City · Haywood County, Tennessee

Brownsville, Tennessee

Brownsville is a city in Haywood County, Tennessee. It has 9,622 residents. Brownsville, Tennessee has a quality-of-life score of 1 out of 100 (very low), ranking #15,473 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Tennessee it ranks #303 of 305 cities and towns. It ranks best on social associations (high), new homes permitted (high) and drinking water violations (low). It ranks worst on job growth (low), mental health providers (low) and arts, entertainment and recreation (low).

1Very low

Quality-of-life score: #15,473 of 15,651 cities and towns
Tennessee: #303 of 305 in TN
Population: 9,622 (2020-2024)
Land area: 10 mi²
Density: 975.9 /mi²
FIPS code: 4708920

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 72 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety4#15,086/15,637
Economy4#14,962/15,631
Housing57#6,469/14,977
Health3#15,196/15,609
Healthcare9#14,274/15,650
Environment21#12,179/15,453
Education17#13,056/15,649
Infrastructure4#15,085/15,650
Community14#13,477/15,651
Leisure & amenities1#15,458/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Brownsville, Tennessee ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Haywood County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Social associations · high19.0 /10k
97/100Tennessee 11.0 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteHaywood County value
New homes permitted · high10.8 /1k
89/100Tennessee 5.7 /1kUnited States 4.2 /1kSep 2025–Aug 2026U.S. Census BureauProvisional data
Drinking water violations · low0
86/100Tennessee 0United States 02024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteHaywood County value
Time spent in the emergency room · low126 min
84/100Tennessee 168 minUnited States 170 minOct 2024–Sep 2025Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesHaywood County value
Preventable hospital stays · low2,083 /100k
82/100Tennessee 2,914 /100kUnited States 2,769 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteHaywood County value
Distance to an emergency room · low4.0 mi
79/100Tennessee 6.2 miUnited States 5.5 miJul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesHaywood County value

Weaknesses

Job growth · low-20.9%
0/100Tennessee -0.2%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional dataHaywood County value
Mental health providers · low12 /100k
0/100Tennessee 212 /100kUnited States 348 /100k2025University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteHaywood County value
Arts, entertainment and recreation · low0.0 /10k
1/100Tennessee 5.5 /10kUnited States 5.5 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsHaywood County value
Adult obesity · high49.9%
1/100Tennessee 39.8%United States 38.2%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModel-based estimate
Traffic deaths · high54.8 /100k
1/100Tennessee 18.0 /100kUnited States 12.3 /100k2020-2024National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationProvisional dataHaywood County value
Frequent mental distress · high23.7%
1/100Tennessee 22.0%United States 18.6%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModel-based estimate

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Broadband subscriptionsImproving
64.8% (2015-2019) → 85.0% (2020-2024)
+20 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Home price to income ratioWorsening
2.6× (2015-2019) → 3.6× (2020-2024)
+39%5 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×
Median household incomeImproving
$33,789 (2015-2019) → $43,494 (2020-2024)
+29%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
Bachelor's degree or higherImproving
10.2% (2015-2019) → 14.7% (2020-2024)
+4.5 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 32.1% → 35.7%
Child poverty rateWorsening
31.2% (2015-2019) → 35.5% (2020-2024)
+4.3 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Unemployment rateWorsening
5.6% (2015-2019) → 8.6% (2020-2024)
+3 pts5 yearsCensus table B23025US 3.7% → 4.0%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Brownsville, Tennessee improved on 3 of 15 measures with a comparison and declined on 1. 11 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved3

Broadband+20 points64.8% → 85.0%
Bachelor's++4.5 points10.2% → 14.7%
Household income+29%$33,789 → $43,494

Declined1

Price / income+1.0×2.6× → 3.6×

All 15 measures

Change of every measure of Brownsville, Tennessee between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	21.5 min2015-2019	23.5 min2020-2024	+2.0 min	Within the margin of error	27%
Bachelor's degree or higher	10.2%2015-2019	14.7%2020-2024	+4.5 points	Improved	64%
Broadband subscriptions	64.8%2015-2019	85.0%2020-2024	+20 points	Improved	90%
Child poverty rate	31.2%2015-2019	35.5%2020-2024	+4.3 points	Within the margin of error	22%
Effective property tax rate	0.70%2015-2019	0.72%2020-2024	+0 points	Within the margin of error	13%
High school diploma or higher	81.8%2015-2019	83.8%2020-2024	+2 points	Within the margin of error	59%
Home price to income ratio	2.6×2015-2019	3.6×2020-2024	+1.0×	Declined	21%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4872015-2019	0.4672020-2024	−0.020	Within the margin of error	68%
Median household income	$33,7892015-2019	$43,4942020-2024	+29%	Improved	53%
Poverty rate	24.6%2015-2019	25.7%2020-2024	+1 points	Within the margin of error	34%
Public transit commuters	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Rent as share of income	30.9%2015-2019	31.7%2020-2024	+0.8 points	Within the margin of error	48%
Rent-burdened households	51.6%2015-2019	53.3%2020-2024	+1.7 points	Within the margin of error	49%
Unemployment rate	5.6%2015-2019	8.6%2020-2024	+3 points	Within the margin of error	10%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	12.5%2015-2019	12.2%2020-2024	−0.3 points	Within the margin of error	51%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Brownsville, Tennessee five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Brownsville, Tennessee in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Brownsville, Tennessee itself moved −1.1 points in standing on average over the same 10 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

