PlainZIP

Brownsville, TX · standard

ZIP Code 78526

Cameron County, Texas - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.

42,460
372/sq mi
$70,565
Median income
$185,000
Median home value
33.9%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Brownsville pairs a below-median household income with below-median home values, in a low-density, homeowner-dominated area.

48th pct
household income, US ZIPs
39th pct
home value, US ZIPs
372
people per sq mi
69%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 78526 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 78526 is a densely settled ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Brownsville, Cameron County, Texas, with 42,460 residents across 114.3 square miles, a density of 372 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.

ZIP 78526 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $70,565 (7% below the Texas average), while per-capita income is $26,600. The poverty rate stands at 16.9% and the unemployment rate at 5.1%. Housing costs here run $185,000 for a typical home value (25% below the state average), with rent averaging $1,095 a month; 69.2% of homes are owner-occupied.

A solid share of residents have a four-year degree: 33.9% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 29.7, and the average commute is 21 minutes. Beyond these figures, 4 nearby ZIP codes within about 10 miles are surfaced below, along with 6 more sharing Cameron County, letting you compare 78526 to its immediate surroundings rather than a national baseline alone.

Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →

Top industries in ZIP 78526

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Brownsville, TX

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 78526.

establishments

What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) As of 2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 78526, Brownsville, TX · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.

Quick Facts

42,460

Population

114.3

Area (sq mi)

372

People / sq mi

Chicago

Time Zone

standard

ZIP Type

Neighborhood Scorecard
Get an A-F grade across income, safety, housing, rent, education, commute, and childcare for this ZIP code.
View Scorecard →

Who lives in ZIP 78526?

29.7

Median Age

49.8%

Male

50.2%

Female

24.4%

Foreign-Born

White 29.0%
African American 0.4%
Asian 1.7%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 59.5%
Hispanic or Latino 92.3%

Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

How much do residents earn?

$70,565

Median Household Income

-7% vs state

$26,600

Per Capita Income

16.9%

Poverty Rate

5.1%

Unemployment Rate

21.0 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 78526 ranks nationally

Brownsville, TX household income vs. every US ZIP code

Median household income, the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked

$70,565 48th percentile higher than 48% of 30,318 US ZIPs

$0–$20,000: 118 US ZIPs (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 1,573 US ZIPs (5%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 7,092 US ZIPs (23%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). This entry sits in this band. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 686 US ZIPs (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 364 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 186 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 324 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. This ZIP $0 $200K+ every reporting US ZIP, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US ZIPs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What is the education profile here?

High School Graduate or Higher 55.3%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 33.9%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What does housing look like?

18,639

Total Housing Units

17,516

Occupied Units

1,123

Vacant Units

3.39

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 69.2%
Renter 30.8%

$185,000

Median Home Value

-25% vs state

$1,095

Median Rent

2003

Median Year Built

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

How have home values changed over time?

FHFA House Price Index, annual appreciation data based on repeat sales and appraisals

+4.2%

YoY Change (2024)

237

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+137%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 78526 have increased 4.2% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +137% cumulative appreciation.

Year Annual Change HPI Index
2020 +2.3% 153
2021 +15.1% 176
2022 +18.9% 210
2023 +8.6% 228
2024 +4.2% 237

Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index, All-Transactions, Five-Digit ZIP Codes (Developmental Index). Index base = 100 in year 2000. Data through 2024. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 769 business establishments in ZIP 78526, employing approximately 12,611 people with a combined annual payroll of $436,872,000.

769

Businesses

12,611

Employees

$436.9M

Annual Payroll

16

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Health care and social assistance 162 21.1%
Retail trade 110 14.3%
Accommodation and food services 107 13.9%
Other services (except public administration) 53 6.9%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 51 6.6%
Finance and insurance 48 6.2%
Construction 44 5.7%
Wholesale trade 41 5.3%
Transportation and warehousing 41 5.3%
Real estate and rental and leasing 36 4.7%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 26 3.4%
Manufacturing 18 2.3%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 11 1.4%
Educational services 9 1.2%
Information 5 0.7%
Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction 3 0.4%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.

Nearby ZIP Codes

Want a side-by-side? Compare 78526 vs 78575 →

ZIP 78526 vs its nearest neighbors, by population

Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 78526 ranks #3 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023

ZIP 78526 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income

Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

median income

What this shows By household income, ZIP 78526 ranks #2 of 5 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023
ZIP Code City Population Distance
78575 Olmito, TX 8,056 6.0 mi
78520 Brownsville, TX 59,408 7.1 mi
78521 Brownsville, TX 93,818 7.8 mi
78578 Port Isabel, TX 12,516 8.7 mi

More ZIP Codes in Cameron County

78521 standard
Brownsville, TX
Pop: 93,818
78520 standard
Brownsville, TX
Pop: 59,408
78586 standard
San Benito, TX
Pop: 55,878
78550 standard
Harlingen, TX
Pop: 53,152
78552 standard
Harlingen, TX
Pop: 34,111
78566 standard
Los Fresnos, TX
Pop: 16,230

Related Areas

Cameron County Brownsville, TX Texas

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 78526 in? ▼
ZIP code 78526 (Brownsville) is located in Cameron County, Texas. Cameron County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/cameron-tx.
What is the population of ZIP code 78526? ▼
ZIP code 78526 in Brownsville, TX has a population of 42,460 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 78526? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 78526 is $70,565, which is 8% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 78526? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 78526 is $185,000, which is 33% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 78526? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 78526 is Two or More Ethnicities at 59.5%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 92.3% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 78526? ▼
ZIP code 78526 has 769 business establishments employing approximately 12,611 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 78526? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 78526 are: Health care and social assistance (162), Retail trade (110), Accommodation and food services (107). There are 16 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 78526? ▼
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 78526 increased by 4.2% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 137%. This is a developmental index based on repeat sales and appraisal data from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
What is the education level in ZIP code 78526? ▼
In ZIP code 78526, 55.3% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 33.9% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What is the average commute time in ZIP 78526? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 78526 is 21.0 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend less time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 78526? ▼
In ZIP code 78526, approximately 69.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 30.8% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 78526? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 78526 is 16.9% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.