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METRO AREA

Brownsville Metro

Brownsville-Harlingen, TX · 1 counties · 433,946 residents (2025 est.) · 892 sq mi
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The short version

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
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
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
426,120
+27%since 2000
from 335,227 in 2000
433,946 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
478 / sq mi
+27%since 2000
from 376 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
Median age
32.7
+13%since 2000
from 29.0 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
892 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
244K293K343K393K443K19902000201020202024Brownsville
2024426K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 57.1%(30,267)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 98%(33,978)
US avg: 6%
10 to 148.4%(35,626)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 198.5%(36,090)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 247.7%(32,799)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3413%(55,404)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4411.7%(49,979)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5411.6%(49,351)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 649.8%(41,707)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 748.1%(34,604)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 844.6%(19,523)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.6%(6,792)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$52,601
+10%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $26,155 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$24,089
+120%since 2000
from $10,960 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
35.1%
+20.0 ptssince 2009
from 15.1% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
24.8%
−8.2 ptssince 2000
from 33.1% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.471
−4%since 2010
from 0.492 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information11.1%
US avg: 10.8%
Wholesale trade7.3%
US avg: 6.9%
Retail trade6.3%
US avg: 9.9%
Finance & insurance6.1%
US avg: 5.9%
Other services5.1%
US avg: 6.7%
Professional, scientific, technical5%
US avg: 5.1%
Public administration3.4%
US avg: 4.8%
Transportation & warehousing2%
US avg: 2.2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1.7%
US avg: 1.6%
Arts, entertainment, food1.1%
US avg: 1.9%
Construction1.1%
US avg: 1.2%
Education & health services1%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0.6%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$136,500
+56%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $48,000 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$912
+21%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $413 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
65.2%
−2.5 ptssince 2000
from 67.7% in 2000
34.8% rent
Vacancy rate
13.3%
−5.5 ptssince 2009
from 18.8% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
3.05 people
−7%since 2009
from 3.27 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
19.7%
−10.7 ptssince 2009
from 30.4% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
44.6%
−0.6 ptssince 2009
from 45.2% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
2.6
+10%since 2009
from 2.4 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.
Gentrification Score
81
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic14.5%(48,679)
Black0.3%(909)
Hispanic / Latino84.3%(282,736)
Asian0.5%(1,522)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic8.7%(36,979)
Black0.5%(2,175)
Hispanic / Latino89.3%(380,524)
Asian0.8%(3,314)
Other0.7%(3,128)
Diversity Score
24
−20%since 2009
from 31 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
42
Unchangedsince 2020
from 42 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican83.7%(356,804)
Central American0.6%(2,406)
Puerto Rican0.4%(1,756)
Salvadoran0.2%(1,034)
Spaniard0.2%(770)
Cuban0.2%(670)
Honduran0.1%(575)
Guatemalan0.1%(418)
Nicaraguan0.1%(271)
Venezuelan0.1%(269)
Dominican0.1%(224)
+ 9 more hispanic origin groups with data
Ecuadorian0%(121)
Colombian0%(100)
Argentine0%(96)
Chilean0%(53)
Peruvian0%(35)
Bolivian0%(34)
Asian origin
Asian Indian0.3%(1,100)
Filipino0.2%(783)
Vietnamese0.1%(263)
Chinese0.1%(248)
Japanese0%(183)
Nepalese0%(139)
Korean0%(116)
Taiwanese0%(101)
Pakistani0%(98)
Laotian0%(20)
Thai0%(18)
Pacific Islander origin
Guamanian0%(178)
Chamorro0%(155)
Samoan0%(48)
Ancestry
German2.3%(9,935)
English2.2%(9,381)
American2.1%(8,837)
Irish1.3%(5,404)
Italian0.7%(2,852)
French0.4%(1,587)
Scottish0.3%(1,244)
Dutch0.3%(1,084)
Polish0.2%(964)
Swedish0.2%(908)
Norwegian0.2%(718)
Scotch-Irish0.2%(695)
+ 36 more ancestry groups with data
Canadian0.1%(474)
Russian0.1%(454)
Portuguese0.1%(408)
Czech0.1%(373)
British0.1%(320)
Swiss0.1%(277)
Hungarian0.1%(261)
Welsh0.1%(259)
Arab0%(213)
Danish0%(164)
Ukrainian0%(128)
Belgian0%(122)
Lebanese0%(103)
Romanian0%(101)
Austrian0%(90)
Turkish0%(80)
Brazilian0%(73)
Iranian0%(48)
Slovak0%(44)
Finnish0%(41)
Nigerian0%(34)
Syrian0%(31)
Bulgarian0%(28)
Serbian0%(26)
Latvian0%(19)
Slovene0%(15)
Egyptian0%(14)
Greek0%(13)
Israeli0%(6)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
22.1%
+8.7 ptssince 2000
from 13.4% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
72.5%
+17.3 ptssince 2000
from 55.2% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
7.0%
+2.1 ptssince 2000
from 4.9% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
21.3 min
+62%since 2000
from 13.2 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
75.6%
−2.9 ptssince 2009
from 78.6% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
11.7%
−1.9 ptssince 2009
from 13.6% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.4%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 0.8% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
9.1%
+6.8 ptssince 2009
from 2.3% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
1.6%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 2.1% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.1%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.2% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
6.6%
−3.2 ptssince 2009
from 9.8% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
5.9%
−2.1 ptssince 2011
from 8.0% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
58.0%
+3.7 ptssince 2011
from 54.3% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
66.8%
+2.1 ptssince 2020
from 64.7% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
15.9%
−1.6 ptssince 2009
from 17.5% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
31.0%
+4.5 ptssince 2009
from 26.5% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.4%
+1.3 ptssince 2009
from 48.1% in 2009
Female
50.6%
−1.3 ptssince 2009
from 51.9% in 2009
Foreign born
23.2%
−1.2 ptssince 2009
from 24.4% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
4.1%
−3.1 ptssince 2009
from 7.2% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
12.3%
−0.4 ptssince 2012
from 12.7% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
25.8%
−8.3 ptssince 2013
from 34.1% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
84.4%
+31.4 ptssince 2017
from 53.0% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
91.2%
+6.7 ptssince 2020
from 84.5% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
91.5%
Unchangedsince 2020
from 91.6% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
27.8%
+2.0 ptssince 2016
from 25.8% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
71.3%
−1.9 ptssince 2016
from 73.2% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married36.7%(58,534)
Married53.7%(85,577)
Widowed2.8%(4,488)
Divorced6.7%(10,741)
Women 15+
Never married31.8%(53,133)
Married48.9%(81,638)
Widowed9.6%(16,098)
Divorced9.6%(16,040)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
25.8%
−8.3 ptssince 2013
from 34.1% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
32.7%
+1.4 ptssince 2020
from 31.3% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
9.8%
+2.4 ptssince 2020
from 7.4% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
14.9%
+0.2 ptssince 2020
from 14.7% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
27.2%
−1.0 ptssince 2020
from 28.2% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
2.1%
+0.3 ptssince 2020
from 1.8% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
41.7%
+3.5 ptssince 2020
from 38.2% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
38.3%
−0.1 ptssince 2020
from 38.4% 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)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
In this metro

