Brownsville vs Harlingen
Brownsville, Texas versus Harlingen, Texas: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Brownsville and Harlingen score about the same overall (48 vs 49 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Brownsville | Harlingen |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $47k | $50k |
| Cost of Living | $38k | $38k |
| Home Value | $113k | $112k |
| Monthly Rent | $872 | $867 |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $34k | $15k |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.91% | 1.69% |
| Income Tax | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Sales Tax | 8.20% | 8.20% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 7.31% | 6.45% |
| Unemployment | 6.3% | 4.8% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 62°F | 61°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 86°F | 86°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 29.1 in | 26.6 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0 in | 0.1 in |
| Sunny Days | 262 days | 262 days |
| Summer Humidity | 75°F | 75°F |
| Comfortable Days | 128 days | 125 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 72.8 | 73.2 |
| Air Quality | 46 AQI | 39 AQI |
| School Quality | 48.9 | 45.0 |
| Violent Crime | 1901/100k | 1860/100k |
| Property Crime | 1853/100k | 2834/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 186,999 | 71,497 |
| Median Age | 30.7 | 33.2 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.54 | 0.48 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.94 | 0.97 |
| Political Leaning | D+13 | D+13 |
| White (%) | 4.2% | 14.2% |
| Black (%) | 0.3% | 0.9% |
| Hispanic (%) | 94.6% | 82.9% |
| Asian (%) | 0.7% | 0.9% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 0.4% | 1.1% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 20 min | 17 min |
| Walkability | 6.9/20 | 7.2/20 |
| Airport Distance | 250 mi | 237 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 75.3% | 75.6% |
| Amenities Nearby | 1.18 | 13.01 |
| Park & Nature Access | Excellent | Excellent |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Brownsville or Harlingen more affordable?
- Harlingen has the lower cost of living: its index is $38k, compared with Brownsville's $38k and Harlingen's $38k. Median rent is $872 in Brownsville versus $867 in Harlingen.
- Is Brownsville or Harlingen safer?
- Harlingen has the lower violent crime rate. Brownsville reports 1901/100k and Harlingen reports 1860/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Brownsville or Harlingen?
- The median home value is $113k in Brownsville and $112k in Harlingen, so homes are more affordable in Harlingen.