United States › Texas › Brownsville CITY · 2020 ACS
Brownsville Texas · 186,738 residents · 132 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO 1990 Census 2000 Census 2009 ACS 2010 ACS 2011 ACS 2012 ACS 2013 ACS 2014 ACS 2015 ACS 2016 ACS 2017 ACS 2018 ACS 2019 ACS 2021 ACS 2022 ACS 2023 ACS 2024 ACS
The short version
Brownsville is home to 186,738 people in Texas. This skews young, with a median age of 32.9. The poverty rate is 27.5%, above the 12.8% national rate. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 20% of adults. 28% of people here were born outside the United States. The typical home is worth $92,400, having more than doubled since 2000.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $66,278
Younger
median age 32.9
US median: 38.8
Less educated
20% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01
Population & growth from 27.7 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Population, 1990 – 2024
90K 117K 144K 171K 198K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Brownsville Age distribution, 2020
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Section 02
Income & economy $40,924
+11%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $24,468 in 2000
US average: $66,278
from $9,762 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
from 13.5% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
from 36.0% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Professional, scientific, technical 4.8%
Public administration 2.8%
Transportation & warehousing 1.7%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 1.4%
Education & health services 0.6%
Arts, entertainment, food 0.6%
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$92,400
+24%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $49,400 in 2000
US average: $265,253
$754
+24%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $405 in 2000
US average: $1,124
from 61.2% in 2000
39.9% rent
from 3.47 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
from 2.6 in 2009
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-Hispanic 7.7%(10,826)
Hispanic / Latino 91.3%(127,535)
2020
White, non-Hispanic 4.8%(8,968)
Hispanic / Latino 93.9%(175,310)
No data for the years selected.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry Hispanic origin
+ 7 more hispanic origin groups with data Ancestry
+ 28 more ancestry groups with data from 13.4% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
from 51.7% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
from 5.1% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 12.7 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
from 76.5% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
from 11.3% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07
Work & employment from 8.8% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
from 58.0% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
US average: 73.3%
from 24.6% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08
People & community from 30.0% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
from 36.4% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
US average: 91.9%
Marital status (2024)
Women 15+
Never married 33.2%(25,122)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 36.4% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Direct-purchase
US average: 13.7%
VA health care
US average: 2.3%
Any private
US average: 68.1%
Any public
US average: 35.2%
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, 2020
Gulf War (2001 or later) 24.9%(856)
Gulf War (1990s) 26.4%(908)
Share of the 3,438 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.
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Drill deeper
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Frequently asked
How many people live in Brownsville, Texas? Brownsville, Texas has about 186,738 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Brownsville, Texas? The typical household in Brownsville, Texas earns about $40,924 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 $92,400, and the typical rent is about $754 a month.
How educated are people in Brownsville, Texas? About 19.7% 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 27.5% 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 87,776 residents, a change of about 89 percent over that period.
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