Brownsville, TX Housing Market
AI-powered market intelligence for the Brownsville-Harlingen, TX metro area.
PropertyIQ Scores
Brownsville, TX Market Analysis
Market Overview
Brownsville, TX presents a mixed housing market, reflected in its PropertyIQ Score of 53 out of 100. This mid-range score indicates moderate conditions rather than clear strength or weakness. The median home value is $209,484, well below the Texas average of $299,367. That price gap gives Brownsville a clear purchase-price advantage. However, the local economy looks softer than the state: unemployment is 6.6% versus 4.5% statewide, and median household income is $52,601 versus $78,476 statewide.
The market’s top score drivers show conflicting signals. Home value momentum over 12 months is 4.42%, but the 3-month momentum is only 0.53%, and the year-over-year median home value change is -$8, essentially flat. At the same time, median days on market is 85 days and 12.8% of listings have had a price cut. Overall, Brownsville is a moderate market with affordable home prices but slower selling conditions and weaker local economic benchmarks.
Key Trends
Cooling price momentum is the first trend. The 12-month home value momentum of 4.42% shows values rose over the past year, but the 3-month momentum of 0.53% and a year-over-year median home value change of -$8 indicate that appreciation has stalled. Brownsville’s median home value of $209,484 remains about 30% below the state average of $299,367, which may support buyer interest from outside the area.
A second trend is slower inventory turnover. Brownsville has 1,560 homes for sale, with a median days on market of 85 days. In addition, 12.8% of listings have had a price cut. These two indicators are top score drivers, meaning they significantly influence the PropertyIQ Score. The elevated days on market and price-cut share suggest buyers have negotiating power. No state benchmark was provided for these metrics, but the absolute levels point to a slower pace than a hot market.
A third trend is relative rental strength. The rent index in Brownsville is $1,463, above the Texas average of $1,403. This is notable because home values are far lower than the state median. For rental property investors, lower purchase prices combined with above-state rents may create a more favorable setup. However, local incomes are low, which may limit future rent growth.
A fourth trend is mixed affordability. Although the median home value is below the state average, median household income is also well below the state average. Brownsville’s median household income is $52,601, compared with $78,476 statewide. The unemployment rate of 6.6% is also higher than the state’s 4.5%. These factors mean lower home prices do not necessarily translate into stronger affordability for local residents. Population growth data is not available, so demographic demand cannot be assessed.
Who Is This Market For
This market may suit first-time buyers and budget-conscious buyers who can bring stable income or work remotely. With a median home value of $209,484 compared with the state average of $299,367, the entry price is far lower. However, the local median household income of $52,601 means many residents may still face affordability challenges.
Rental property investors may also find Brownsville interesting. The rent index of $1,463 exceeds the state average of $1,403, while purchase prices are lower than the state median. This combination can support buy-and-hold rental strategies. That said, the unemployment rate of 6.6% and slower days on market of 85 suggest investors should account for tenant stability and longer holding periods.
Move-up buyers or sellers who need a quick sale may face a more challenging environment. With 85 days on market and 12.8% of listings with a price cut, selling a home may require patience and pricing flexibility. Population growth data is missing, making it harder to identify a wave of new buyers.
Outlook
The data points to a cautious near-term outlook. The 3-month home value momentum of 0.53% and the year-over-year median home value change of -$8 suggest that the 12-month price momentum of 4.42% has cooled. With 1,560 homes for sale, 85 median days on market, and 12.8% of listings with price cuts, buyers are likely to maintain some leverage. Rental demand could provide stability because the rent index of $1,463 is above the state average of $1,403, but unemployment of 6.6% and median household income of $52,601 may limit local purchasing power. Since population growth data is unavailable, long-term demand trends cannot be evaluated from the provided numbers. Overall, the market appears positioned for slow, steady activity rather than rapid price gains.
AI-generated analysis based on current market data. Last updated October 5, 2026.
Get Brownsville, TX market updates
Choose your role for tailored insights.
Brownsville, TX market data
Brownsville, TX Housing Market Overview
Brownsville, TX's median home value is $209K, up 4.4% over the past year. Homes here sell in a median 85 days. Its PropertyIQ Score of 53 sits right around the state average of 50.
The Brownsville, TX metropolitan area represents a distinct segment of TX's housing landscape. The PropertyIQ Score combines price momentum — how Zillow home values have trended over the past 3 and 12 months — with market-flow signals from Realtor.com that track how fast homes sell and how often sellers cut prices. The result is a single measure of how this market is positioned to outperform or lag its state over the next three years.
South Central housing markets are propelled by energy sector economics, corporate relocations, and rapid population growth. Texas metros in particular have seen explosive expansion, though affordability pressures are emerging in the fastest-growing areas. Within the South Central, Brownsville, TX's PropertyIQ Score of 53 tracks near the South Central norm.
Texas continues to be one of America's top relocation destinations, with no state income tax and a business-friendly regulatory environment driving corporate headquarters relocations and population growth.
For the Brownsville, TX market, PropertyIQ calculates a single score each month from four inputs: twelve-month Zillow home-value momentum, three-month Zillow home-value momentum, median days on market from Realtor.com, and the Realtor.com price-reduced share. The score is computed nationally across all metros and calibrated so 50 equals the state average. Across the validation history, metro markets in the top score band have outperformed their state by roughly 1.7 percentage points more per year than bottom-band markets. Momentum here has been positive, with home values up 4.4% over the past year.
Use PropertyIQ's interactive analytics to compare Brownsville, TX against any other US metro on its PropertyIQ Score and underlying metrics. Generate a free AI market report, explore historical trends on the graphs page, or see how this market ranks on the scores dashboard.
Counties in the Brownsville, TX metro area
ZIP codes in the Brownsville, TX metro area
View all 17 →Top markets in TX
Market data through August 2026. Sourced from Zillow, Realtor.com, Redfin, U.S. Census Bureau, FRED, BLS, and BEA. Per-statistic source and date shown above.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Brownsville, TX a good place to buy real estate in 2026?
PropertyIQ doesn't label markets simply good or bad. Instead, the PropertyIQ Score measures a market's demand momentum against its own state, where 50 marks the state average. Brownsville, TX currently scores 53, a steady-momentum reading that leaves it tracking close to its state average. For buyers, a balanced market means neither side holds a decisive edge, giving you time to shop carefully without racing the clock. Backing that up, the median home value here is $209K, up 4.4% over the past year. So whether Brownsville, TX is right for you comes down to your goals: a rising-momentum market can favor long-term appreciation but offers less room to negotiate, while a cooling one hands buyers more leverage. Treat the score as a timing signal to weigh alongside your budget, holding period, and plans for the property, not a verdict on the market's quality.
What is the PropertyIQ Score for Brownsville, TX?
Brownsville, TX's PropertyIQ Score is 53, indicating steady momentum on a 1-to-99 scale. The score distills four transparent inputs into a single number: Zillow home-value momentum over the past 12 months, Zillow home-value momentum over the past 3 months, the median days homes spend on the market from Realtor.com, and the share of listings with a price cut, also from Realtor.com. Rising values and faster sales push the score up, while slow sales and frequent price cuts pull it down. The scale is calibrated so 50 equals the state average, meaning a score above 50 predicts the market will outperform its state over the next three years and a score below 50 predicts underperformance. PropertyIQ computes the score across every US market nationally, then recenters it against each state, so 53 places Brownsville, TX above its state benchmark.
Are home prices in Brownsville, TX rising or falling?
Home prices in Brownsville, TX are rising. Over the past year, the median home value increased 4.4%, reaching $209K. Over the latest three months, values moved up 0.5%, a sign near-term demand remains firm. PropertyIQ derives these figures from Zillow's home-value index, which tracks the typical value across the market rather than only the homes that happened to sell, giving a steadier read than a raw median sale price. Both the 12-month and 3-month momentum readings feed directly into the PropertyIQ Score, so this price trend is one of the core signals behind Brownsville, TX's current score. Keep in mind that appreciation can vary widely by neighborhood and price tier across the metro area, so treat these figures as the market-wide baseline rather than a guarantee for any single property.
How quickly do homes sell in Brownsville, TX?
In Brownsville, TX, homes sell in a median of 85 days from listing to pending sale, based on Realtor.com market data. Median days on market is one of the clearest real-time reads on local demand: when homes move quickly, buyers are competing and sellers hold the advantage, while lengthening timelines signal cooling interest and more room to negotiate. Alongside sale speed, about 13% of active listings here have taken at least one price cut — a complementary demand gauge, since a rising share of reductions often precedes slower sales and softer prices. Both median days on market and the price-cut share feed directly into the PropertyIQ Score, where faster sales and fewer cuts push the score higher. As a general guide, medians under about 30 days indicate a brisk, competitive market, while medians well beyond 60 days point to buyers regaining leverage. Actual time on market still varies by price band, property type, and season, so treat the median as a market-wide baseline.
How current is this metro area data?
This Brownsville, TX market data is refreshed on a monthly cycle, with the latest figures current through August 2026. PropertyIQ ingests fresh data every month from a range of authoritative sources: home values and rents from Zillow, days on market and price-cut activity from Realtor.com, additional housing signals from Redfin, demographic and housing-stock data from the U.S. Census Bureau, mortgage and macroeconomic series from FRED, and employment figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The PropertyIQ Score itself is recomputed every month once the new source data lands, so the score and its four underlying inputs always reflect the most recent complete reporting period rather than a static snapshot. Because official housing data is typically released with a short lag, the current-through date usually trails the present by a few weeks, which is normal across the industry and not a sign the data is out of date.