Brownsville is a city located in Cameron County Texas. Brownsville has a 2024 population of 191,209. It is also the county seat of Cameron County. Brownsville is currently growing at a rate of 0.55% annually and its population has increased by 2.25% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 187,004 in 2020.
The average household income in Brownsville is $62,449 with a poverty rate of 26.08%. The median age in Brownsville is 30.7 years: 28.7 years for males, and 32.9 years for females.
Brownsville is located in Cameron County, Texas in South Texas near the Mexican border. The city is part of the cross-border Brownsville-Metamoros conurbation which has an estimated population of 1.13 million. Brownsville is one of the most southern cities in the United States.
Brownsville has one of the highest shares of Hispanic residents in the United States. The Pew Research Center reports that metro Brownsville has about 373,000 Hispanic residents or almost 89% of its population which ranks 28th in the country. Almost 97% of Hispanic residents in Brownsville are Mexican and 0.8% are Puerto Rican. About 30% of people in Brownsville were born outside of the U.S.
Brownsville has one of the country's highest poverty rates with a median household income of $24,500. Nearly 36% of the population and 32% of families live below the federal poverty line. This includes almost half of people under 18. This makes Brownsville the second poorest urban area in the United States after the McAllen metro area.
Brownsville remains the most populous city in the Rio Grande Valley and its population more than doubled from 85,000 in 1980 to 175,000 in 2010. The city is now working on a comprehensive housing program to address its massively growing population. By 2030, Brownsville is expected to add another 10,000 people.
In its early history in the 18th century when the land was owned by Spain, the area of Brownsville was used for ranching. It had just a few settlers when Texas declared independence from Mexico in 1836.
Brownsville was founded by an entrepreneur named Charles Stillman in 1848 after he founded a nearby river boat company. The city is named for Major Jacob Brown, an Army soldier who fought in the Mexican-American War. In 1848, Brownsville became part of Texas and the city was incorporated two years later. Brownsville played a major role in many historical events, including the Battle of Brownsville during the American Civil War and the Mexican-American War and Texas Revolution.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Brownsville was:
Race | Population | Percentage (of total) |
|---|---|---|
| White | 110,644 | 59.17% |
| Two or more races | 61,402 | 32.84% |
| Other race | 12,388 | 6.62% |
| Asian | 1,221 | 0.65% |
| Black or African American | 747 | 0.4% |
| Native American | 489 | 0.26% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 108 | 0.06% |
White
Two or more races
Other race
Asian
Black or African American
Native American
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
Household Type | Count | Average Size | Owner | Renter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All | 56,876 | 3.26 | 60.3 | 39.7 |
| Married | 27,302 | 3.96 | 73.4 | 26.6 |
| Female | 13,075 | 3.68 | 45.3 | 54.7 |
| Non Family | 11,884 | 1.13 | 49.2 | 50.8 |
| Male | 4,615 | 3.46 | 53.7 | 46.3 |
3.76
Average Family Size
3.26
Average Household Size
60.3%
Rate of Home Ownership
Married
Male
Female
NonFamily
owner
renter
Male
Female
Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 9th to 12th Grade | 14,015 | 12.83% |
| Associates Degree | 7,767 | 7.11% |
| Bachelors Degree | 16,503 | 15.11% |
| Graduate Degree | 6,289 | 5.76% |
| High School Graduate | 26,912 | 24.64% |
| Less Than 9th Grade | 19,712 | 18.05% |
| Some College | 18,008 | 16.49% |
Less Than 9th Grade
9th to 12th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Associates Degree
Bachelors Degree
Graduate Degree
High School Graduation Rate
Bachelors Rate
Race | Total | High School | Bachelors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hispanic | 101,621 | 68,734 | 20,100 |
| 2+ Races | 35,535 | 24,740 | 8,283 |
| Other Race | 7,673 | 5,022 | 1,039 |
| White | 5,892 | 5,187 | 1,958 |
| Asian | 988 | 910 | 506 |
| Native American | 383 | 333 | 109 |
| Black | 336 | 282 | 85 |
| Islander | 22 | 22 | 13 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among islander people with a rate of 100%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among islander people with a rate of 59.09%.
All
Male
Female
Name | Average | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelors Degree | $46,951 | $50,311 | $44,621 |
| Graduate Degree | $63,276 | $63,703 | $62,280 |
| High School Graduate | $28,215 | $32,263 | $22,858 |
| Less Than 9th Grade | $21,738 | $28,975 | $15,707 |
| Overall | $31,560 | $36,363 | $26,218 |
| Some College | $31,943 | $38,056 | $26,860 |
$31,560
Average Earnings
$36,363
Average Male
$26,218
Average Female
Only English
Spanish
Other Indo-European Languages
Asian and Pacific Island Languages
Other Languages
14.91% of Brownsville residents speak only English, while 85.09% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 84.24% of the population.
