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METRO AREA · 2000 CENSUS

Brownsville Metro

Brownsville-Harlingen, TX · 1 counties · 335,227 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 $26,155. Population has grown 29% since 1990. 13% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, below the national rate of 24%. Median home value is $48,000. At a median age of 29.0, residents skew younger than the country as a whole.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $42,589
Younger
median age 29.0
US median: 35.2
Less educated
13% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 24%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $120,530
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
335,227
+29%since 1990
from 260,120 in 1990
1990 – 2025
Population density
376 / sq mi
+29%since 1990
from 292 / sq mi in 1990
Median age
29.0
+5%since 1990
from 27.6 in 1990
US average: 35.2
Population, 1990 – 2024
244K293K343K393K443K1990201020202024Brownsville
2024426K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2000
Under 59.5%(31,744)
US avg: 6.8%
5 to 99.6%(32,315)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 149.2%(30,761)
US avg: 7.3%
15 to 198.9%(29,914)
US avg: 7.2%
20 to 247.1%(23,783)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3413.8%(46,404)
US avg: 14.2%
35 to 4412.9%(43,317)
US avg: 16%
45 to 5410.7%(35,797)
US avg: 13.4%
55 to 647.1%(23,817)
US avg: 8.6%
65 to 746.3%(21,130)
US avg: 6.5%
75 to 843.7%(12,448)
US avg: 4.4%
85 and over1.1%(3,797)
US avg: 1.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$26,155
+15%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $17,336 in 1990
US average: $42,589
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$10,960
+54%since 1990
from $7,125 in 1990
US average: $21,522
Poverty rate
33.1%
−6.6 ptssince 1990
from 39.7% in 1990
US average: 12.4%
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$48,000
−4%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $38,100 in 1990
US average: $120,530
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$413
+6%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $295 in 1990
US average: $602
Owner-occupied
67.7%
+3.4 ptssince 1990
from 64.4% in 1990
32.3% rent
RELATED:See current rent listings in Brownsville on RentDataNow
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

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

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
13.4%
+1.4 ptssince 1990
from 12.0% in 1990
US average: 24.4%
High school or higher
55.2%
+5.2 ptssince 1990
from 50.0% in 1990
US average: 80.3%
Graduate degree
4.9%
+1.0 ptssince 1990
from 3.9% in 1990
US average: 8.8%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
13.2 min
−23%since 1990
from 17.1 min in 1990
US average: 17.6
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status
Men 15+
Never married27.8%(30,950)
Married64.1%(71,461)
Widowed2.3%(2,602)
Divorced5.8%(6,432)
Women 15+
Never married24.1%(31,155)
Married58.4%(75,324)
Widowed9.9%(12,804)
Divorced7.6%(9,750)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2000
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
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Head to head

Compare Brownsville side by side

BROWNSVILLE VS
Youngstown
Income$56,704+117%
Home value$148,636+210%
Population423,678−2%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BROWNSVILLE VS
Shreveport
Income$56,902+118%
Home value$191,527+299%
Population383,474−12%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BROWNSVILLE VS
Mobile
Income$58,880+125%
Home value$190,700+297%
Population411,658−5%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BROWNSVILLE VS
Ocala
Income$61,010+133%
Home value$243,100+406%
Population442,660+2%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX?

Brownsville-Harlingen, TX has about 335,227 residents according to the 2000 Census.

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

The typical household in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX earns about $26,155 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 $48,000, and the typical rent is about $413 a month.

How educated are people in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX?

About 13.4% 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 33.1% 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 75,107 residents, a change of about 29 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 →