78520 ZIP Code — Brownsville, TX

Cameron County, Texas

ZIP code 78520 is located in Brownsville, Texas, within Cameron County. It covers approximately 39.73 square miles and serves a population of 62,344 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 956.

About ZIP code 78520

The housing stock consists of a mix of housing types. Most homes were built in the 2000s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $114,900. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 59%.

Median household income is $45,093. Poverty affects 27% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 30% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 34% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 21 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 20% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of diabetes (18%) compared to national benchmarks. 31% of residents lack health insurance, above the national average.

Notable community characteristics include Spanish spoken in 28% of households.

Overall, ZIP code 78520 reflects a community defined by economic challenges above the national average, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

62,344

population

39.73

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

78520 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 78520

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 78520. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Brownsville	Acceptable
Brownsville	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

78575 Olmito (4 mi) 78526 Brownsville (6.3 mi) 78521 Brownsville (8.9 mi) 78586 San Benito (10.5 mi) 78566 Los Fresnos (13.7 mi) 78578 Port Isabel (16.4 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	62,344
Population density	1,569 / sq mi
State FIPS	48
County FIPS	061

Geography
Land area	39.73 sq mi
Water area	2.49 sq mi
Latitude	25.9676
Longitude	-97.5475
Timezone	Central (CT)
Area code	956

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	59.6%	57.0%	39.5%
$50k – $100k	27.9%	28.1%	30.1%
$100k – $200k	10.7%	12.6%	22.6%
Over $200k	1.9%	2.3%	7.8%

Demographics & statistics

62,344

Population

1,569

People per sq mi

31.8

Median age

$45,093

Median household income

$19,200

Per capita income

$114,900

Median home value

$800

Median monthly rent

58.8%

Home ownership

27.4%

Poverty rate

5.8%

Unemployment

13,862

Housing units

20.4%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

2,223

Under 5

2,469

2,164

5–9

2,405

2,044

10–14

2,271

2,717

15–19

3,019

2,873

20–24

3,193

3,734

25–34

4,148

3,766

35–44

4,184

3,321

45–54

3,691

1,330

55–59

1,477

1,344

60–64

1,493

2,052

65–74

2,279

1,346

75–84

1,496

618

85+

687

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	16,717	26.8%
18 and over	45,627	73.2%
65 and over	8,478	13.6%
Median age	31.8 years

Race & ethnicity

White 42.6%

Hispanic or Latino 28.2%

Two or more races 23.6%

Other race 4.9%

Black or African American 0.3%

Asian 0.2%

Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	36,951	42.6%
Hispanic or Latino	24,466	28.2%
Two or more races	20,514	23.6%
Other race	4,289	4.9%
Black or African American	263	0.3%
Asian	134	0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	99	0.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native	94	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	59.6%	57.0%	39.5%
$50k – $100k	27.9%	28.1%	30.1%
$100k – $200k	10.7%	12.6%	22.6%
Over $200k	1.9%	2.3%	7.8%

Under $10k 9.4%

$10k–$15k 9.3%

$15k–$25k 12.6%

$25k–$35k 10.6%

$35k–$50k 12.3%

$50k–$75k 17.3%

$75k–$100k 11.8%

$100k–$150k 11.4%

$150k–$200k 3.1%

$200k+ 2.1%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	9.4%
$10k–$15k	9.3%
$15k–$25k	12.6%
$25k–$35k	10.6%
$35k–$50k	12.3%
$50k–$75k	17.3%
$75k–$100k	11.8%
$100k–$150k	11.4%
$150k–$200k	3.1%
$200k+	2.1%
Median income	$45,093

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 15.4%

$50k–$100k 27.3%

$100k–$150k 21.8%

$150k–$200k 15.8%

$200k–$300k 14.2%

$300k–$500k 4.1%

$500k–$1M 1.3%

$1M+ 0.1%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$114,900
Median rent / month	$800
Owner occupied	58.8%
Renter occupied	41.2%
Vacant	11.6%
Single-family detached	67.3%
Large apartment buildings	7.7%
Mobile homes	5.1%
Median rooms	4.7
Avg household size (owned)	3.31

