Scores by category

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

Safety56#6,936/15,637
Economy1#15,501/15,631
Housing35#9,722/14,977
Health54#7,112/15,609
Healthcare8#14,442/15,650
Environment4#14,831/15,453
Education14#13,453/15,649
Infrastructure12#13,803/15,650
Community1#15,507/15,651
Leisure & amenities12#13,758/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

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

Injury deaths · low40 /100k
99/100Texas 69 /100kUnited States 87 /100k2019-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteCameron County value
Drug overdose deaths · low6.8 /100k
93/100Texas 13.4 /100kUnited States 18.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataCameron County value
Depression · low18.4%
88/100Texas 21.2%United States 20.7%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimate
Suicide rate · low9.8 /100k
84/100Texas 14.4 /100kUnited States 14.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataCameron County value
Firearm deaths · low6.6 /100k
83/100Texas 13.7 /100kUnited States 12.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataCameron County value
Math scores · high3.27
80/100Texas 3.15United States 3.032019University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteCameron County value

Weaknesses

Uninsured residents (under 65) · high47.1%
1/100Texas 19.1%United States 9.8%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B27010
Dental care shortage · high20.0
1/100Texas 5.8United States 5.7Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationCameron County value
Hot days · high152 days
1/100Texas 111 daysUnited States 42 days2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationCameron County value
Food environment index · low5.0
1/100Texas 5.7United States 7.62019 & 2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteCameron County value
Distance to an Amtrak station · high240 mi
2/100Texas 43 miUnited States 43 mi2026Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauCameron County value
Voter turnout · low47.5%
3/100Texas 57.8%United States 65.2%2024U.S. Election Assistance CommissionCameron County value

Trends

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

PopulationFalling
4,529 (2015-2019) → 4,224 (2020-2024)
−6.7%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
50.3% (2015-2019) → 88.4% (2020-2024)
+38 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Home price to income ratioWorsening
1.9× (2015-2019) → 4.4× (2020-2024)
+133%5 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×
High school diploma or higherWorsening
58.0% (2015-2019) → 47.5% (2020-2024)
−10 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 88.0% → 89.6%
Uninsured residents (under 65)Worsening
36.9% (2015-2019) → 47.1% (2020-2024)
+10 pts5 yearsCensus table B27010US 10.8% → 9.8%
Bachelor's degree or higherWorsening
15.4% (2015-2019) → 6.6% (2020-2024)
−8.8 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 32.1% → 35.7%

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, Laureles, Texas improved on 1 of 8 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 7 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.

Improved1

Broadband+38 points50.3% → 88.4%

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 8 measures

Change of every measure of Laureles, Texas between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	22.0 min2015-2019	25.9 min2020-2024	+3.9 min	Within the margin of error	15%
Broadband subscriptions	50.3%2015-2019	88.4%2020-2024	+38 points	Improved	99%
Child poverty rate	39.6%2015-2019	36.3%2020-2024	−3.3 points	Within the margin of error	62%
High school diploma or higher	58.0%2015-2019	47.5%2020-2024	−10 points	Within the margin of error	1%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4782015-2019	0.4812020-2024	+0.004	Within the margin of error	47%
Poverty rate	28.9%2015-2019	35.4%2020-2024	+6.5 points	Within the margin of error	9%
Public transit commuters	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	36.9%2015-2019	47.1%2020-2024	+10 points	Within the margin of error	3%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 10944 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 Laureles, Texas five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Laureles, 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, Laureles, Texas itself moved +2 points in standing on average over the same 4 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

4,224 residents (±1,206)

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: 10–19 men (+6.7 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

4,224 residents (±1,206)

Laureles, Texas
Texas share

White0.9%†37
Black0.0%0
Hispanic or Latino99%4,187

Education

2,387 residents (±685)

Laureles, Texas
Texas share

No high school diploma52%†1,253
High school or GED21%†500
Some college11%†

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

1,049 households (±231)

Laureles, Texas
Texas share

Under $25k43%†450
$25k–50k19%†200
$50k–75k11%†115
$75k–100k11%†120
$100k–150k13%†134
$150k–200k0.0%0
$200k or more2.9%†30

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 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

1,049 households (±231)

Laureles, Texas
Texas share

Own81%†854
Rent19%†195

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 B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

195 households (±137)

