CensusEasy
METRO AREA · 1990 CENSUS

Brownsville Metro

Brownsville-Harlingen, TX · 1 counties · 260,120 residents · 891.719 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 $17,336. Population has fallen 22% since 2000, a loss of 75,107 residents. 12% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, below the national rate of 20%. Median home value is $38,100. At a median age of 27.6, residents skew younger than the country as a whole.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $30,130
Younger
median age 27.6
US median: 33.0
Less educated
12% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 20%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $93,722
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
260,120
−22%vs 2000
vs 335,227 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
292 / sq mi
−22%vs 2000
vs 376 / sq mi in 2000
Median age
27.6
−5%vs 2000
vs 29.0 in 2000
US average: 33.0
Population, 1990 – 2024
244K293K343K393K443K1990201020202024Brownsville
2024426K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 1990
Under 58.9%(23,197)
US avg: 7.3%
5 to 99.6%(24,986)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 1410.4%(26,952)
US avg: 6.9%
15 to 1910.2%(26,516)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 247.2%(18,766)
US avg: 7.5%
25 to 3414.7%(38,187)
US avg: 17.5%
35 to 4412.8%(33,326)
US avg: 15.1%
45 to 548.3%(21,554)
US avg: 10.2%
55 to 647.4%(19,305)
US avg: 8.5%
65 to 746.4%(16,657)
US avg: 7.3%
75 to 843.3%(8,528)
US avg: 4%
85 and over0.8%(2,146)
US avg: 1.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$17,336
−13%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $26,155 in 2000
US average: $30,130
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$7,125
−35%vs 2000
vs $10,960 in 2000
US average: $14,340
Poverty rate
39.7%
+6.6 ptsvs 2000
vs 33.1% in 2000
US average: 13.2%
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$38,100
+5%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $48,000 in 2000
US average: $93,722
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$295
−6%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $413 in 2000
US average: $450
Owner-occupied
64.4%
−3.4 ptsvs 2000
vs 67.7% in 2000
35.6% rent
RELATED:See current rent listings in Brownsville on RentDataNow
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic14.5%(48,679)
Black0.3%(909)
Hispanic / Latino84.3%(282,736)
Asian0.5%(1,522)
Other0%
1990
White, non-Hispanic82.4%(214,424)
Black0.3%(903)
Hispanic / Latino81.7%(212,592)
Asian0.2%(643)
Other17%(44,150)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

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

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)
RANKED:Largest Mexican population · Largest German population · Largest English population · Largest American population · Largest Irish population
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
12.0%
−1.4 ptsvs 2000
vs 13.4% in 2000
US average: 20.3%
High school or higher
50.0%
−5.2 ptsvs 2000
vs 55.2% in 2000
US average: 75.2%
Graduate degree
3.9%
−1.0 ptsvs 2000
vs 4.9% in 2000
US average: 7.1%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
17.1 min
+30%vs 2000
vs 13.2 min in 2000
US average: 21.9
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status (2024)
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
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

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

Compare Brownsville side by side

BROWNSVILLE VS
Youngstown
Income$56,704+227%
Home value$148,636+290%
Population423,678−2%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BROWNSVILLE VS
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Income$56,902+228%
Home value$191,527+403%
Population383,474−12%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BROWNSVILLE VS
Mobile
Income$58,880+240%
Home value$190,700+401%
Population411,658−5%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BROWNSVILLE VS
Ocala
Income$61,010+252%
Home value$243,100+538%
Population442,660+2%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX?

Brownsville-Harlingen, TX has about 260,120 residents according to the 1990 Census.

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

The typical household in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX earns about $17,336 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 $38,100, and the typical rent is about $295 a month.

How educated are people in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX?

About 12.0% 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 39.7% of people in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX live below the federal poverty line.

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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 →