Terry Co Courthouse - 1910, 1910
Brownfield’s story
122 years in pictures
Census counts: 1,907 in 1930, 8,936 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 1910 and 2 maps from 1969 on.
- 1904Brownfield is settled
Photo: Larry D. Moore · CC BY 4.0
Population
8,762
2025 Census estimate · −1.9% since 2020
Typical home
$119K
−2.2% in a year
Household income
$42K
median
Median age
37.9
years
Jobs based here
2,227
A commuter town
TownGrade
D−
#613 of 640 in TX
Is Brownfield a good place to live?
Brownfield earns a D−, 613th among Texas's 640 graded towns, mostly because of health and incomes. Residents are less healthy than 94% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. The median household income is $42K, and 21% of residents live below the poverty line. One bright spot: natural-hazard risk is low. 31% of working residents work locally in Brownfield, against 8.3% in Texas’ towns and 8% across U.S. towns. Brownfield's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 87% of U.S. towns. Coleman Park, at 53 acres with 1.3 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
What makes Brownfield stand out
Where Brownfield beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
How Brownfield grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Texas), ordered by how far Brownfield is from typical.
HealthBrownfield Regional Medical Center 0.9 miles awayDOpen →Hazard riskcold waves tops the listAOpen →Jobs & incomeDOpen →SchoolsC−Open →Cost of livingCOpen →SafetyCOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.2 of 20; 4.6% of households have no car; 1.1% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors2 miles of trailsBOpen →History3 notable people born hereDOpen →Civic life2.1 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsDOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Brownfield: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Brownfield, and how to reach them.
PowerCity of BrownfieldEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Brownfield water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet8 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpFrom the town’s siteTrash and recycling rulesTown site
Register to voteIn personTexas has no online registration; you can register in person until 30 days before Election Day or by mail (postmarked 30 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereTerry County Early Voting ClerkTerry County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code7931679316 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 Brownfield.
Brownfield carries less natural-hazard risk than nearly all of Texas (mostly cold waves), is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has homes that are cheap against local pay.
HousingCost of living grade C
Homes in Brownfield are worth about $119K, by Zillow’s estimate
At 2.7 years of the county’s $44K median household income, the typical home (about $119K) costs less against local pay than in 78% of Texas towns; that ratio is one input to its C for cost of living. The typical value, about $119K, is 30% below its October 2020 peak.
The typical Brownfield home is worth about $119,000, down 2.2% in a year, 60% below the Texas typical home. Brownfield’s median rent is $811 a month.
$119KZillow home value
| Brownfield | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $811 a month | $1,208 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 66% | 69% | 73% |
Typical home value
Brownfield$119K
Texas$296K
−2.2%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
SchoolsC−
On state tests, Brownfield’s schools trail 76% of Texas districts
Its public schools are run by Brownfield ISD. Two of its 5 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Brownfield H S, with 465 students.
24%of TX districts it outscoresC−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oak Grove ElLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 670 | C− |
| Brownfield H SLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 465 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TX on state tests and graduation
HealthD
For health, Brownfield earns a D
Against the 3,088 U.S. towns with household incomes like Brownfield’s, it is less healthy than 73%, so its D isn’t only a matter of income.
33% of Brownfield adults say their health is fair or poor. Brownfield beats the Texas average on 0 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 19. 32% of Brownfield adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance.
6%healthier than U.S. townsDHealth Grade
| Brownfield | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 24% | 19% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 18% | 8.1% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 20% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 30% | 25% |
31 measures vs. Texas
0 better12 too close to call19 worse
| What stands out | Brownfield | TX |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 22.1% | 12.5% |
| More uninsured adults | 31.6% | 19.1% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 31.6% | 19.3% |
Brownfield Regional Medical Center
0.9 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
8th
percentile among TX towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A
Cold waves leads a very low hazard risk in Brownfield
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk lower than 95% of Texas towns, with expected losses of about $159 per resident a year; that rating is what its A for hazard risk is built on.
The FEMA risk score in Brownfield is 10 of 100. Since 1994, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Brownfield.
10risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Cold wavesTornadoesInland flooding
3
paid flood claims since 1994
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
With 0.7 jobs for every working resident, most of Brownfield’s workers commute out
About one in 3 of Brownfield’s working residents works in town. Since 2013, Brownfield has lost 319 jobs, to 2,227 in 2023. The top destinations are Lubbock (19%), Levelland (3%) and Seminole (2%).
31%work in town
| Brownfield | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $42,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Brownfield31%
Lubbock19%
Levelland3%
Seminole2%
Amarillo2%
32 mi
median commute distance
2,227
jobs based in Brownfield
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 40% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
SafetyC
Crime per resident in Brownfield is higher than in 68% of U.S. towns
Reported crimes fell from 165 to 106 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
32%of U.S. towns report more crimeCSafety Grade
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Brownfield2.9
Texas3.5
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Brownfield9.4
Texas18.1
U.S.15.5
32nd
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
39th
percentile among TX towns
25
violent crimes reported in 2025
81
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
OutdoorsB
Brownfield has set aside 3% of its land for conservation
1.5 miles of trail in 5 parks and preserves.
#297for trails in TX
| Brownfield | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3% | 1.9% | 4.3% |
3%
conserved · 124 of 4,172 acres
1.5 mi
of trails · 0.2 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Coleman Park | 1.3 mi | 53 |
| 2. Terry County Park | — | 11 |
| 3. Hamilton Park | 0.1 mi | 7 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Climate
In Brownfield, expect four seasons and hot summers
The Brownfield #2 weather station records that the frost-free season runs about 215 days: longer than most of the country, but shorter than 92% of Texas places with climate records. The Brownfield #2 weather station records that about 94 days a year reach 90°: more than most of the country, but fewer than 76% of Texas places with climate records.
Brownfield has chilly winters and hot summers, with very little rain. July afternoons reach 93°, January nights drop to 28° and about 5 inches of snow falls in a winter.
5″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter29–57°
Spring46–76°
Summer66–93°
Fall48–75°
Nov 4
typical first frost
Apr 3
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Brownfield
20pages on Brownfield
The big questions
SchoolsC−Behind 76% of TX districts · 5 schoolsSafetyC2.9 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthDBetter than TX on 0 of 31 CDC measuresCost of livingC$119K typical home · down 2.2% in a yearWork & commuteD$42K median household income · 2,227 jobs hereNatural hazardsAFEMA risk higher than 10% of U.S. communities · cold waves
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Brownfield; the nearest are
South Plains CollegeCommunity college · Public · Levelland28.2 mi$2,731 in-state tuitionTexas Tech University Health Sciences CenterUniversity or college · Public · Lubbock36.1 mi
About 1 of every 100 Brownfield residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Texas.
Famous people from Brownfield
3 notable people were born in Brownfield.
About Brownfield
City in Texas, United States
Brownfield is a city in and the county seat of Terry County, Texas, United States. Its population was 8,936 at the 2020 census. Brownfield is 39 miles (63 km) southwest of Lubbock.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 6.6 sq mi
- Elevation
- 3,310 ft
- ZIP code
- 79316
- Area code
- 806
Questions about Brownfield
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Brownfield, TX a good place to live?
Brownfield grades D− overall, better than 3% of U.S. towns and #613 of 640 in Texas. It grades D for health, C for safety and C− for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D.
Is Brownfield, TX expensive?
That is 2.7 years of the area's median household income ($44,100 across the county). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.
What is Brownfield, TX known for?
3 notable people were born here, including Sheryl Swoopes and Don Walser.