rate
Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hispanic | 175,590 | 46,590 | 26.53% |
| Multiple | 60,995 | 12,956 | 21.24% |
| Other | 12,341 | 3,380 | 27.39% |
| White | 7,546 | 1,409 | 18.67% |
| Black | 587 | 129 | 21.98% |
| Asian | 1,221 | 128 | 10.48% |
| Native | 485 | 93 | 19.18% |
| Islander | 108 | 10 | 9.26% |
26.08%
Overall Poverty Rate
23.98%
Male Poverty Rate
28.07%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Brownsville is Other, with 27.39% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Brownsville is Islander, with 9.26% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 7.77%. Among those working part-time, it was 26.23%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 35.3%.
rate
Rate | Poverty |
|---|---|
| Less Than 9th Grade | 36.24% |
| High School | 22.99% |
| Some College | 13.07% |
| Bachelors or Greater | 8.93% |
rate
Rate | Poverty |
|---|---|
| Female Unemployed | 36.27% |
| Male Unemployed | 17.13% |
| Female Employed | 15.48% |
| Male Employed | 11.48% |
Households
Families
MarriedFamilies
NonFamilies
Name | Median | Mean |
|---|---|---|
| Families | $53,105 | $67,620 |
| Households | $46,735 | $62,449 |
| Married Families | $64,060 | $79,908 |
| Non Families | $20,858 | $37,304 |
mean
median
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
46.8%
Overall Marriage Rate
51.4%
Male Marriage Rate
42.6%
Female Marriage Rate
male
female
The age group where males are most likely to be married is 45-54, while the female age group most likely to be married is 45-54.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
Second Gulf War
First Gulf War
Vietnam
Korea
World War II
3,552
Number of Veterans
3,225
Male Veterans
327
Female Veterans
War | Veterans |
|---|---|
| Second Gulf War | 1,204 |
| Vietnam | 1,110 |
| First Gulf War | 847 |
| Korea | 152 |
| World War II | 17 |
count
Age Group | Veterans |
|---|---|
| 35 to 54 | 1,214 |
| 65 to 74 | 783 |
| 75+ | 620 |
| 18 to 34 | 524 |
| 55 to 64 | 411 |
count
Name | Veterans | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Hispanic | 2,585 | 2.08% |
| White | 2,353 | 3% |
| 2+ Races | 904 | 2.09% |
| Other Race | 192 | 2.1% |
| Black | 69 | 14.78% |
| Asian | 21 | 1.97% |
| Native American | 13 | 3.25% |
Less Than 9th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Bachelors or Greater
12.92%
Veteran Poverty Rate
30.49%
Veteran Disability Rate
LaborForceParticipation
58%
Labor Force Participation
54.2%
Employment Rate
6.3%
Unemployment Rate
LaborForceParticipation
LaborForceParticipation
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
65.14%
Born in Brownsville
72.7%
Native Born
27.3%
Foreign Born
16.97%
Non Citizen
10.33%
Naturalized
72.7% of Brownsville residents were born in the United States, with 65.14% having been born in Texas. 16.97% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.
Year | Population | Growth | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2029 | 196,466 | 1,052 | 0.54% |
| 2028 | 195,414 | 1,051 | 0.54% |
| 2027 | 194,363 | 1,051 | 0.54% |
| 2026 | 193,312 | 1,052 | 0.55% |
| 2025 | 192,260 | 1,051 | 0.55% |
| 2024 | 191,209 | 1,051 | 0.55% |
| 2023 | 190,158 | 922 | 0.49% |
| 2022 | 189,236 | 1,499 | 0.8% |
| 2021 | 187,737 | 733 | 0.39% |
| 2020 | 187,004 | 4,662 | 2.56% |
| 2019 | 182,342 | 498 | 0.27% |
| 2018 | 181,844 | -20 | -0.01% |
| 2017 | 181,864 | -30 | -0.02% |
| 2016 | 181,894 | 765 | 0.42% |
| 2015 | 181,129 | -146 | -0.08% |
| 2014 | 181,275 | 984 | 0.55% |
| 2013 | 180,291 | 971 | 0.54% |
| 2012 | 179,320 | 1,479 | 0.83% |
| 2011 | 177,841 | 2,768 | 1.58% |
| 2010 | 175,073 | 0 | 0% |
| 2000 | 139,722 | 40,760 | 41.19% |
| 1990 | 98,962 | 13,965 | 16.43% |
| 1980 | 84,997 | 32,475 | 61.83% |
| 1970 | 52,522 | 4,482 | 9.33% |
| 1960 | 48,040 | 11,974 | 33.2% |
| 1950 | 36,066 | 13,983 | 63.32% |
| 1940 | 22,083 | 62 | 0.28% |
| 1930 | 22,021 | 10,230 | 86.76% |
| 1920 | 11,791 | 1,274 | 12.11% |
| 1910 | 10,517 | 4,212 | 66.8% |
| 1900 | 6,305 | 171 | 2.79% |
| 1890 | 6,134 | 1,196 | 24.22% |
| 1880 | 4,938 | 33 | 0.67% |
| 1870 | 4,905 | 2,171 | 79.41% |
| 1860 | 2,734 | -193,732 | -98.61% |