What it's like to live in Brownsville
Brownsville is a mid-size city in Texas with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, commutes that run shorter than most cities, and schools with class sizes near the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Brownsville deals with unemployment above the national average, household incomes below the national average, crime rates above the national average, and air quality that falls short of national benchmarks.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Short commutes
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Above-average unemployment
- Below-average household incomes
- Crime above national average
- Air quality concerns
- Below-average hospital ratings
- High poverty rate
How Brownsville compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Brownsville
Based on Brownsville's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$1,846
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $36,920 a year
- 44% of Brownsville renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$27,980
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $13,990
- Homes cost 2.7× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 35% below US
$923/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $923 a month. Factoring in local incomes, the value gets even better. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $139,900. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $139,900 · 44% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▲ 81% above US
7.8% unemployment
Unemployment here is 7.8%, well above the national average of 4.3%. Moving with a job already lined up matters more here.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▲ 23% above US
405 violent crimes per 100k
Crime is worth weighing seriously here. Rates run above the national average, and while plenty of residents live comfortably, neighborhood selection matters a lot more than it does in a safer city.
Property crime 1528/100k · Brownsville Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 18% below US
21 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 21.4 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 8% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers run seriously hot, with average highs pushing 95°F, and winters are mild, with lows rarely dropping below 55°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
2 hospitals
There are 2 Medicare-certified hospitals inside city limits. They average 2.5 out of 5 on Medicare's star rating.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 32% below US
25% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 25%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
78 public schools inside the boundary
There are 78 public schools inside the boundary and 9 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 16:1, close to the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park (3 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Brownsville's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are unemployment above the national average and household incomes below the national average. A year of median rent ($923/mo) equals 21% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget and people who want short commutes. It may be a harder fit for anyone moving without a job lined up and anyone who doesn't drive.
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