Brownsville, Minnesota aerial, 2023
Brownsville’s story
174 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1818.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1852Brownsville is settled
BrownsvilleMN
Population
545
2025 Census estimate · −3.5% since 2020
Typical home
$356K
+3.6% in a year
Household income
$67K
median
Median age
43.9
years
Jobs based here
45
A commuter town
Is Brownsville a good place to live?
Among 275 Minnesota towns, just 1 have a higher January low than Brownsville. Church of the Holy Comforter-Episcopal is on the National Register of Historic Places. Brownsville has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Brownsville stand out
Where Brownsville beats most towns.
Small town
545 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Brownsville: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Brownsville, and how to reach them.
PowerMiEnergy Cooperative16.9¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
Internet3 providers92% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Brownsville’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Minnesota you can register online until 21 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (received 21 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereHouston County CourthouseHouston County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP code5591955919 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Brownsville.
Natural hazards
Brownsville stands out in Minnesota and nationally, with the FEMA risk score higher than most
Brownsville’s FEMA risk score is 84 of 100, above both the Minnesota town median (40 of 100) and the median of U.S. towns (44 of 100). One flood insurance claim has been paid in Brownsville since 2011.
84risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
1
paid flood claims since 2011
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commute
A smaller share of working residents work locally in Brownsville than in most of Minnesota or the rest of the country
0.8% of working residents work locally in Brownsville, against 9.8% in Minnesota’s towns and 8% across U.S. towns. Since 2013, Brownsville has added 23 jobs, to 45 in 2023. 3.9% of Brownsville residents live below the poverty line.
1%work in town
| Brownsville | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 0.8% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 3.9% | 7% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $67,000 | $90,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Brownsville1%
La Crosse31%
Caledonia11%
Onalaska8%
La Crescent8%
12 mi
median commute distance
45
jobs based in Brownsville
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Brownsville has snowy winters and pleasant summers
Brownsville has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Among 275 Minnesota towns, just 6 have a higher July high than Brownsville.
43″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter12–30°
Spring36–58°
Summer60–81°
Fall40–59°
Oct 17
typical first frost
Apr 22
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Brownsville is
Brownsville beats the Minnesota average on 3 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 4. 28% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Brownsville.
| Brownsville | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 30% | 36% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 30% | 33% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 16% | 17% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 76% | 75% | 79% |
32 measures vs. Minnesota
3 better25 too close to call4 worse
| What stands out | Brownsville | MN |
|---|---|---|
| More adults screened for colon cancer | 75.2% | 68.7% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 79.3% | 76.1% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 11.3% | 8.9% |
Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center
6.8 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Housing
A typical Brownsville home is worth about $356K
The typical Brownsville home is worth about $356,000, up 3.6% in a year, close to the Minnesota typical home. The median rent in Brownsville is $570 a month.
$356KZillow home value
| Brownsville | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 93% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $570 a month | $1,196 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Brownsville$356K
Minnesota$349K
+3.6%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Outdoors
0.3% of Brownsville is conserved land
0.0 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. Only 10 of the 273 Minnesota towns we compare have a lower share of conserved land than Brownsville.
0.3%conserved
0.3%
conserved · 4 of 1,176 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Bennett Park | — | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Brownsville
18pages on Brownsville
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
3 within 15 miles of the center of Brownsville
Viterbo UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · La Crosse, WI7.4 mi$34,250 tuitionWestern Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · La Crosse, WI8.2 mi$4,820 in-state tuitionUniversity of Wisconsin-La CrosseUniversity or college · Public · La Crosse, WI8.4 mi$10,070 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 Brownsville residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Minnesota.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Brownsville for work
Where Brownsville’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
45jobs based in Brownsville
1%of working residents work in town
12 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Brownsville
City in Minnesota, United States
Brownsville is a city in Houston County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 566 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.9 sq mi
- Elevation
- 705 ft
- ZIP code
- 55919
- Area code
- 507
Questions about Brownsville
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Brownsville, MN a good place to live?
Brownsville has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.