Brown County, Texas: commercial real estate data.
Brown County, Texas had an estimated 38,631 residents on July 1, 2024, up 1.4 percent since the 2020 census base of 38,107, across 944 square miles. County output reached $2.02 bn in 2024, 885 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 20 7(a) approvals worth $8.0 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Brown County
How many people live in Brown County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202438,347
- Households14,972
- Average household size2.56
- Median household income$57,470
- Median age41.8
- Median gross rent$919 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$158,900
- Home value to household income2.8 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income19.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher20.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree5.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over27,106
- Population under 187,819
- Share under 1820.4 percent
- Population 65 and over8,062
- Share 65 and over21.0 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6422,466
- Civilian labor force17,774
- Unemployment rate5.3 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over58.2 percent
- Rank by population among Texas counties82nd of 254
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included1237th of 3,222
Brown County is the 82nd largest of 254 Texas counties by population. A median home costs 2.8 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 21.0 percent against 20.4 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single story product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Brown County
Is Brown County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202438,631
- Census 2020 base population38,107
- Population change since the 2020 census base1.38 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024154
- Births, 2024378
- Deaths, 2024624
- Natural change, 2024-246
- Net domestic migration, 2024288
- Net international migration, 2024109
- Total net migration, 2024397
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20241,360
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1374th of 3,144
The county has grown 1.38 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024 and the population still grew, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Brown County
Where are people moving to Brown County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving1,018
- People arriving, from those returns1,952
- Tax returns filed by households leaving898
- Net household movement120
- Adjusted gross income arriving$71.1 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$28.0 m
- Average income of an arriving household$69,891
- Average income of a leaving household$48,099
- Largest single originTarrant County (49 households)
- Largest single destinationTaylor County (69 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tarrant County | 49 | 100 | $3.4 m |
| Taylor County | 45 | 86 | $3.0 m |
| Comanche County | 40 | 81 | $1.6 m |
| Coleman County | 32 | 66 | $1.9 m |
| Williamson County | 31 | 64 | $2.7 m |
| Ector County | 29 | 52 | $2.3 m |
| Travis County | 29 | 42 | $2.6 m |
| Harris County | 28 | 45 | $1.9 m |
Households arriving report $21,792 more average income than households leaving, so the migration is raising local spending power rather than just moving it around. The largest single source of arrivals is Tarrant County, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Brown County
What is the Brown County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$2.02 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.95 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20243.8 percent
- GDP change over five years34.6 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Texas areas BEA publishes108th of 254
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes1270th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$52,636
Output grew 3.8 percent in the latest year and 34.6 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Brown County
Employment by industry in Brown County
- Covered employment, annual average15,850
- Establishments reporting960
- Average annual pay$48,140
- Average weekly wage$926
- Manufacturing, employment2,561
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$80,159
- Retail trade, employment1,976
- Retail trade, average annual pay$34,073
- Accommodation and food services, employment1,420
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$19,354
- Wholesale trade, employment544
- Wholesale trade, average annual pay$66,067
- Finance and insurance, employment510
- Construction, employment479
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 2,561 | 46 | $80,159 |
| Retail trade | 1,976 | 148 | $34,073 |
| Accommodation and food services | 1,420 | 80 | $19,354 |
| Wholesale trade | 544 | 41 | $66,067 |
| Finance and insurance | 510 | 55 | $58,799 |
| Construction | 479 | 84 | $53,307 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 401 | 36 | $41,917 |
| Other services, except public administration | 315 | 75 | $31,066 |
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 2,561 jobs, 16.2 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Brown County
How many businesses are in Brown County?
- Establishments, all industries885
- Employment at those establishments13,746
- Annual payroll$569.9 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents23.1
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Brown County
Building permits in Brown County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 2024148
- Declared construction value permitted$36.5 m
- Single family units authorized144
- Multifamily units authorized4
- Multifamily share of units2.7 percent
- Average declared value per unit$246,506
- Units authorized per 1,000 households9.9
Single-family homes are 97.3 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Brown County
SBA loans in Brown County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded20
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$8.0 m
- Average 7(a) approval$398,295
- Median 7(a) approval$285,000
- 10th percentile approval$89,910
- 90th percentile approval$752,600
- Largest single approval$1,168,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)198
- Jobs per approval9.9
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active10
- Distinct industries receiving approvals14
- Median 7(a) term180 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer35.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms7
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter7
- Franchise loans4
- Franchise share of approvals20.0 percent
- Most active lenderTexasBank (9)
- 504 approvals recorded13
- 504 gross approval dollars$4.6 m
- Average 504 approval$352,000
- Median 504 approval$311,000
- Distinct CDCs active5
- 504 jobs per approval3.1
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved8.7
- Most active CDCCapital Certified Development Corporation (5)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$12.5 m
The average approval of $398,295 sits well above the median of $285,000, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. 35.0 percent of approvals run on real estate terms of 240 months or more, so this is a market where SBA credit is buying buildings, not just funding operations.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Brown County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Brown County
Do SBA loans in Brown County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded1
- Paid in full1
- Charged off0
- Status: Cancelled5
- Status: Exempt from disclosure11
- Status: Paid in full1
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed3
Only 1 loan has reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Brown County
SBA lending by place in Brown County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending3
- Brownwood, approvals12
- Bangs, approvals5
- Early, approvals3
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Brownwood | 12 | $5,124,600 |
| Bangs | 5 | $2,141,200 |
| Early | 3 | $700,100 |
Brownwood accounts for 12 approvals against 5 in Bangs. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Brown County
How large is Brown County?
- Land area944 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Texas counties87th of 254
- Width, east to west31.4 mi
- Height, north to south42.7 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary7
- Residents per square mile of land41
- Establishments per square mile0.94
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Brown County
Flood risk in Brown County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Brown County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 480717
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book5
- Of those, participating in the NFIP5
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Brown County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Brown County (community 480717), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Brown County in radon zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. 100.0 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a Brown County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Brown County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202438,347
- Households14,972
- Average household size2.56
- Median household income$57,470
- Median age41.8
Common questions
Brown County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Brown County, Texas?
The Census Bureau estimates 38,631 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 38,347, in 14,972 households, ranking 82nd of 254 Texas counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Brown County's population growing?
The population has grown 1.38 percent since the 2020 census base of 38,107, to 38,631 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 378 births against 624 deaths, with net migration of 397. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Brown County?
$57,470. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $158,900, which is 2.8 times income, and median gross rent is $919 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Brown County?
885 establishments, employing 13,746 people with an annual payroll of $569.9 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Brown County?
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 2,561 jobs, 16.2 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 15,850 jobs at an average annual pay of $48,140, or $926 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Brown County?
20 7(a) approvals totaling $8.0 m since FY2020, across 10 lenders, with a median approval of $285,000, plus 13 504 approvals worth $4.6 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Brown County?
148 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $36.5 m. Multifamily was 2.7 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Brown County?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Brown County come from?
The largest single origin is Tarrant County, with 49 households. Arriving households report an average income of $69,891 against $48,099 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Brown County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Brown County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Brown County
Cities and places in Brown.
8 Census places lie wholly or partly in Brown County. All 8 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brownwood | city | 18,777 | 12 | Wholly in this county |
| Early | city | 3,143 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| Bangs | city | 1,633 | 5 | Wholly in this county |
| Lake Brownwood | CDP | 1,544 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Thunderbird Bay | CDP | 702 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Blanket | town | 434 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Zephyr | CDP | 244 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| May | CDP | 204 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |