Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Brownsville earns a D, ranked 559th of 640 in Texas, mostly because of health and incomes. Residents are less healthy than 81% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. The median household income is $52K, and 24% of residents live below the poverty line. What it does well: it has 177 miles of trail. 54% of working residents work locally in Brownsville, above both the Texas town median (8.3%) and the median of U.S. towns (8%). Its National Register listings include Fort Brown and Palo Alto Battlefield National Historic Site. Brownsville's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 99% of U.S. towns.
Where Brownsville beats most towns.
Fort Brown is one of 3 National Historic Landmarks here, the National Register’s top tier.
Census counts: 519 in 1850, 186,738 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1851 and 4 maps from 1930 on.
30 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Texas), ordered by how far Brownsville is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Brownsville, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Brownsville.
Brownsville reports less crime than San Benito or any other graded neighbor, has more 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns and is healthier than towns with similar incomes.
Brownsville’s trail network density comes in at 1.4 miles per square mile. Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, at 2,969 acres with 5.1 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. It has 31 parks and preserves, 13,236 acres in all.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge | 15.7 mi | 7,648 |
| 2. World Birding Center - Resaca De La Palma State Park | 8.5 mi | 1,381 |
| 3. Sabal Palm Sanctuary | 8.1 mi | 562 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Of its 85 schools, three are listed below, each with the reason. Brownsville ISD runs its public schools. Public school enrollment here: 4,793 students across 6 schools.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stillman MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 964 | B− |
| Veterans Memorial Early College H SLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 2,216 | A− |
| Brownsville Early College H STop results in townGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 311 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TX on state tests and graduation
Against the 6,508 U.S. towns with household incomes like Brownsville’s, it is less healthy than 59%, so that grade isn’t only a matter of income.
In Brownsville, 38% of adults get no exercise outside work. The town beats the Texas average on 1 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 17. Just over a third of adults in Brownsville worry about having enough food; 32% say their health is fair or poor.
| Brownsville | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 13% | 12% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 35% | 20% | 14% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 18% | 8.1% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 24% | 19% |
| What stands out | Brownsville | TX |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 4.5% | 6.1% |
| More uninsured adults | 36.5% | 19.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Crime runs higher than in most U.S. towns, but its C− tops all 3 graded towns on its borders; San Benito (C−) comes closest. Reported crimes fell from 4,608 to 3,709 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Brownsville’s level of violent crime stands at 4 per 1,000 residents. Its level of property crime comes in at 15.2 per 1,000 residents.
| Brownsville | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4 per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 15.2 per 1,000 residents | 10.7 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Home values rose 31% in five years, to about $195K, against 10% across Texas.
On the market in Brownsville: a median 51 days to sell. In Brownsville, the median rent is $923 a month. For households here, the share who own their home is 62%.
| Brownsville | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 62% | 69% | 73% |
| Median rent | $923 a month | $1,208 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
579 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 62 properties have flooded more than once.
Households in Brownsville have drawn federal disaster aid in 10 declared disasters, most recently in 2025. Storm and flood damage is expected to run higher than in 75% of U.S. communities. The national flood insurance program has paid 579 claims here since 1978. Of the losses FEMA expects locally, 51% come from hurricanes and 21% from cold waves.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The Brownsville weather station, 6 miles away, records that about 141 days a year reach 90°, more than in 99% of U.S. towns. January nights average 51.6°, milder than in 99% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 94.3°.
Snow is a rarity. Brownsville has warm winters and hot summers. In Brownsville, the peak summer temperature is 94°F.
| Brownsville | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 52°F | 37°F | 22°F |
| July high | 94°F | 95°F | 85°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Brownsville’s typical journey to work is 21 minutes. It had 60,903 jobs in 2023, up 7,663 from 2013. The top destinations are Harlingen (6%), McAllen (3%) and Houston (2%).
| Brownsville | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $52,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 8.4% | 9.7% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Among residents in Brownsville, 28% are under 18. Adults 35 to 64 are 33% of residents (38% statewide). The midpoint age for Brownsville comes to 31.2 years. Since 2020, Brownsville has grown 3.6%, to 192,957 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
| Brownsville | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 31.2 years | 35.9 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 28% | 26% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 13% | 14% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 25% | 23% | 29% |
51.4% women, 48.6% men
About 95 men for every 100 women. Across Texas, 50.1% of residents are women. Median age: women 33.3, men 29.8.
| Brownsville | TX | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 15.4% | 13.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 13% | 11.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 12.4% | 9.7% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.6% | 14.5% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.2% | 14.1% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12% | 12.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 8.5% | 11.1% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 7.7% | 8.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5.3% | 5.2% | 7% |
| No diploma | 28% | 14% | 10.4% |
| High school | 24.3% | 24.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 16% | 20.1% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 7.3% | 7.7% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 17.3% | 21.5% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 7.3% | 12.3% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Brownsville. Close and well known come first.
Big draw18 mi Park & preserveStarbase
in town LandmarkFort Brown
in town Zoo & aquariumGladys Porter Zoo
in town National Historical ParkPalo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park169K visitors a yearStarbase: Jared Krahn, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Fort Brown: Pi3.124, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Gladys Porter Zoo: Jc161991, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park: Schmorleitz, CC BY-SA 3.0
1 within 15 miles of the center of Brownsville
About 8 of every 100 Brownsville residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Texas.
30 places in Brownsville on the National Register of Historic Places.
33 notable people were born in Brownsville.
City in Texas, United States
Brownsville ( BROWNZ-vil) is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the largest city and county seat of Cameron County, located on the western Gulf Coast in South Texas, adjacent to the border with Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico. The city covers 145.2 sq mi (376.066 km2), and had a population of 186,738 at the 2020 census. As of the 2020 U.S. census, it is the 136th-most populous city in the United States and 18th-most populous in Texas. It is part of the Matamoros–Brownsville metropolitan area. The city is known for its year-round subtropical climate, deep-water seaport, and Hispanic culture. The city was founded in 1848 by American entrepreneur Charles Stillman after he developed a successf…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
8 towns share a border with Brownsville.
Encantada-Ranchito-El Calaboz next door grades lower for schools (C− to Brownsville’s B) and higher for cost of living (A+ to C).
| Town | TX rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brownsville | #559 | D | C | C− | B | C− |
| Encantada-Ranchito-El Calaboz | #512 | D | A+ | — | C− | D− |
| Port Isabel | #638 | D− | C− | C− | C− | C− |
| Villa Pancho | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Los Fresnos | #545 | D | C− | D | B+ | C− |
| Reid Hope King | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Del Mar Heights | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| San Benito | #600 | D− | B | C− | C− | D |
Encantada-Ranchito-El Calaboz reports no FBI crime data of its own. Villa Pancho, Reid Hope King and Del Mar Heights aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Brownsville with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Brownsville grades D overall, better than 6% of U.S. towns and #559 of 640 in Texas. It grades C− for health, C− for safety and B for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a C−.
That is 3.7 years of the area's median household income ($52,601 across the Brownsville-Harlingen, TX metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.
33 notable people were born here, including Kris Kristofferson and Bruce Sterling.
