CensusEasy
CITY · 2010 ACS

Brownsville

Texas · 175,023 residents · 132 sq mi
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The short version

Brownsville is home to 175,023 people in Texas. The poverty rate is 35.8%, above the 13.8% national rate. This skews young, with a median age of 29.5. 31% of people here were born outside the United States. The typical home is worth $77,200, having risen by half since 2000. Households here earn about 39% less than in Texas as a whole.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $52,703
Younger
median age 29.5
US median: 37.2
Less educated
15% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 28%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $225,659
Section 01

Population & growth

175,023
+25%since 2000
from 139,722 in 2000
1990 – 2025
29.5
+6%since 2000
from 27.7 in 2000
US average: 37.2
Land area
132 sq mi
Population, 19902024
90K117K144K171K198K19902000201020202024Brownsville
2024189K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2010
Under 59%(15,728)
US avg: 6.5%
5 to 99.9%(17,258)
US avg: 6.6%
10 to 149.6%(16,794)
US avg: 6.7%
15 to 198.9%(15,584)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 246.7%(11,794)
US avg: 7%
25 to 3413.4%(23,497)
US avg: 13.3%
35 to 4413.2%(23,040)
US avg: 13.3%
45 to 5410.8%(18,859)
US avg: 14.6%
55 to 648.7%(15,141)
US avg: 11.8%
65 to 745.4%(9,513)
US avg: 7%
75 to 843.3%(5,815)
US avg: 4.2%
85 and over1.1%(2,000)
US avg: 1.8%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

$30,134
−3%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $24,468 in 2000
US average: $52,703
1990 – 2024
$12,130
+24%since 2000
from $9,762 in 2000
US average: $27,286
Households earning $100K+
14.3%
+0.7 ptssince 2009
from 13.5% in 2009
US average: 33.3%
35.8%
−0.2 ptssince 2000
from 36.0% in 2000
US average: 13.8%
0.475
US average: 0.461
Workforce by industry, 2010
Information14.8%
US avg: 11.5%
Wholesale trade7.3%
US avg: 7.2%
Retail trade6.5%
US avg: 10.9%
Finance & insurance5.7%
US avg: 5.1%
Professional, scientific, technical5%
US avg: 4.2%
Other services3.4%
US avg: 7%
Transportation & warehousing3.1%
US avg: 3.1%
Public administration2.5%
US avg: 4.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1.8%
US avg: 1.9%
Arts, entertainment, food1.3%
US avg: 2.4%
Construction1%
US avg: 1.4%
Manufacturing0.8%
US avg: 0.5%
Education & health services0.8%
US avg: 0.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

$77,200
+23%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $49,400 in 2000
US average: $225,659
1990 – 2024
$561
+9%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $405 in 2000
US average: $853
62.2%
+1.0 ptssince 2000
from 61.2% in 2000
37.8% rent
11.8%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 11.3% in 2009
US average: 12.1%
3.66 people
+5%since 2009
from 3.47 people in 2009
US average: 2.60
32.3%
−0.6 ptssince 2009
from 32.9% in 2009
US average: 30.9%
52.0%
+1.4 ptssince 2009
from 50.7% in 2009
US average: 46.8%
2.6
−1%since 2009
from 2.6 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic7.7%(10,826)
Black0.2%(276)
Hispanic / Latino91.3%(127,535)
Asian0.5%(710)
Other0%
2010
White, non-Hispanic5.7%(10,027)
Black0.2%(332)
Hispanic / Latino93.2%(163,109)
Asian0.6%(1,091)
Other0.5%(859)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican89.3%(151,516)
Spaniard0.2%(317)
Puerto Rican0.2%(269)
Nicaraguan0.1%(167)
Cuban0.1%(162)
Argentine0.1%(161)
Honduran0.1%(141)
Colombian0.1%(125)
Salvadoran0.1%(108)
Guatemalan0.1%(102)
+ 4 more hispanic origin groups with data
Ancestry
German1.4%(2,318)
American1.3%(2,194)
Irish0.9%(1,491)
English0.8%(1,380)
French0.4%(679)
Italian0.3%(544)
Scotch-Irish0.3%(524)
Polish0.3%(434)
Scottish0.2%(381)
Dutch0.2%(266)
Swedish0.2%(259)
Welsh0.1%(173)
+ 28 more ancestry groups with data
British0.1%(156)
Arab0.1%(137)
Iranian0.1%(124)
Norwegian0.1%(108)
Danish0.1%(89)
Czech0%(81)
Lebanese0%(72)
Hungarian0%(70)
Russian0%(70)
Greek0%(68)
Romanian0%(68)
Austrian0%(62)
Egyptian0%(46)
Jamaican0%(38)
Ukrainian0%(35)
Canadian0%(34)
Finnish0%(33)
Syrian0%(19)
Swiss0%(11)
Latvian0%(9)
Section 05

Education

15.3%
+1.9 ptssince 2000
from 13.4% in 2000
US average: 27.9%
High school or higher
59.2%
+7.5 ptssince 2000
from 51.7% in 2000
US average: 84.9%
4.7%
−0.4 ptssince 2000
from 5.1% in 2000
US average: 10.2%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

19.3 min
+52%since 2000
from 12.7 min in 2000
US average: 25.2
75.7%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 76.5% in 2009
US average: 76.2%
15.5%
+0.7 ptssince 2009
from 14.8% in 2009
US average: 10.4%
1.3%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 1.3% in 2009
US average: 4.7%
2.7%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 2.3% in 2009
US average: 4.1%
2.4%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 2.3% in 2009
US average: 2.8%
0.1%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.1% in 2009
US average: 0.5%
10.8%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 11.3% in 2009
US average: 8.7%
Section 07

Work & employment

18.7%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 18.2% in 2009
US average: 12.9%
25.9%
+1.2 ptssince 2009
from 24.6% in 2009
US average: 35.2%
Section 08

People & community

47.6%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 47.7% in 2009
52.4%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 52.3% in 2009
30.9%
+0.9 ptssince 2009
from 30.0% in 2009
US average: 12.8%
4.7%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 5.1% in 2009
US average: 9.9%
Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married38%(26,365)
Married54%(37,523)
Widowed2.6%(1,802)
Divorced5.4%(3,780)
Women 15+
Never married33.2%(25,122)
Married47.3%(35,863)
Widowed9.9%(7,464)
Divorced9.6%(7,303)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

26.2%
−10.2 ptssince 2013
from 36.4% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
33.1%
+2.6 ptssince 2020
from 30.5% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
9.6%
+3.1 ptssince 2020
from 6.5% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
13.3%
−0.1 ptssince 2020
from 13.4% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
27.4%
−0.9 ptssince 2020
from 28.3% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
1.3%
+0.1 ptssince 2020
from 1.2% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
42.0%
+5.5 ptssince 2020
from 36.5% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
36.1%
−0.4 ptssince 2020
from 36.5% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)35.9%(1,354)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)30.6%(1,155)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era29.7%(1,121)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War2.5%(95)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0%(0)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 3,775 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
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Frequently asked

How many people live in Brownsville, Texas?

Brownsville, Texas has about 175,023 residents according to the 2010 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Brownsville, Texas?

The typical household in Brownsville, Texas earns about $30,134 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 $77,200, and the typical rent is about $561 a month.

How educated are people in Brownsville, Texas?

About 15.3% 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 35.8% 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 76,061 residents, a change of about 77 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 →