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.6%
2010–2019	15.0%
2000–2009	17.1%
1990–1999	15.8%
1980–1989	12.5%
1970–1979	14.1%
1960–1969	8.9%
1950–1959	8.6%
1940–1949	3.6%
1939 or earlier	3.8%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	4.1%
1 bedroom	11.5%
2 bedrooms	23.4%
3 bedrooms	46.0%
4 bedrooms	13.3%
5+ bedrooms	1.7%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	11.9%
1 vehicle	32.6%
2 vehicles	33.5%
3 or more	21.9%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	8.9%
Electricity	89.5%
Propane / LP gas	0.7%
Fuel oil	0.1%
Wood	0.1%
Solar	0.1%
No fuel used	0.6%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	8,486	44.1%
Cohabiting couple	601	3.1%
Male householder, no spouse	3,221	16.7%
Female householder, no spouse	6,945	36.1%
Households with children under 18	7,866	40.9%
Households with seniors (65+)	6,371	33.1%
Average household size	3.19

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	38.9%	32.9%
Married	49.3%	40.6%
Separated	1.9%	6.0%
Widowed	4.4%	10.4%
Divorced	5.6%	10.1%

Education

Less than 9th grade 19.6%

Some HS, no diploma 13.1%

HS graduate 25.8%

Some college, no degree 14.8%

Associate's degree 6.4%

Bachelor's degree 14.7%

Graduate / professional 5.7%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	67.3%
Bachelor's or higher	20.4%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	924	5.0%
Kindergarten	1,077	5.9%
Elementary school	7,006	38.1%
High school	4,280	23.3%
College / grad school	5,114	27.8%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 34.6%

Retail trade 11.1%

Professional & management 9.1%

Arts, food & hospitality 8.6%

Construction 7.1%

Transportation & utilities 6.4%

Manufacturing 5.9%

Other services 5.0%

Finance & real estate 4.1%

Public administration 4.1%

Wholesale trade 2.8%

Agriculture & mining 0.7%

Information 0.5%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	27.4%
Service	27.1%
Sales & office	22.8%
Natural resources & construction	8.9%
Production & transportation	13.7%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	74.7%
Government	17.9%
Self-employed	6.8%
Unpaid family workers	0.6%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	77.7%
Carpool	11.1%
Public transit	0.8%
Walk	2.6%
Work from home	6.7%
Other means	1.2%
Avg commute (minutes)	20.9

Poverty

All people 27.4%

Under 18 years 37.8%

18 and over 23.6%

Married-couple families 18.4%

Female-led households 34.3%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	34.3%
Retirement income	13.7%
Supplemental Security	8.1%
Cash public assistance	2.2%
Food stamps / SNAP	29.5%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	42.7%
High blood pressure	34.1%
High cholesterol	34.7%
Diabetes	18.2%
Heart disease	7.4%
Stroke	3.9%
Asthma	8.9%
Arthritis	19.5%
Kidney disease	4.2%
Pulmonary disease	6.8%
Cancer	4.5%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	18.4%
Binge drinking	16.0%
No physical activity	35.5%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	32.5%
Depression	20.4%
Fair or poor health	31.3%
Poor mental health	16.7%
Poor physical health	16.7%
No health insurance	50.3%
Visited doctor (checkup)	70.3%
Visited dentist	44.4%
Cholesterol screening	85.1%
Teeth loss	19.7%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	1,388	3.0%

Disability	%
Any disability	11.8%
Under 18	6.5%
18–64 years	7.5%
65 and over	42.3%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	36.6%
Public insurance	36.6%
No insurance	31.1%
Uninsured under 19	18.6%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	57,652	92.5%
Spanish	16,289	28.3%
Other Indo-European	16,239	28.2%
Asian & Pacific Islander	13	0.0%
Other languages	37	0.1%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	45,586	73.1%
Born in same state	45,008	72.2%
Born in different state	40,828	65.5%
Foreign born	578	0.9%
Naturalized citizen	16,758	26.9%
Not a US citizen	6,521	38.9%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	1,392	2.2%
French	533	0.9%
Italian	231	0.4%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	104	0.2%
Polish	89	0.1%
German	3	0%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	30.9%
Internet access	83.7%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 78520

What part of Brownsville is ZIP code 78520?

ZIP code 78520 covers a portion of Brownsville, Texas, within Cameron County.

What county is ZIP code 78520 in?

ZIP code 78520 falls within Cameron County, Texas.

Is Spanish widely spoken in ZIP code 78520?

Approximately 28% of households in ZIP code 78520 speak Spanish as a primary language.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 78520?

27% of residents in ZIP code 78520 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 78520?

The median home value in ZIP code 78520 is $114,900.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 78520?

The median household income in ZIP code 78520 is $45,093, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 78520 in?

ZIP code 78520 observes the CST timezone.