Cameron County · Brownsville-Harlingen · population 191,967
Where Brownsville stands
At or near all-time high. averaging 7.7% annual growth over 5 years. rents up 7.3% in the last year.
Home value trajectory · last 10 years
Zillow ZHVI · monthlyLifestyle scores
Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.
Rent trajectory · last 5 years
Zillow ZORI · monthlyHome value vs rent · indexed to 100
Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)Rent vs buy
At a 9.9 price-to-rent ratio, buying generally beats renting in Brownsville on a long-enough horizon. The headline math is that one year of mortgage payments approximates 9.9 years of rent — well below the 15+ threshold where ownership starts to dominate.
How the momentum score breaks down
methodology →Brownsville has averaged 7.7% annual appreciation over five years and the trend is still live (+2.3% in the last 12 months). When a momentum trade keeps working, the simplest explanation is usually correct: more people want in.
Brownsville's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.
About Brownsville
Brownsville is a city in Cameron County, Texas, with an estimated population of 191,967. It anchors the Brownsville-Harlingen metro area. The population grew 0.7% annually from 2020 to 2024, a moderate gain. The median home value in Brownsville is $196,920 as of 2026-04, up 2.3% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +7.7% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Brownsville average $1,661 per month, up 7.3% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 73 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.
▲ Bull case
▼ Bear case
About Brownsville (Wikipedia)
Brownsville is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the largest city and county seat of Cameron County, located on the western Gulf Coast in South Texas, adjacent to the border with Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico. The city covers 145.2 sq mi (376.066 km2), and had a population of 186,738 at the 2020 census. As of the 2020 U.S. census, it is the 136th-most populous city in the United States and 18th-most populous in Texas. It is part of the Matamoros–Brownsville metropolitan area. The city is known for its year-round subtropical climate, deep-water seaport, and Hispanic culture.
Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.
City facts
Extracted from the Wikipedia infobox. Values may be slightly out of date relative to the latest sources.
Playbook
You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.
Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.
Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.
Local safety & alerts
No active National Weather Service alerts for Cameron County right now.
Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Cameron County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.
Neighborhoods of Brownsville
27 tracked · ranked by median home valueSee the full neighborhood ranking →
Cities like Brownsville
Run the numbers for Brownsville
Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.
Climate & natural-disaster risk
State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.
Current weather
Find rentals & listings
Open current Brownsville listings on the major real-estate sites.
Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.
Local news & community
Latest news
- SpaceX’s IPO to Mint Millionaires in Poor Texas Border TownBloomberg.com · 1d ago
- Your choices behind the wheel impact everyone on the road. Speed limits are in place to help keep drivers, passengers, and pedestrians safe. Slow down, stay alert, and drive within the speed limit to help protect lives this Memorial Day weekend. #Brownsvillefacebook.com · 4h ago
- SpaceX’s IPO to Mint Millionaires in Poor Texas Border TownYahoo Finance · 1d ago
- Man dies in single-vehicle rollover, investigation underwayValleyCentral.com · 3d ago
- SpaceX worker dies at Starbase facilityThe Texas Tribune · 1d ago
- Maria Vasquez Obituary – Brownsville, TXDignity Memorial · 2d ago
Local chatter (Reddit)
Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.
Local sports teams
Major professional teams the Brownsville-Harlingen area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.
Local economy & environment
Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.
Cities similar to Brownsville
Explore other places with comparable momentum or affordability.