With 426,120 people, Brownsville is a metro area. This skews young, with a median age of 32.7. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 22% of adults. The typical home is worth $136,500, having roughly tripled since 2000. The poverty rate is 24.8%, above the 12.5% national rate. Growth has run 27% since 2000, or 90,893 more people.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $52,601, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 32.7
US median: 38.9
Less educated
22% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 56%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Brownsville
What changed most since 1990
Poverty rate39.7% → 24.8%(−14.8 pts)US over the same years: −0.8 pts
White share17.6% → 8.7%(−8.9 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
Population260,120 → 426,120(+64%)US over the same years: +35%
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)27%(3,395)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)24.5%(3,080)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era31.2%(3,923)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War4%(505)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1.2%(148)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 12,584 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
Over time
Brownsville, decade by decade
Brownsville population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
260,120
$41,608
$91,443
12.0%
37.6
2000
335,227
$47,645
$87,439
13.4%
33.4
2010
406,220
$44,975
$106,454
14.5%
26.6
2020
421,017
$49,936
$108,720
18.2%
24.0
2024
426,120
$52,601
$136,500
22.1%
24.4
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
