City · Terry County, Texas

Brownfield, Texas

Brownfield is a city in Terry County, Texas. It has 8,738 residents. Brownfield, Texas has a quality-of-life score of 7 out of 100 (very low), ranking #14,529 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Texas it ranks #820 of 1,016 cities and towns. It ranks best on homicide rate (low), time spent in the emergency room (low) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) (low). It ranks worst on mental health providers (low), voter turnout (low) and reading scores (low).

7Very low

Quality-of-life score: #14,529 of 15,651 cities and towns
Texas: #820 of 1,016 in TX
Population: 8,738 (2020-2024)
Land area: 7 mi²
Density: 1,341.8 /mi²
FIPS code: 4810720

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.

Safety56#6,893/15,637
Economy5#14,841/15,631
Housing28#10,752/14,977
Health12#13,768/15,609
Healthcare5#14,843/15,650
Environment78#3,427/15,453
Education5#14,846/15,649
Infrastructure11#13,900/15,650
Community2#15,308/15,651
Leisure & amenities15#13,358/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Brownfield, Texas ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Terry 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

Homicide rate · low0.0 /100k
94/100Texas 5.1 /100kUnited States 4.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataTerry County value
Time spent in the emergency room · low112 min
91/100Texas 149 minUnited States 170 minOct 2024–Sep 2025Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesTerry County value
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) · low6.3 µg/m³
86/100Texas 8.9 µg/m³United States 8.0 µg/m³2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyTerry County value
Comfortable days · high31.4%
84/100Texas 30.7%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationTerry County value
Students per teacher · low12.0×
84/100Texas 15.0×United States 15.2×2024National Center for Education StatisticsTerry County value
Home price to income ratio · low2.4×
82/100Texas 3.6×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077

Weaknesses

Mental health providers · low9 /100k
0/100Texas 181 /100kUnited States 348 /100k2025University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteTerry County value
Voter turnout · low45.3%
1/100Texas 57.8%United States 65.2%2024U.S. Election Assistance CommissionTerry County value
Reading scores · low2.43
1/100Texas 2.89United States 3.052018University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteTerry County value
Food environment index · low5.0
1/100Texas 5.7United States 7.62019 & 2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteTerry County value
Uninsured residents (under 65) · high27.9%
2/100Texas 19.1%United States 9.8%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B27010
Arts, entertainment and recreation · low0.9 /10k
2/100Texas 3.4 /10kUnited States 5.5 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsTerry County value

Trends

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

PopulationFalling
9,525 (2015-2019) → 8,738 (2020-2024)
−8.3%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
69.5% (2015-2019) → 88.2% (2020-2024)
+19 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
High school diploma or higherImproving
66.5% (2015-2019) → 78.0% (2020-2024)
+12 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 88.0% → 89.6%
Child poverty rateImproving
37.1% (2015-2019) → 26.8% (2020-2024)
−10 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Unemployment rateImproving
11.3% (2015-2019) → 5.1% (2020-2024)
−6.2 pts5 yearsCensus table B23025US 3.7% → 4.0%
Rent as share of incomeWorsening
29.5% (2015-2019) → 35.5% (2020-2024)
+6 pts5 yearsCensus table B25071US 29.8% → 30.6%

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, Brownfield, Texas improved on 2 of 13 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 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.

Improved2

Unemployment−6.2 points11.3% → 5.1%
Broadband+19 points69.5% → 88.2%

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 13 measures

Change of every measure of Brownfield, Texas between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	16.9 min2015-2019	21.8 min2020-2024	+4.9 min	Within the margin of error	10%
Bachelor's degree or higher	10.2%2015-2019	7.7%2020-2024	−2.6 points	Within the margin of error	14%
Broadband subscriptions	69.5%2015-2019	88.2%2020-2024	+19 points	Improved	88%
Child poverty rate	37.1%2015-2019	26.8%2020-2024	−10 points	Within the margin of error	82%
Effective property tax rate	1.60%2015-2019	1.52%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	31%
High school diploma or higher	66.5%2015-2019	78.0%2020-2024	+12 points	Within the margin of error	97%
Home price to income ratio	1.9×2015-2019	2.4×2020-2024	+0.5×	Within the margin of error	47%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4322015-2019	0.4602020-2024	+0.028	Within the margin of error	28%
Median household income	$39,9122015-2019	$42,1502020-2024	+5.6%	Within the margin of error	12%
Poverty rate	21.5%2015-2019	21.2%2020-2024	−0.3 points	Within the margin of error	47%
Rent-burdened households	49.2%2015-2019	55.1%2020-2024	+6 points	Within the margin of error	34%
Unemployment rate	11.3%2015-2019	5.1%2020-2024	−6.2 points	Improved	97%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	26.1%2015-2019	27.9%2020-2024	+1.7 points	Within the margin of error	27%

“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 Brownfield, Texas five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Brownfield, Texas 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, Brownfield, Texas itself moved −6.4 points in standing on average over the same 9 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

8,738 residents (±17)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†

Income

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

Household income

3,531 households (±195)

Brownfield, Texas
Texas share

Under $25k25%893
$25k–50k34%1,212
$50k–75k7.1%†250

Homes

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

Owners and renters

3,531 households (±195)

Brownfield, Texas
Texas share

Own66%2,346
Rent34%1,185

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

Table view

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

3,528 workers (±310)

Brownfield, Texas
Texas share

Drive alone74%2,622
Carpool21%†741
Public transit0.0%0

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 Terry County, the county holding most of Brownfield's residents.

Terry County has 207 employer establishments, 179 for every 10,000 residents (0.72× the US rate of 248; 0.82× Texas's), with 1,806 paid employees at an average annual pay of $44,709. The Census Bureau also counts 944 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 207; 944 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 179; US 248 · Texas 218
Paid employees: 1,806
Average annual pay: $44,709; US $68,342

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

Restaurants and other eating places	23	19.9	1.08×About typical	285	$18,818	6
Limited-service restaurants	13	11.2	1.40×More than typical	243	$18,029	—
Ambulatory health care services	11	9.5	0.46×Fewer than typical	67	$79,627	16
Full-service restaurants	9	7.8	1.01×Too few to compare	40	$22,875	3
Insurance agencies and brokerages	9	7.8	1.77×Too few to compare	29	$61,931	10
Religious organizations	9	7.8	1.40×Too few to compare	23	$30,522	—
Gasoline stations	8	6.9	2.14×Too few to compare	81	$23,025	—
Automotive repair and maintenance	6	5.2	1.03×Too few to compare	16	$52,563	22
General merchandise stores	5	4.3	2.45×Too few to compare	45	$19,200	9
Auto parts, accessories and tire stores	4	3.5	1.98×Too few to compare	31	$38,258	—
Banks and credit unions	4	3.5	1.07×Too few to compare	31	$76,710	—
Legal services	4	3.5	0.64×Too few to compare	15	$34,933	3

Rank places for an industry Open Terry County

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 11,556 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

In FY2026, an estimated $0 of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Brownfield, Texas: $0 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $0
Per resident: $0; US $1,994
Sole-source: —; US 30%
Single offer: —; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

21.1FY2018
0FY2019
6.5KFY2020
674.8FY2023

What was bought

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Brownfield, Texas, so they do not add up across cities.

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

See federal money in Terry 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.

Brownfield, Texas is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Jodey C. ArringtonR-TX-19 · 100% of residentsWith party 99%Missed 3.3%

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.

Terry County12100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Terry 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

JSON · /api/v1/places/4810720

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends