Fort Brown · Photo: Pi3.124 · CC BY-SA 3.0On CDC estimates, Brownsville as a whole is healthier than 19% of U.S. towns
Brownsville differs from Texas on 18 of 31 measures CDC estimates: 1 better, 17 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Brownsville. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Brownsville
Making ends meet is harder in Brownsville
1 in 3 adults worry about having enough food (34.5%), vs 19.3% across Texas. No reliable transportation (17.1% vs 10.5%) and housing insecurity (25.7% vs 16.4%) are higher too. 30.1% of adults receive SNAP, vs 14.6% statewide. Everyday needs ↓
More Brownsville adults get no exercise
2 in 5 adults get no exercise outside work (37.7%), vs 27.8% across Texas. There are 177 miles of trails across 31 parks and preserves in town, a place to start. Habits ↓
More Brownsville adults go without health insurance
36.5% of adults 18–64 have no health insurance, vs 19.1% across Texas. Checkups ↓
Brownsville is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Brownsville is healthier than 19%. Against the 6,508 towns with similar household incomes ($39K–$65K), it’s healthier than 41%. Health Grade ↓
Written from the CDC, Medicare and HRSA data on this page. CDC PLACES 2025 release: modeled estimates for adults, not counts; “higher” and “lower” mean the Texas figure falls outside Brownsville’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to C+.
What’s behind Brownsville’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Brownsville is healthier than 19% of U.S. towns, #456 of 641 in Texas. Smoking holds the grade up (fewer adults who smoke than 64% of U.S. towns); diabetes pulls it down (better than 3%).
Health estimates follow income closely across the country: towns with higher household incomes usually score higher (a correlation of 0.77 across 21,157 graded towns). Brownsville’s median household income is $52,130; among the 6,508 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($39K–$65K), it’s healthier than 41%, so it sits below most towns with similar incomes, too.
Where Brownsville compares well: cancer, other than skin cancer, 4.5% (U.S. 7.9%).
At 192,957 residents, Brownsville is graded like any town, from one citywide estimate; its rank among the 395 U.S. cities over 100,000 is the fairer comparison.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
30.1% of Brownsville adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.6% across Texas.
Everyday habits, side by side with Texas
Share of adults, with the Texas figure marked.
177 miles of trails across 31 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Brownsville adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Texas.
Out of every 100 Brownsville adults…
Brownsville runs below TX on 1 of 12 conditions and above it on 5. Tap one to see it as people.
Only 13% of Brownsville residents are 65 or older, vs 13% across Texas. Cancer run low partly because the town is young.
Care in and near Brownsville
2 hospitals and 2 community health centers in Brownsville, plus the nearest just outside it.
Hospitals: Medicare overall star ratings, 1–5. Community health centers charge on a sliding scale by income. Distances are straight-line from the center of Brownsville; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).
How Brownsville adults are doing
On 1 of 3 measures, Brownsville runs above Texas.
A hello is a start.
Groups are the easiest way in: a walking group, a book club, your street.
If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential and open 24/7.
Brownsville and the towns around it
Brownsville’s Health Grade ranks 2nd of 6 graded towns around it.
Nearby towns are shaded from CDC’s estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC’s own figure for cities and villages.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brownsville | C− | 40.8% | 18.7% | 13.3% | CDC place |
| Encantada-Ranchito-El Calaboz | D− | 45.6% | 21.8% | 18% | CDC place |
| Port Isabel | C− | 40.5% | 19.4% | 14.2% | CDC place |
| Villa Pancho | — | — | — | — | |
| Los Fresnos | C− | 41.4% | 17.5% | 13.7% | CDC place |
| Reid Hope King | — | — | — | — | |
| San Benito | D | 42.3% | 21.1% | 14.7% | CDC place |
| Del Mar Heights | — | — | — | — |
Villa Pancho, Reid Hope King and Del Mar Heights: fewer than 1,000 residents. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Brownsville adults live with a disability (Texas 30.9%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Brownsville
Share of adults, 39 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 31 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Brownsville is better than Texas on 1 and worse on 17; on the rest, the Texas figure falls inside Brownsville’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Brownsville | TX | U.S. | vs TX |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 32.1%29.5–34.9 | 21.8% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.6%15–18.4 | 13.2% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.7%15–18.5 | 16.9% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 40.8%36.1–45.7 | 35.6% | 32.9% | Worse |
| Diabetes | 18.7%16.9–20.7 | 12.7% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 33.4%30.4–36.4 | 33.1% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 36.2%33.1–39.5 | 35.1% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 19.5%17.5–21.7 | 21.6% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 8.8%7.8–9.8 | 9.5% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 4.5%4.1–5 | 6.1% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 6.9%6.3–7.6 | 5.6% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 6.2%5.6–6.8 | 5.7% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 3.9%3.6–4.2 | 3.2% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 17.5%14.8–20.3 | 12.5% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 13.3%11.7–15 | 12.5% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 37.7%34.1–41.4 | 27.8% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 15.6%13.2–18.2 | 17% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 40.1%35.7–44.5 | 38.2% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 36.5%33.7–39.4 | 19.1% | 11% | Worse |
| Checkup in the past year | 71.4%68.1–74.6 | 73.8% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 46.7%43.5–49.7 | 54.6% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 82.3%80.5–84.1 | 84.6% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 75.3%72.7–77.8 | 74.1% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 50.2%45.8–54.5 | 57.9% | 65.5% | Worse |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 71.7%65–77.5 | 74.1% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 19%16.5–21.7 | 21.2% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 33%29.8–36.3 | 28.4% | 23.6% | Worse |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 34.5%32.2–36.8 | 19.3% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 25.7%23.6–28 | 16.4% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 16.5%14.8–18.2 | 10.7% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 17.1%15.8–18.5 | 10.5% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 30.1%27.9–32.4 | 14.6% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 37%33.8–40.5 | 30.9% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 19.2%17.4–21.1 | 14% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 18.8%17–20.6 | 15.1% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 7.8%7–8.7 | 6.3% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 12.1%11.2–13 | 6.1% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 11.6%10.5–12.7 | 8.2% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 6.9%6.4–7.5 | 4% | 3.8% | Higher |
Each figure is the share of adults 18+ unless the label says otherwise; small numbers after it are CDC’s likely range (95% interval). “About the same” means the Texas figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Brownsville
Is Brownsville a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Brownsville is healthier than 19% of U.S. towns: C− for health, #456 of 641 in Texas. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 41%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Brownsville?
CDC estimates 40.8% of adults have obesity, likely between 36.1% and 45.7%, against 35.6% across Texas and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Brownsville?
Valley Regional Medical Center in Brownsville, 2.3 miles in a straight line from Brownsville’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 2 of 5 stars.
How many people in Brownsville have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 36.5% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 33.7–39.4%), against 19.1% across Texas.
How accurate are these numbers?
They’re modeled estimates: CDC applies national survey answers to each area’s age, sex, race and education mix, so they describe who lives in Brownsville more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to C+.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Brownsville.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Texas figure combines its counties, weighted by adult population. Hospitals and star ratings: Medicare Care Compare (CMS). Health centers and shortage areas: HRSA. The Health Grade is our own summary of CDC’s estimates, not an official rating. Ages: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. Town boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau. This page isn’t medical advice. In an emergency, call 911.