Brownsville, Texas
Brownsville is a Texas city whose current Census footprint includes Cameron County. Start with the quick read below for what gives Brownsville its character, then the practical property-tax, insurance, district, and local-record checks worth making before you rely on a monthly estimate.
Place essentials
Official Census snapshot- Census place type
- City
- July 2025 population
- 192,957
- Change from 2020 base
- +3.6%
- Land area
- 122 sq. mi.
- County footprint
- Cameron County
Place type, county footprint, and land area use the Census Bureau's January 1, 2025 geography. Population uses Vintage 2025 estimates through July 1, 2025; change compares that estimate with the April 1, 2020 estimates base. Geography file | Population file
Official routes
Use the office for the parcel address; a mailing city is not always the governing city.
Local checks
- Cameron CAD account
- Flood zone / FEMA map
- TWIA windstorm coverage / WPI-8
- Foundation inspection (clay soil)
- Historic district overlay
What buyers should know
Flood zone and windstorm are the two non-negotiable insurance checks: pull the FEMA flood map for the specific parcel (resacas create micro-level variation block to block), and confirm TWIA eligibility and WPI-8 certification on any home built or renovated after the coastal building-code rules took effect.
SpaceX's Starbase campus has driven faster-than-average appreciation in east Brownsville and the Boca Chica corridor — useful if you're buying for investment, but verify that appraisal values and tax assessments have caught up before assuming a stable tax bill.
Downtown and older Southmost neighborhoods contain structures within the federally designated Commercial Historic District; a renovation budget should account for design-review approval, but qualifying improvements may also be eligible for a 20% federal historic tax credit.
County context
What to know around Brownsville
County lines carry much of the property, land, water, and outdoors context around Brownsville.
County History
Cameron County Is Named for a Soldier of the Mier Expedition
Cameron County was created in 1848 and named for Captain Ewen Cameron, a Scottish soldier killed in Mexico during the ill-fated Mier Expedition.
Property Tax Basics
Two Offices Handle Your Property Tax in Cameron County
The Cameron Appraisal District sets your home's value; the Cameron County Tax Office sends the bill and collects the money.
City History
Brownsville Grew Up Around a U.S. Army Fort on the Rio Grande
Brownsville was founded in 1848 by merchant Charles Stillman near Fort Brown, the U.S. Army post built opposite Matamoros, Mexico.
Nearby places
Other local pages to compare
Nearby counties
Local notes for nearby counties
Next steps for Brownsville
Compare nearby places
Put Census population, land area, county footprints, and official office routes side by side.
Open comparison ->Estimate property tax
Use the official local rates and appraisal value for this parcel.
Open estimator ->Build a buyer timeline
Track homestead, appraisal notice, protest, and tax-bill dates.
Build timeline ->Read insurance guide
Check flood, windstorm, roof, deductibles, and coverage questions.
Read guide ->