Health Profile of Brownsville, Texas
Brownsville Health Score
The Map AI Health Index is a score that reflects local life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and physical environment to help you quickly compare the overall health and well-being of different areas.
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D
Brownsville Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Brownsville | Texas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 79.0 | 78.0 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 26.2% | 17.1% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 32.9% | 21.1% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Brownsville is 79.0 years, about 1.0 years longer than the Texas average of 78.0 years. The uninsured rate is 26.2%, higher than the Texas average of 17.1%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 32.9% of residents, higher than the Texas average of 21.1%.
Population by Age
Older residents
47,885 residents in Brownsville are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 2,696 1,034 men · 1,662 women
- 75–84 6,737 2,785 men · 3,952 women
- 65–74 12,547 5,391 men · 7,156 women
- 50–64 25,904 11,094 men · 14,811 women
Younger residents
52,495 residents in Brownsville are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 15,472 7,813 boys · 7,658 girls
- 7–12 15,737 7,972 boys · 7,765 girls
- 3–7 12,391 6,252 boys · 6,139 girls
- 0–3 8,895 4,435 boys · 4,460 girls
About 6,196 residents in Brownsville (3.3% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 79.0 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Brownsville | Texas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 18.6% | 13.9% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 4.3% | 6.5% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 7.4% | 7.8% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 43.3% | 37.6% | 34.3% |
The rate of diabetes in Brownsville is about 34% higher than in Texas. The rate of cancer in Brownsville is about 34% lower than in Texas. The rate of obesity in Brownsville is about 15% higher than in Texas.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Brownsville | Texas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 19.4% | 19.9% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 15.8% | 17.3% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 37.0% | 29.2% | 25.1% |
The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Brownsville is about 26% higher than in Texas.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 257,833 cigarettes a day, 7.7 million a month, or 94.1 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 2.8 million minutes a day and 1.0 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Brownsville is 79.0 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.07 lifetimes a day, or 25 lifetimes a year.
* Source: Shaw M, Mitchell R, Dorling D. "Time for a smoke? One cigarette reduces your life by 11 minutes." BMJ. 2000;320:53.
Illustrative only. This is not an estimate of how many people actually die from smoking each day or year - it's a rough, order-of-magnitude comparison meant to help grasp the scale of smoking in this area. We take no responsibility for any decisions made based on this figure.
Air Quality
| Metric | Brownsville | Texas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 8.32 | 6.84 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 8.3 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Brownsville is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Brownsville, Texas has an overall health index grade of D, making it about on par with Texas, and somewhat worse than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Brownsville, Texas.
Is Brownsville, Texas a healthy place to live?
Brownsville, Texas has a Map AI Health Index grade of D, based on life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment; a D grade means residents face somewhat worse health outcomes than the U.S. average.
What is the life expectancy in Brownsville, Texas?
People in Brownsville, Texas can expect to live 79.0 years on average, 1.0 years longer than the Texas average of 78.0.
How many people lack health insurance in Brownsville, Texas?
26.2% of residents in Brownsville, Texas have no health insurance, about 1 in 4 people, 9.1 points above the Texas rate of 17.1%.
What is the obesity rate in Brownsville, Texas?
43.3% of adults in Brownsville, Texas are classified as obese, about 1 in 2, 5.8 points above the Texas rate of 37.6%.
Which health problem stands out most in Brownsville, Texas?
Compared with Texas as a whole, diabetes stands out most: the adult rate here is 18.6%, about 34% higher than the Texas rate of 13.9%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Brownsville, Texas go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 257,833 cigarettes a day, 7.7 million a month, or 94.1 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 2.8 million minutes a day and 1.0 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Brownsville is 79.0 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.07 lifetimes a day, or 25 lifetimes a year.
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