78526 ZIP Code — Brownsville, TX

Cameron County, Texas

ZIP code 78526 is located in Brownsville, Texas, within Cameron County. It covers approximately 47.41 square miles and serves a population of 59,547 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 956.

About ZIP code 78526

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 2000s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $145,300. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 70%.

Median household income is $66,339. SNAP benefit usage at 21% of households reflects economic stress in the area.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 19 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 28% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

24% of residents lack health insurance, above the national average.

Notable community characteristics include Spanish spoken in 22% of households.

59,547

population

47.41

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

78526 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 78526

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 78526. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Brownsville	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

78520 Brownsville (6.3 mi) 78521 Brownsville (6.3 mi) 78575 Olmito (6.6 mi) 78566 Los Fresnos (9.3 mi) 78578 Port Isabel (10.1 mi) 78586 San Benito (13.7 mi) 78583 Rio Hondo (19.6 mi)

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	59,547
Population density	1,256 / sq mi
State FIPS	48
County FIPS	061

Geography
Land area	47.41 sq mi
Water area	2.66 sq mi
Latitude	25.9927
Longitude	-97.4498
Timezone	Central (CT)
Area code	956

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 06/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	42.6%	57.0%	39.5%
$50k – $100k	36.1%	28.1%	30.1%
$100k – $200k	18.7%	12.6%	22.6%
Over $200k	2.6%	2.3%	7.8%

Demographics & statistics

59,547

Population

1,256

People per sq mi

28.8

Median age

$66,339

Median household income

$23,043

Per capita income

$145,300

Median home value

$1,025

Median monthly rent

69.8%

Home ownership

17.5%

Poverty rate

6.2%

Unemployment

12,688

Housing units

28.4%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

2,694

Under 5

2,705

2,750

5–9

2,762

2,589

10–14

2,599

2,466

15–19

2,476

2,308

20–24

2,317

4,394

25–34

4,411

3,873

35–44

3,888

3,547

45–54

3,562

1,450

55–59

1,455

1,332

60–64

1,338

1,630

65–74

1,636

441

75–84

442

241

85+

241

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	19,118	32.1%
18 and over	40,429	67.9%
65 and over	4,631	7.8%
Median age	28.8 years

Race & ethnicity

White 40.6%

Hispanic or Latino 28.5%

Two or more races 24.4%

Other race 4.4%

Asian 1.4%

Black or African American 0.5%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	33,839	40.6%
Hispanic or Latino	23,747	28.5%
Two or more races	20,326	24.4%
Other race	3,693	4.4%
Asian	1,139	1.4%
Black or African American	430	0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native	120	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	42.6%	57.0%	39.5%
$50k – $100k	36.1%	28.1%	30.1%
$100k – $200k	18.7%	12.6%	22.6%
Over $200k	2.6%	2.3%	7.8%

Under $10k 6.2%

$10k–$15k 5.0%

$15k–$25k 7.1%

$25k–$35k 8.8%

$35k–$50k 11.6%

$50k–$75k 18.2%

$75k–$100k 13.7%

$100k–$150k 16.5%

$150k–$200k 8.8%

$200k+ 4.1%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	6.2%
$10k–$15k	5.0%
$15k–$25k	7.1%
$25k–$35k	8.8%
$35k–$50k	11.6%
$50k–$75k	18.2%
$75k–$100k	13.7%
$100k–$150k	16.5%
$150k–$200k	8.8%
$200k+	4.1%
Median income	$66,339

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 4.6%

$50k–$100k 19.1%

$100k–$150k 29.1%

$150k–$200k 19.0%

$200k–$300k 21.9%

$300k–$500k 5.2%

$500k–$1M 1.1%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$145,300
Median rent / month	$1,025
Owner occupied	69.8%
Renter occupied	30.2%
Vacant	5.9%
Single-family detached	77.5%
Large apartment buildings	6.6%
Mobile homes	3.9%
Median rooms	5.1
Avg household size (owned)	3.78

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	1.6%
2010–2019	22.5%
2000–2009	33.6%
1990–1999	21.2%
1980–1989	12.9%
1970–1979	5.8%
1960–1969	1.6%
1950–1959	0.4%
1940–1949	0.0%
1939 or earlier	0.5%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	2.7%
1 bedroom	6.2%
2 bedrooms	15.1%
3 bedrooms	54.8%
4 bedrooms	19.1%
5+ bedrooms	2.1%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	3.3%
1 vehicle	25.0%
2 vehicles	41.5%
3 or more	30.2%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	4.4%
Electricity	92.9%
Propane / LP gas	1.5%
Fuel oil	0.1%
Solar	0.1%
No fuel used	0.9%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	9,718	58.2%
Cohabiting couple	601	3.6%
Male householder, no spouse	2,030	12.2%
Female householder, no spouse	4,341	26.0%
Households with children under 18	9,023	54.1%
Households with seniors (65+)	3,450	20.7%
Average household size	3.55

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	33.3%	33.9%
Married	56.7%	47.8%
Separated	2.5%	2.9%
Widowed	1.8%	6.8%
Divorced	5.6%	8.7%

Education

Less than 9th grade 11.1%

Some HS, no diploma 11.0%

HS graduate 20.7%

Some college, no degree 19.4%

Associate's degree 9.5%

Bachelor's degree 20.3%

Graduate / professional 8.1%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	78.0%
Bachelor's or higher	28.4%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	1,336	6.8%
Kindergarten	1,342	6.8%
Elementary school	8,671	44.1%
High school	3,999	20.3%
College / grad school	4,309	21.9%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 33.9%

Retail trade 13.0%

Manufacturing 7.7%

Public administration 7.3%

Professional & management 7.2%

Construction 6.5%

Finance & real estate 6.0%

Arts, food & hospitality 5.3%

Transportation & utilities 4.7%

Other services 4.3%

Wholesale trade 2.2%

Agriculture & mining 1.4%

Information 0.4%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	35.4%
Service	19.5%
Sales & office	24.6%
Natural resources & construction	10.4%
Production & transportation	10.1%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	71.0%
Government	22.9%
Self-employed	6.1%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	79.3%
Carpool	11.9%
Public transit	0.1%
Walk	1.3%
Work from home	7.3%
Other means	0.1%
Avg commute (minutes)	19.4

Poverty

All people 17.5%

Under 18 years 21.8%

18 and over 15.4%

Married-couple families 11.5%

Female-led households 37.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	20.6%
Retirement income	9.4%
Supplemental Security	3.7%
Cash public assistance	2.4%
Food stamps / SNAP	21.1%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	39.3%
High blood pressure	28.1%
High cholesterol	31.2%
Diabetes	13.4%
Heart disease	4.9%
Stroke	2.5%
Asthma	8.1%
Arthritis	15.1%
Kidney disease	2.9%
Pulmonary disease	4.5%
Cancer	3.8%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	15.1%
Binge drinking	18.0%
No physical activity	28.4%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	31.4%
Depression	19.2%
Fair or poor health	22.8%
Poor mental health	15.4%
Poor physical health	12.5%
No health insurance	45.2%
Visited doctor (checkup)	68.6%
Visited dentist	52.8%
Cholesterol screening	86.5%
Teeth loss	12.8%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	1,283	3.2%

Disability	%
Any disability	8.3%
Under 18	3.5%
18–64 years	7.0%
65 and over	39.1%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	50.8%
Public insurance	29.1%
No insurance	23.8%
Uninsured under 19	11.2%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	54,148	90.9%
Spanish	11,800	21.8%
Other Indo-European	11,288	20.8%
Asian & Pacific Islander	69	0.1%
Other languages	443	0.8%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	44,804	75.2%
Born in same state	43,972	73.8%
Born in different state	40,289	67.7%
Foreign born	832	1.4%
Naturalized citizen	14,743	24.8%
Not a US citizen	6,240	42.3%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	1,289	2.2%
French	396	0.7%
Italian	290	0.5%
German	92	0.2%

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	15	0%
Norwegian	12	0%
English	8	0%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	28.0%
Internet access	93.3%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 78526

What part of Brownsville is ZIP code 78526?

ZIP code 78526 covers a portion of Brownsville, Texas, within Cameron County.

What county is ZIP code 78526 in?

ZIP code 78526 falls within Cameron County, Texas.

Is ZIP code 78526 family-oriented?

32% of residents in ZIP code 78526 are under 18, reflecting a younger, family-oriented community.

Is Spanish widely spoken in ZIP code 78526?

Approximately 22% of households in ZIP code 78526 speak Spanish as a primary language.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 78526?

18% of residents in ZIP code 78526 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 78526?

The median home value in ZIP code 78526 is $145,300.

What timezone is ZIP code 78526 in?

ZIP code 78526 observes the CST timezone.