Laureles, Texas
Texas share

Under $7507.2%†14
$750–1,00065%†126
$1,000–1,5000.0%0

Home values

854 homes (±261)

Laureles, Texas
Texas share

Under $150k49%†417
$150k–250k25%†217
$250k–400k6.0%†51

Age of homes

1,193 homes (±254)

Laureles, Texas
Texas share

2010 or later12%†145
2000–200929%†345
1980–199932%†387

Size of homes

1,193 homes (±254)

Laureles, Texas
Texas share

Studio0.0%0
1 bedroom1.7%†20
2 bedrooms29%†349

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

1,175 workers (±384)

Laureles, Texas
Texas share

Drive alone70%†823
Carpool9.1%†107
Public transit0.0%0
Walk0.0%0
Bike0.0%0
Work from home21%†245
Other0.0%0

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Drive alone (−22.5 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 B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

930 workers (±326)

Laureles, Texas
Texas share

Under 15 min10%†97
15–29 min56%†518
30–44 min23%†215

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

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Brownsville-Harlingen, TX

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 Cameron County, the county holding most of Laureles's residents.

Cameron County has 6,732 employer establishments, 157 for every 10,000 residents (0.63× the US rate of 248; 0.72× Texas's), with 123,749 paid employees at an average annual pay of $36,649. The Census Bureau also counts 40,580 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 6,732; 40,580 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 157; US 248 · Texas 218
Paid employees: 123,749
Average annual pay: $36,649; US $68,342

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

Ambulatory health care services	755	17.6	0.84×About typical	19,466	$34,177	1,501
Restaurants and other eating places	685	16	0.87×About typical	14,174	$18,945	433
Offices of physicians	339	7.9	1.22×About typical	3,360	$77,137	238
Limited-service restaurants	311	7.3	0.90×About typical	7,513	$17,416	87
Full-service restaurants	282	6.6	0.86×About typical	5,644	$21,142	230
Lessors of real estate	273	6.4	0.52×Fewer than typical	1,005	$33,441	2,022
Specialty trade contractors	215	5	0.32×Fewer than typical	1,811	$49,038	4,011
Insurance agencies and brokerages	180	4.2	0.96×About typical	1,433	$47,576	616
Legal services	178	4.2	0.77×Fewer than typical	758	$58,084	281
Construction of buildings	164	3.8	0.51×Fewer than typical	801	$57,733	2,572
Child day care services	157	3.7	1.50×More than typical	1,453	$25,502	1,060
Truck transportation	142	3.3	0.65×Fewer than typical	1,820	$53,987	2,099

Rank places for an industry Open Cameron County

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 428,906 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 $2.8M of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Laureles, Texas: $661 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $2.8M; +8.6% vs FY2025
Per resident: $661; US $1,994
Sole-source: 21%; US 30%
Single offer: 0.0%; 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

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement$2.7M98%
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service$53.8K1.9%
Federal Highway Administration$3,7490.1%

Top recipients

AKIMA INFRASTRUCTURE PROTECTION LLC$2.3M81%
YUKON 11, LLC$234.5K8.4%
CHENEGA FACILITIES MANAGEMENT LLC$115.3K4.1%
TABEZA HOLDINGS, LLC$56.5K2.0%
ACCESS COMMUNICATIONS GROUP, LLC$37.3K1.3%

Spending by fiscal year

1.8MFY2017
662.1KFY2018
93.5KFY2019
1.4MFY2020
1.9MFY2021
2.4MFY2022
2.2MFY2023
1.8M

Top industries (NAICS)

Investigation and security services · 5616$2.3M81%
Nonresidential building construction · 2362$252.1K9.0%
Facilities support services · 5612$115.3K4.1%
Other specialty trade contractors · 2389$53.8K1.9%
Building equipment contractors · 2382$37.3K1.3%
Waste treatment and disposal · 5622

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 Laureles, Texas, so they do not add up across cities.

Laureles, Texas's figures are part of those of Cameron County, TX ($995.9M in FY2026), never added to them: 0.3% of that total.

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

See federal money in Cameron 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.

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

House

Vicente GonzalezD-TX-34 · 100% of residentsWith party 73%Missed 5.2%

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.

Cameron County14100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Brownsville-Harlingen, TX10

Other cities and towns in Cameron 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
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/4841728

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends