Population & age
- Total population
- 87,040
- Median age
- 30.9
Brownsville, TX (78521)
Fresh.Data current as of Apr 23, 2026
Brownsville, TX (ZIP 78521) draws on 2 federal data feeds retrieved Apr 24. Top health signal: Health Insurance comes in above the national average at 41.6%. NCES lists 46 schools serving the area, 46 non-charter. Schools are the headline here — lots of options at varying types — while healthcare access numbers suggest worth-shopping coverage and provider choice carefully. Notable: median household income $38,633, fair market rent of $1,050 for a two-bedroom, and a 31.3% poverty rate (well above the ~12% US average). Every figure on this page links to its underlying federal dataset with a retrieval date so you can audit the freshness yourself.
Demographics
Race & ethnicity
- White
- 59.8%
- Black
- 0.1%
- Asian
- 0.1%
- Hispanic / Latino
- 96.4%
- Other / multi-racial
- 39.7%
Income & housing
- Median household income
- $38,633
- Median home value
- $84,300
Education
- Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+)
- 13.3%
Employment
- Unemployment rate
- 7.4%
Housing
- Owner-occupied
- 15,585(58.6%)
- Renter-occupied
- 11,032(41.4%)
- Vacant units
- 2,364
- Built (median)
- 1989
Commute
- Public transit
- 489(1.5%)
- Work from home
- 2,087(6.3%)
- Avg commute
- 20.3 min
Economic wellbeing
- Below poverty line
- 27,205(31.3%)
- Uninsured
- 4,137(4.8%)
Digital access
- Broadband access
- 19,005(71.4%)
- No broadband
- 7,612(28.6%)
Language & nativity
- Foreign-born
- 26,119(30.0%)
- Non-English at home
- 71,709(88.5%)
Fair Market Rent
Fresh.HUD SAFMR · May 1, 2026Studio
$780
/month
1 Bed
$870
/month
2 Bed
$1,050
/month
3 Bed
$1,420
/month
4 Bed
$1,480
/month
HUD Fair Market Rents represent the 40th percentile of standard-quality rental housing in this area. FY2026 data.
Data sources used on this page
Health profile
Crude prevalence estimates from CDC PLACES, derived from BRFSS small-area modeling. Population-level figures only.
Obesity
42.8%
9.8pp above the 33.0% national rate.
High Blood Pressure
35.3%
3.3pp above the 32.0% national rate.
Depression
19.8%
2.2pp below the 22.0% national rate.
Annual Checkup
71.0%
5.0pp below the 76.0% national rate.
Health Insurance
41.6%
28.6pp above the 13.0% national rate.
Diabetes
20.7%
9.7pp above the 11.0% national rate.
Schools in this ZIP
46 schools serve this ZIP, including 46 non-charter.
| School | Type | Grades | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| HANNA EARLY COLLEGE H S | Public | 9–12 | 2,441 |
| RIVERA EARLY COLLEGE H S | Public | 9–12 | 2,339 |
| PORTER EARLY COLLEGE H S | Public | 9–12 | 1,953 |
| LOPEZ EARLY COLLEGE H S | Public | 9–12 | 1,922 |
| STILLMAN MIDDLE | Public | 6–8 | 1,127 |
Showing top 5 by enrollment. 41 more schools serve this ZIP.
Schools listed from NCES Common Core of Data via the Urban Institute Education Data Portal.
Fresh.NCES CCD via Urban Institute EDP · Apr 23, 2026What these numbers say together
Brownsville, TX (ZIP 78521) draws on 2 federal data feeds retrieved Apr 24. Top health signal: Health Insurance comes in above the national average at 41.6%. NCES lists 46 schools serving the area, 46 non-charter. Schools are the headline here — lots of options at varying types — while healthcare access numbers suggest worth-shopping coverage and provider choice carefully. Notable: median household income $38,633, fair market rent of $1,050 for a two-bedroom, and a 31.3% poverty rate (well above the ~12% US average). Every figure on this page links to its underlying federal dataset with a retrieval date so you can audit the freshness yourself.
These readings invert. Education density is the headline; healthcare access numbers suggest provider choice and coverage are worth shopping carefully. The two domains don’t move together at the ZIP level — both deserve their own due diligence rather than a single judgment.
- Fair market rent for a two-bedroom ($1,050/month, HUD SAFMR) represents 33% of median household income ($38,633, Census ACS) — above the 30% affordability threshold commonly used by housing experts.
- Lower median household income ($38,633, Census ACS) sits alongside an above-average 42.8% obesity rate (CDC PLACES) — a pattern that correlates with reduced healthcare access in lower-income areas.
One concrete reading worth keeping: Depression prevalence sits lower the national rate at 19.8%. Each figure on this page links to the original federal dataset with its retrieval date — this synthesis is a reading, not a substitute for the underlying records.
Frequently Asked Questions — ZIP 78521
What is the obesity rate in ZIP 78521?
42.8%, which is 9.8 percentage points above the national average of 33.0% (CDC PLACES, retrieved Apr 24, 2026).
What is the depression rate in ZIP 78521?
19.8%, which is 2.2 percentage points below the national average of 22.0% (CDC PLACES, retrieved Apr 24, 2026).
What is the high blood pressure rate in ZIP 78521?
35.3%, which is 3.3 percentage points above the national average of 32.0% (CDC PLACES, retrieved Apr 24, 2026).
How many schools are in ZIP 78521?
46 schools serve this ZIP, including 46 public schools (NCES CCD, retrieved Apr 23, 2026). No charter schools are listed in this ZIP by NCES CCD.
Does ZIP 78521 have charter schools?
No charter schools are listed in ZIP 78521 by NCES CCD (retrieved Apr 23, 2026).
Are there high schools in ZIP 78521?
Yes, 9 high schools serve this ZIP: Hanna Early College H S, Rivera Early College H S, Porter Early College H S, and 6 more. (NCES CCD, retrieved Apr 23, 2026).
What is the population of ZIP 78521?
87,040 people live in ZIP 78521, with a median age of 30.9 (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
What is the median household income in ZIP 78521?
$38,633 per year (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
Is ZIP 78521 mostly renters or homeowners?
In ZIP 78521, 58.6% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 41.4% are renter-occupied (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
How do people commute in ZIP 78521?
In ZIP 78521, 6.3% of workers work from home. Public transit is used by 1.5% of commuters (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
What is the poverty rate in ZIP 78521?
31.3% of the population in ZIP 78521 lives below the federal poverty line (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
What percentage of households in ZIP 78521 have broadband internet?
71.4% of households in ZIP 78521 have broadband internet access (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
What data is available for ZIP 78521?
This page covers health outcomes from CDC PLACES (33 metrics), school information from NCES CCD (46 schools), and demographics from the Census ACS 5-Year (2022). Data is refreshed on Mubboo's standard schedule.
How current is this data?
Health data retrieved Apr 24, 2026 from CDC PLACES. School data retrieved Apr 23, 2026 from NCES CCD. Demographics retrieved Apr 30, 2026 from Census ACS 5-Year (2022).
More Info topics
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Have a specific question about ZIP 78521?
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Data refreshed via Mubboo's ETL pipeline; oldest source on this page retrieved Apr 23, 2026.