Living here
Average rent in Brownsville
What renters actually pay, by number of bedrooms, and how Brownsville compares with Texas and the US.
Median rent
$906/mo
33% below US
1 bedroom
$701/mo
41% below US
2 bedrooms
$869/mo
35% below US
Renters paying 30%+ of income
49%
US 50%
Renter households
23,451
Rent by number of bedrooms
Median gross rent (contract rent plus utilities) for occupied rental units, by bedrooms. Income needed uses the 30% rule.
How Brownsville compares
- Brownsville$586
- Texas$1,149
- United States$1,185
- Brownsville$701
- Texas$1,180
- United States$1,180
- Brownsville$869
- Texas$1,327
- United States$1,338
- Brownsville$1,100
- Texas$1,573
- United States$1,500
Two-bedroom rent in nearby cities
- Brownsville$869
- McAllen$1,012
- New Braunfels$1,551
- Sugar Land$1,802
- Pearland$1,791
- Galveston$1,374
- Austin$1,776
- Cedar Park$1,764
- Georgetown$1,611
- Brownsville49%
- McAllen50%
- New Braunfels47%
- Sugar Land49%
- Pearland54%
- Galveston56%
- Austin47%
- Cedar Park52%
- Georgetown56%
Nearby cities are other Local City Network guides in Texas, nearest first.
What rent can you afford?
At 30% of income you can spend about $869 a month.
- Studio $586
- 1 bedroom $701
- 2 bedrooms $869
- 3 bedrooms $1,100
- 4 bedrooms $1,187
- 5+ bedrooms $1,677
Green means the median Brownsville rent for that size fits your budget. Landlords often ask for income of 2.5–3× the monthly rent.
How stretched are renters?
49% of Brownsville renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent, and 25% spend half or more. The typical renter household puts 29.4% of its income toward rent (US: 50% and 25%).
Rent by zip code
Median gross rent for each ZIP Code Tabulation Area that overlaps Brownsville.
HUD fair market rents
HUD’s 2027 fair market rents for Brownsville-Harlingen, TX MSA are the payment benchmarks for housing vouchers (about the 40th percentile of recent movers’ rents), so they often differ from the medians above.
More on living in Brownsville
Neighborhoods of Brownsville
Questions
What is the average rent in Brownsville?
The median gross rent (rent plus utilities) is $906 a month, 32% below the Texas median and 33% below the national median.
How much is a one-bedroom apartment in Brownsville?
The median one-bedroom rents for $701 a month (US: $1,180).
How much is a two-bedroom in Brownsville?
The median two-bedroom rents for $869 a month (US: $1,338).
How much do you need to make to rent in Brownsville?
Using the common 30% rule, a median two-bedroom ($869) takes a household income of about $34,760 a year, and a one-bedroom about $28,040.
Is rent affordable in Brownsville?
About 49% of Brownsville renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent, and 25% spend at least half (US: 50% and 25%).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates (tables B25031, B25070 and B25071). Estimates have margins of error; figures are in 2023 dollars.