9,622 residents (±20)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79
60–69†
50–59
40–49
30–39
20–29
10–19
Under 10

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 80 and over women (+2.2 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

9,622 residents (±20)

Brownsville, Tennessee
Tennessee share

White24%2,314
Black67%6,447
Hispanic or Latino4.7%†454

Education

6,505 residents (±190)

Brownsville, Tennessee
Tennessee share

No high school diploma16%1,053
High school or GED44%2,868
Some college19%1,222

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

3,856 households (±226)

Brownsville, Tennessee
Tennessee share

Under $25k31%1,179
$25k–50k27%1,038
$50k–75k16%606
$75k–100k12%†444
$100k–150k9.3%†360
$150k–200k2.4%†92
$200k or more3.6%†137

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $100k–150k (+5.5 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

3,856 households (±226)

Brownsville, Tennessee
Tennessee share

Own48%1,837
Rent52%2,019

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

1,954 households (±267)

Brownsville, Tennessee
Tennessee share

Under $75048%937
$750–1,00024%†468
$1,000–1,50025%†494

Home values

1,837 homes (±200)

Brownsville, Tennessee
Tennessee share

Under $150k46%844
$150k–250k25%†466
$250k–400k22%†402

Age of homes

4,322 homes (±201)

Brownsville, Tennessee
Tennessee share

2010 or later4.1%†176
2000–20096.9%†299
1980–199927%1,171

Size of homes

4,322 homes (±201)

Brownsville, Tennessee
Tennessee share

Studio0.6%†24
1 bedroom11%†473
2 bedrooms27%1,153

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

3,757 workers (±311)

Brownsville, Tennessee
Tennessee share

Drive alone82%3,088
Carpool9.4%†353
Public transit0.0%0
Walk2.2%†83
Bike0.0%0
Work from home3.6%†136
Other2.6%†97

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

3,621 workers (±324)

Brownsville, Tennessee
Tennessee share

Under 15 min43%1,545
15–29 min13%478
30–44 min31%1,106

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Haywood County, the county holding most of Brownsville's residents.

Haywood County has 292 employer establishments, 168 for every 10,000 residents (0.68× the US rate of 248; 0.80× Tennessee's), with 4,743 paid employees at an average annual pay of $52,681. The Census Bureau also counts 1,886 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 292; 1,886 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 168; US 248 · Tennessee 210
Paid employees: 4,743
Average annual pay: $52,681; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Haywood County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Religious organizations	33	19	3.42×More than typical	110	$20,791	—
Restaurants and other eating places	26	15	0.81×About typical	375	$15,661	15
Ambulatory health care services	20	11.5	0.55×Fewer than typical	229	$55,559	55
Limited-service restaurants	15	8.6	1.08×About typical	299	$16,472	3
Gasoline stations	12	6.9	2.13×More than typical	105	$30,648	3
Insurance agencies and brokerages	12	6.9	1.57×More than typical	38	$44,079	16
Lessors of real estate	9	5.2	0.42×Too few to compare	15	$35,133	74
Services to buildings and dwellings	9	5.2	0.77×Too few to compare	65	$37,785	338
Full-service restaurants	8	4.6	0.60×Too few to compare	70	$12,586	8
Specialty trade contractors	8	4.6	0.30×Too few to compare	37	$80,486	84
Truck transportation	7	4	0.80×Too few to compare	45	$56,467	70
Automotive repair and maintenance	6	3.5	0.69×Too few to compare	18	$42,889	71

Rank places for an industry Open Haywood County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 17,377 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

No federal contract obligations recorded here in FY2026.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Brownsville is mostly in Haywood County.

See federal money in Haywood County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Brownsville, Tennessee is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

David KustoffR-TN-8 · 100% of residentsWith party 99%Missed 0.7%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Haywood County1100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Haywood County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

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