Brownsville vs Laredo
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $139,900 in Brownsville and $193,500 in Laredo.
- Households earn more in Laredo ($63,915 vs $52,130 median).
- Brownsville has the warmer winter: January highs of 73°F vs 68°F.
- Laredo has more scorching days: 178 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 140.
Side by side
| Brownsville, TX | Laredo, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 192,957 | 269,515 |
| Growth since 2020 | +3.6% | +5.6% |
| People per square mile | 1,447 | 2,471 |
| Median age | 31.2 | 29.9 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 25% | 22% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $52,130 | $63,915 |
| Median home value | $139,900 | $193,500 |
| Home value to income | 2.7× | 3.0× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $923 | $1,030 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 86.0 | 87.0 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 57.7 | 59.7 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $64,500 | $65,200 |
| Homeowners | 62% | 64% |
| Top state income tax | None | None |
| Combined sales tax | 8.2% | 8.2% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 21.4 | 21.6 |
| Work from home | 8% | 6% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 6.2% | 5.4% |
| Poverty rate | 23.7% | 20.9% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 73° / 53° | 68° / 47° |
| July high / low | 95° / 78° | 100° / 77° |
| Precipitation per year | 27 in | 20 in |
| Snowfall per year | 0 in | 0 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 140 | 178 |
| Nights below freezing | 1 | 5 |
| Comfortable months | 6 | 5 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively High | Relatively Moderate |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 97.3 | 89.2 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 30% | 50% |
| Home prices, past year | +4.4% | +2.2% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +47.7% | +34.3% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Brownsville: November to April. Laredo: November to March.
Full monthly tables: Brownsville weather by month and Laredo weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $64,500 in Brownsville and $65,200 in Laredo. Moving from Brownsville to Laredo, you would need about $75,900 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Brownsville and Laredo
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Brownsville and Laredo.
Which would you pick?
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