Largest cities

BrownsvilleCENTRAL192,957HarlingenCENTRAL72,467San Benito24,980Los Fresnos8,703La Feria7,222Cameron Park5,955Primera5,478Port Isabel5,302Laureles4,224Laguna Vista3,780Combes3,255Rancho Viejo2,851La Paloma2,797Encantada-Ranchito-El Calaboz2,552Santa Rosa2,355Rio Hondo2,332South Padre Island2,086Palmer1,435Rice Tracts1,384Palm Valley1,340Los Indios1,059South Point1,054Reid Hope King932Indian Lake892Olmito887Arroyo Colorado Estates856Las Palmas II808Santa Maria669Solis663Bayview556

The 30 most populous of 53 cities and towns in this metro. CENTRAL marks the metro's principal cities.

What's inside

1 component county

Cameron CountyCENTRAL433,946
Drill deeper

Metros similar to Brownsville

Youngstown
Pop 423,678
Shreveport
Pop 383,474
Mobile
Pop 411,658
Ocala
Pop 442,660
Places similar to Brownsville
Head to head

Compare Brownsville side by side

BROWNSVILLE VS
Youngstown
Income$56,704+8%
Home value$148,636+9%
Population423,678−2%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BROWNSVILLE VS
Shreveport
Income$56,902+8%
Home value$191,527+40%
Population383,474−12%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BROWNSVILLE VS
Mobile
Income$58,880+12%
Home value$190,700+40%
Population411,658−5%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BROWNSVILLE VS
Ocala
Income$61,010+16%
Home value$243,100+78%
Population442,660+2%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX?

Brownsville-Harlingen, TX has about 426,120 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX?

The typical household in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX earns about $52,601 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Brownsville-Harlingen, TX expensive?

In Brownsville-Harlingen, TX, the median home is worth about $136,500, and the typical rent is about $912 a month.

How educated are people in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX?

About 22.1% of adults age 25 and over in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX?

About 24.8% of people in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX live below the federal poverty line.

Has Brownsville-Harlingen, TX grown since 1990?

Yes, Brownsville-Harlingen, TX has grown since 1990. The population has added about 166,000 residents, a change of about 64 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →