Census ACS · #129 MSA
Brownsville Metro Area
The Brownsville-Harlingen, Tx Metropolitan Statistical Area has 423,192 residents. The median household income is $51,334 and the median home value is $120,000.
423,192
Population
475
People / sq mi
$51,334
Median Income
$120,000
Median Home Value
The Brownsville CBSA covers 892 sq mi of land at 474.6 people per square mile.
Race & Ethnicity
| White | 50.0% |
| Black or African American | 0.6% |
| Asian | 0.0% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1.0% |
Economy & Income
$51,334
Median Household Income
$23,142
Per Capita Income
21.0%
Poverty Rate
3.3%
Unemployment
Cost of Living
The Brownsville metro's price level is 86.0 on the BEA Regional Price Parity index (US average = 100), meaning prices are 14.0% lower the US average. The local median income of $51,334 has the buying power of $59,708 in average-priced US metros.
86.0
Price Level (US = 100)
$59,708
COL-Adjusted Median Income
$51,334
Nominal Median Income
Housing
$120,000
Median Home Value
$899
Median Rent
65.2%
Homeownership
Education
71.6%
High School+
20.6%
Bachelor's+
Commute
0.5%
Drive Alone
8.1%
Work From Home
20.6 min
Avg Commute
9.1%
Foreign Born
Brownsville spans this state
Nearby metros
Largest cities in Texas
Largest counties in Texas
Part of Texas
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Metro areas in Texas
Metro rankings
Frequently Asked Questions
The Brownsville-Harlingen, Tx Metropolitan Statistical Area has a population of 423,192 according to Census ACS 5-Year estimates, making it the #129 largest CBSA in the US.
The median household income in the Brownsville metro area is $51,334, with a per capita income of $23,142.
The Brownsville-Harlingen, Tx CBSA spans the state of Texas.
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More from Texas
Data for the Brownsville-Harlingen, Tx CBSA (15180) from the American Community Survey 5-Year estimates. Core-Based Statistical Areas combine cities, suburbs, and surrounding counties tied together by commuting patterns.
The poverty rate is what most separates Brownsville from the typical metro area: 21.0% of residents live below the federal poverty line, against 12.4% nationally. Brownsville is a metro area in TX with a population of 423,192.
The typical household earns $51,334, below the US median of $78,538. Hardship is pronounced — at 21.0%, poverty is near the top of the range for US metro areas, above the national 12.4%. Home prices sit near the bottom of the range at $120,000, with typical rent around $899.
Roughly 20.6% of adults have a bachelor’s, below the national 35.0%.
The elevated poverty rate is the context for the rest of the profile in Brownsville: it pulls on median income, housing tenure, and the share of residents with a college degree.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS, 2026.