.6%(10,591)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3414.6%(20,358)
US avg: 14.2%
35 to 4412.9%(18,051)
US avg: 16%
45 to 5410.6%(14,812)
US avg: 13.4%
55 to 646.6%(9,218)
US avg: 8.6%
65 to 745.4%(7,530)
US avg: 6.5%
75 to 843.1%(4,323)
US avg: 4.4%
85 and over1%(1,429)
US avg: 1.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$24,468
+17%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $15,890 in 1990
US average: $42,589
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$9,762
+55%since 1990
from $6,284 in 1990
US average: $21,522
Poverty rate
36.0%
−7.9 ptssince 1990
from 43.9% in 1990
US average: 12.4%
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$49,400
−5%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $39,400 in 1990
US average: $120,530
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$405
+5%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $292 in 1990
US average: $602
Owner-occupied
61.2%
+5.4 ptssince 1990
from 55.8% in 1990
38.8% rent
RELATED:See current rent listings in Brownsville on RentDataNow
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

1990
White, non-Hispanic84.6%(83,760)
Black0.2%(180)
Hispanic / Latino90.1%(89,186)
Asian0.3%(346)
2000
White, non-Hispanic7.7%(10,826)
Black0.2%(276)
Hispanic / Latino91.3%(127,535)
Asian0.5%(710)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

Hispanic origin
Mexican88.5%(167,339)
Puerto Rican0.3%(582)
Salvadoran0.2%(369)
Cuban0.2%(344)
Honduran0.1%(282)
Spaniard0.1%(204)
Dominican0.1%(164)
Guatemalan0.1%(107)
Colombian0%(69)
+ 7 more hispanic origin groups with data
Asian origin
Filipino0.3%(521)
Nepalese0.1%(139)
Asian Indian0.1%(137)
Taiwanese0.1%(101)
Pakistani0.1%(98)
Korean0%(91)
Chinese0%(67)
Japanese0%(44)
Laotian0%(20)
Thai0%(18)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0%(73)
Guamanian0%(22)
Samoan0%(16)
Ancestry
American2%(3,739)
German1.1%(2,089)
English0.8%(1,523)
Irish0.7%(1,399)
Italian0.6%(1,153)
French0.2%(427)
Dutch0.2%(322)
Russian0.2%(320)
Polish0.1%(280)
Scottish0.1%(227)
Scotch-Irish0.1%(192)
Portuguese0.1%(138)
+ 25 more ancestry groups with data
Norwegian0.1%(136)
Welsh0.1%(114)
Belgian0.1%(105)
Swiss0.1%(103)
British0.1%(98)
Czech0.1%(96)
Hungarian0%(88)
Swedish0%(72)
Arab0%(54)
Turkish0%(53)
Lebanese0%(49)
Finnish0%(28)
Brazilian0%(22)
Serbian0%(17)
Romanian0%(12)
Austrian0%(11)
Slovak0%(7)
Slovene0%(6)
Greek0%(5)
RANKED:Largest Mexican population · Largest American population · Largest German population · Largest English population · Largest Irish population
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
13.4%
+1.2 ptssince 1990
from 12.2% in 1990
US average: 24.4%
High school or higher
51.7%
+6.2 ptssince 1990
from 45.5% in 1990
US average: 80.3%
Graduate degree
5.1%
+1.0 ptssince 1990
from 4.1% in 1990
US average: 8.8%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
12.7 min
−21%since 1990
from 16.1 min in 1990
US average: 17.6
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status
Men 15+
Never married29.1%(13,057)
Married63.3%(28,392)
Widowed2.3%(1,011)
Divorced5.3%(2,388)
Women 15+
Never married25.8%(14,027)
Married56.5%(30,741)
Widowed10%(5,452)
Divorced7.7%(4,188)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2000
Drill deeper

Places similar to Brownsville

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Pop 201,999
Shreveport
Pop 175,902
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Pop 222,795
Springfield
Pop 169,847
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Head to head

Compare Brownsville to nearby cities

BROWNSVILLE VS
Los Fresnos
Income$61,938+153%
Home value$152,200+208%
Population8,703−95%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BROWNSVILLE VS
San Benito
Income$43,639+78%
Home value$85,300+73%
Population24,980−87%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BROWNSVILLE VS
Harlingen
Income$53,645+119%
Home value$140,600+185%
Population72,467−62%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BROWNSVILLE VS
Mercedes
Income$46,904+92%
Home value$111,800+126%
Population17,915−91%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Brownsville, Texas?

Brownsville, Texas has about 139,722 residents according to the 2000 Census.

What is the median household income in Brownsville, Texas?

The typical household in Brownsville, Texas earns about $24,468 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Brownsville, Texas expensive?

In Brownsville, Texas, the median home is worth about $49,400, and the typical rent is about $405 a month.

How educated are people in Brownsville, Texas?

About 13.4% of adults age 25 and over in Brownsville, Texas hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Brownsville, Texas?

About 36.0% of people in Brownsville, Texas live below the federal poverty line.

Has Brownsville, Texas grown since 1990?

Yes, Brownsville, Texas has grown since 1990. The population has added about 40,760 residents, a change of about 41 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →