Jobs, pay and daily life in Brownsville, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 08/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Brownsville is a city in Texas with 189,177 residents. The median household earns $52,130 a year and the median rent is $923 a month, which is 21.2% of the median household income. It is part of the Brownsville-Harlingen, TX metropolitan area, where BLS counts 157,450 jobs.
How Brownsville compares. Among the 120 largest places in Texas, Brownsville is #18 by population, #3 for rent (#1 = cheapest), #114 for household income (#1 = highest), #14 for long commutes (#1 = fewest). Its county, Cameron County, is #231 of 254 counties for average pay ($44,590).
Brownsville has 189,177 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.6% of the population of Texas. It covers 133 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 1,418 people per square mile. The median age is 31.2, 12% younger than the state median (31.2 against 35.6).
The median gross rent is $923 a month (rent plus utilities), 34% below the state median ($923 against $1,403). Over a year that is 21.2% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $139,900, which is 2.7 times the median household income ($52,130); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 61.7% of households own their home, about the same as the state average (61.7% against 62.6%).
The Brownsville-Harlingen, TX metropolitan area has 157,450 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $36,490 a year, 28% below the national median ($36,490 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are healthcare support (26,080 jobs, median $24,960); office and administrative support (20,010 jobs, median $37,510); food preparation and serving related (16,940 jobs, median $24,110). The area is most specialised in healthcare support (3.3 times) and educational instruction and library (1.3 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($81,410) and healthcare practitioners and technical ($74,760). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Cameron County was 5.9%. 59.4% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Cameron County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 74.9% drive alone, 0.7% use public transit, 1.3% walk, 8.4% work from home. 7.2% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 58% below the state average (7.2% against 16.9%).
24.5% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 27% below the state share (24.5% against 33.8%). 27.5% of residents were born outside the United States, 57% above the state share (27.5% against 17.6%). The poverty rate is 23.7%, 72% above the state rate (23.7% against 13.8%).
The warmest month is Aug, averaging 86°F (29.9°C), and the coolest is Jan at 62°F (16.9°C). About 646 mm (25 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Sep is the wettest month (144 mm) and Feb the driest (22 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Harlingen (20 miles, similar rent); Weslaco (35 miles, rent 5% higher); San Juan (46 miles, rent 4% higher); Pharr (48 miles, rent 12% higher). Rent differences are against Brownsville; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Texas (1,539) →State guide: TexasCountry guideCameron CountyTexas rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 1,539 federal postings open in Texas (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
These figures are for the whole Brownsville-Harlingen, TX metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $36,490 (US $50,980); unemployment 5.9% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 31.7% |
| Retail trade | 12.0% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 9.1% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 8.4% |
| Construction | 6.6% |
| Manufacturing | 6.6% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 5.9% |
| Public administration | 5.6% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 5.2% |
| Other services | 4.5% |
| Wholesale trade | 2.2% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 1.2% |
| Information | 1.0% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Brownsville lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cameron County | 426,120 | $17,387 million | $40,803 | 156,619 | 7,200 | $44,590 | +1.2% | 5.9% | 188,588 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 46,282 | 35.9% | $36,440 | 2.06 |
| Retail trade | 17,538 | 13.6% | $33,102 | 1.12 |
| Accommodation and food services | 17,369 | 13.5% | $21,179 | 1.22 |
| Administrative and waste services | 9,401 | 7.3% | $36,225 | 1.02 |
| Manufacturing | 7,110 | 5.5% | $62,212 | 0.55 |
| Professional and technical services | 5,508 | 4.3% | $109,183 | 0.51 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 4,558 | 3.5% | $60,086 | 0.69 |
| Construction | 3,867 | 3.0% | $52,924 | 0.47 |
| Finance and insurance | 3,406 | 2.6% | $63,954 | 0.54 |
| Wholesale trade | 3,041 | 2.4% | $57,572 | 0.49 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 2,768 | 2.1% | $38,474 | 0.59 |
| Educational services | 2,005 | 1.6% | $50,833 | 0.62 |
| Real estate and rental | 1,883 | 1.5% | $40,583 | 0.77 |
| Information | 1,408 | 1.1% | $59,535 | 0.48 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 1,233 | 1.0% | $22,538 | 0.47 |
| Management of companies | 594 | 0.5% | $41,010 | 0.22 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 400 | 0.3% | $35,525 | 0.32 |
| Utilities | 393 | 0.3% | $95,456 | 0.66 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 101 | 0.1% | $55,294 | 0.17 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 74.9% |
| Public transit | 0.7% |
| Walk | 1.3% |
| Work from home | 8.4% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 7.2% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $52,130 |
| Income per person | $22,512 |
| Median gross rent per month | $923 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 21.2% |
| Median home value | $139,900 |
| Homeowners | 61.7% |
| Poverty rate | 23.7% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 86.0 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $36,490 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: No state tax on wages.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 31.2 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 72.0% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 24.5% |
| Born abroad | 27.5% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 59.4% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 16.9 | 62 | 25 |
| Feb | 18.8 | 66 | 22 |
| Mar | 21.5 | 71 | 30 |
| Apr | 24.8 | 77 | 35 |
| May | 27.3 | 81 | 57 |
| Jun | 29.4 | 85 | 79 |
| Jul | 29.4 | 85 | 78 |
| Aug | 29.9 | 86 | 44 |
| Sep | 28.2 | 83 | 144 |
| Oct | 25.7 | 78 | 63 |
| Nov | 21.6 | 71 | 39 |
| Dec | 18.1 | 65 | 30 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harlingen | TX | 20 mi | 72,087 | $53,645 | $928 |
| Weslaco | TX | 35 mi | 42,229 | $59,551 | $967 |
| San Juan | TX | 46 mi | 36,149 | $56,562 | $961 |
| Pharr | TX | 48 mi | 80,333 | $52,814 | $1,037 |
| Edinburg | TX | 49 mi | 104,550 | $59,466 | $996 |
| McAllen | TX | 52 mi | 145,385 | $61,579 | $1,049 |
| Mission | TX | 56 mi | 87,038 | $60,767 | $950 |
| Corpus Christi | TX | 123 mi | 317,419 | $67,394 | $1,292 |
| Laredo | TX | 166 mi | 257,619 | $63,915 | $1,030 |
| Victoria | TX | 198 mi | 65,625 | $67,226 | $1,172 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
189,177 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$923 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 21.2% of the median household income.
$52,130 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
5.9% (BLS county, Cameron County (latest month 2026M09)).
Texas. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.