United States › Brownsville METRO AREA · 2020 ACS
Brownsville Metro Brownsville-Harlingen, TX · 1 counties · 421,017 residents · 892 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 a metro area of 421,017 people. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 18% of adults. The poverty rate is 26.7%, above the 12.8% national rate. The typical home is worth $89,700, having more than doubled since 2000. This skews young, with a median age of 34.0. Growth has run 26% since 2000, or 85,790 more people.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $66,278
Younger
median age 34.0
US median: 38.8
Less educated
18% 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 472 / sq mi
+26%since 2000
from 376 / sq mi in 2000
from 29.0 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Population, 1990 – 2024
244K 293K 343K 393K 443K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Brownsville Age distribution, 2020
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Section 02
Income & economy $41,200
+5%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $26,155 in 2000
US average: $66,278
from $10,960 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
from 15.1% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
from 33.1% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Professional, scientific, technical 4.4%
Public administration 3.1%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 2.1%
Transportation & warehousing 1.8%
Arts, entertainment, food 1.1%
Education & health services 0.7%
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$89,700
+24%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $48,000 in 2000
US average: $265,253
$746
+20%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $413 in 2000
US average: $1,124
from 67.7% in 2000
35.7% rent
from 3.27 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
from 2.4 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 14.5%(48,679)
Hispanic / Latino 84.3%(282,736)
2020
White, non-Hispanic 8.8%(37,107)
Hispanic / Latino 89.5%(376,680)
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
+ 9 more hispanic origin groups with data Ancestry
+ 37 more ancestry groups with data from 13.4% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
from 55.2% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
from 4.9% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 13.2 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
from 78.6% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
from 9.8% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07
Work & employment from 8.0% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
from 54.3% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
US average: 73.3%
from 26.5% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08
People & community from 24.4% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
from 34.1% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
US average: 91.9%
Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married 36.7%(58,534)
Women 15+
Never married 31.8%(53,133)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 34.1% 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) 20.7%(2,606)
Gulf War (1990s) 18.1%(2,275)
Share of the 12,562 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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In this metro
Largest cities BrownsvilleCENTRAL 192,957 HarlingenCENTRAL 72,467 San Benito 24,980 Los Fresnos 8,703 La Feria 7,222 Cameron Park 5,955 Primera 5,478 Port Isabel 5,302 Laureles 4,224 Laguna Vista 3,780 Combes 3,255 Rancho Viejo 2,851 La Paloma 2,797 Encantada-Ranchito-El Calaboz 2,552 Santa Rosa 2,355 Rio Hondo 2,332 South Padre Island 2,086 Palmer 1,435 Rice Tracts 1,384 Palm Valley 1,340 Los Indios 1,059 South Point 1,054 Reid Hope King 932 Indian Lake 892 Olmito 887 Arroyo Colorado Estates 856 Las Palmas II 808 Santa Maria 669 Solis 663 Bayview 556 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 Drill deeper
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Frequently asked
How many people live in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX? Brownsville-Harlingen, TX has about 421,017 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX? The typical household in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX earns about $41,200 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 $89,700, and the typical rent is about $746 a month.
How educated are people in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX? About 18.2% 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 26.7% 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 160,897 residents, a change of about 62 percent over that period.
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