Brownsville, TX Relocation Guide (2026)
Cost of living, housing, and income data for Brownsville, sourced from the US Census Bureau.
Salary needed to live in Brownsville →
Source: US Census Bureau ACS 5-Year (2022). Last updated July 2026.
With a population near 186,999, Brownsville, Texas sits below the multi-city income median: households earn a typical $46,735 per year (-35% vs. that benchmark).
Home values in Brownsville run a median $112,600, below the benchmark across cities in our dataset (-66%). Renters see a median monthly cost of $872. Mortgage rates and property taxes are worth checking before you commit either way.
With home values running about 2.4× median income, Brownsville lands on the affordable side of the housing-cost spectrum. The market around Brownsville shows little movement, with prices up a mere 0.13% compared with a year ago. FEMA classifies Brownsville's hazard risk as Relatively High. That elevated rating is a major driver of home insurance premiums in the area.
Personal Affordability Check
Renting at $872/mo in Brownsville would take 22.4% of your income.
$296/mo under the 30% guideline.
Buying the median home ($112,600) would take 15.4% of your income toward principal & interest.
$489/mo under the 28% guideline.
Cost of housing in Brownsville
Median home value is $112,600 and median gross rent is $872/month. For buyers, monthly costs depend heavily on current mortgage rates — worth checking before you commit.
FHFA's county-level home price index for Cameron rose 0.13% over the past year (as of 2025).
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom unit in the surrounding county is $1,047/month.
Climate & home insurance
FEMA rates Brownsville's overall natural-hazard risk as Relatively High. Risk level is a major driver of home insurance premiums.
Safety
Brownsville reported a violent crime rate of 405 per 100,000 residents in 2025, per FBI data.
Moving to Brownsville
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Frequently asked questions
- What is the cost of living in Brownsville, TX?
- In Brownsville, the median home value is $112,600 and median rent is $872 per month, against a median household income of $46,735. These figures come from the US Census Bureau ACS 5-Year (2022).
- How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Brownsville?
- Using the standard 30%-of-income rule of thumb, affording Brownsville's median rent of $872/month takes an income of roughly $34,880 a year. See the full salary breakdown (renting and buying) for Brownsville.
- Is it better to rent or buy in Brownsville?
- Renting in Brownsville at the median $872/month calls for about $34,880 a year under the standard 30% guideline; buying the median home at $112,600 takes roughly $25,762 a year in principal and interest (20% down, 30-year fixed, current rates). Timeline and down payment usually decide which makes more sense.
- Is Brownsville safe?
- In 2025, Brownsville reported 405 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, according to FBI data.
See the full salary breakdown for Brownsville →
Cities with a similar cost of living
Matched on median rent and household income within 15% of Brownsville's.