Map the Block › Places › Texas › Cameron County
Cameron County, Texas in numbers: crime, income, hazards
FBI reports put Cameron County at 3.6 violent crimes per 1,000 people a year over 2021-2025, 10% lower than the rate for Texas (4.1). Median household income is $52,601 and the unemployment rate was 6.5% in August 2026. Population: about 426,120 (Census, 2020-2024).
Last updated . Crime: FBI 2021-2025. Income and housing: Census ACS 2020-2024. Unemployment: BLS August 2026. Road work: October 11, 2026.
Also on the map: income · hazard risk · Superfund · dams
What is the crime rate in Cameron County?
Over 2021-2025, the county's police agencies sent the FBI reports of about 1,551 violent and 7,567 property crimes per year. Per 1,000 residents, the violent-crime rate works out to 3.6: 10% lower than the Texas rate (4.1), and close to the national rate (3.7). Property crime ran at 17.8 per 1,000, against 21.1 statewide. Aggravated assaults make up 76% of the violent total. CDC death records show about 12 homicide deaths a year in the county (2.8 per 100,000), a count that includes cases police may classify differently.
| Offense (yearly average, 2021-2025) | Cameron County | Per 1,000 | Texas per 1,000 | U.S. per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 1,551 | 3.6 | 4.1 | 3.7 |
| Murder | 12 | 0.03 | 0.06 | 0.06 |
| Rape | 170 | 0.40 | 0.52 | 0.40 |
| Robbery | 193 | 0.45 | 0.66 | 0.62 |
| Aggravated assault | 1,176 | 2.8 | 2.8 | 2.6 |
| Property crime | 7,567 | 17.8 | 21.1 | 18.1 |
| Burglary | 953 | 2.2 | 3.0 | 2.4 |
| Larceny-theft | 5,823 | 13.7 | 14.8 | 13.0 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 791 | 1.9 | 3.2 | 2.6 |
Most crime never reaches the police, so these are reported crimes, a floor rather than the full count. In 2024 about half of violent crimes (48%) and about 3 in 10 property crimes (31%) were reported to police (U.S. Justice Department, National Crime Victimization Survey). Rates also depend on how completely each agency reports to the FBI. County figures add up the city police and sheriff reports in the county (15 agencies; 100% of residents covered).
What is the median household income in Cameron County?
The median household in Cameron County earns $52,601 a year, 33% lower than the Texas median ($78,476). The typical owner-occupied home is valued at $136,500 by its owners; renters pay a median $912. 24.8% of households received SNAP benefits in the past year (state: 11.4%). The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 6.5% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 12,240 people out of work and looking.
| Census ACS 2020-2024 | Cameron County | Texas | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 426,120 | 30,188,424 | 334,922,499 |
| Median household income | $52,601 | $78,476 | $80,734 |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $136,500 | $283,800 | $332,700 |
| Median gross rent | $912 | $1,403 | $1,413 |
| Unemployment rate (2020-2024 average) | 5.9% | 5.3% | 5.2% |
| People below the poverty line | 24.8% | 13.8% | 12.5% |
| Households receiving SNAP (food stamps) | 24.8% | 11.4% | 12.1% |
| Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher | 22.1% | 33.8% | 35.7% |
| Homeowner households | 65.2% | 62.6% | 65.2% |
| Median age | 32.7 | 35.6 | 38.9 |
| Households with broadband internet | 84.4% | 91.4% | 91.0% |
| People without health insurance | 25.8% | 17.1% | 8.4% |
What natural hazards and environmental sites are in Cameron County?
On FEMA's National Risk Index, Cameron County has an overall natural-hazard risk rating of “Relatively High”. Of the seven hazards on our map, FEMA rates these highest: hurricanes (Very High) and heat waves (Relatively High). The index compares counties with each other and also weighs how vulnerable and resilient a community is, so it is a long-run estimate, not a forecast.
Superfund sites
EPA lists no Superfund site in Cameron County, active or completed (October 2026).
High-hazard dams
The National Inventory of Dams lists 3 high-hazard dams in Cameron County. 1 is rated Poor or Unsatisfactory in condition, 2 Satisfactory or Fair. The two tallest are La Feria Reservoir Levee (20 ft) and Cameron County Wcid No 1 Reservoir Dam (12 ft). “High hazard” describes what lies downstream (people would probably die if the dam failed), not how likely the dam is to fail.
Industrial chemical releases
18 facilities in the county filed Toxics Release Inventory reports for 2024, together reporting 81,550 pounds of listed chemicals released on site. Reported releases are legal permitted amounts in most cases.
Disasters, air and water
Cameron County was covered by 5 federal major disaster declarations from 2016 through 2025 (Flood 3, Hurricane 1, Severe Ice Storm 1), not counting COVID-19. EPA air monitors logged 61 days in 2024 when the air quality index reached “unhealthy for sensitive groups” or worse. Of 21 community water systems, 3 had an open health-based drinking-water violation in EPA's records (September 2026). EPA puts the county in radon zone 3 (low). NHTSA counted 41 traffic deaths in the county in 2024, including 11 pedestrians.
Is there road construction in Cameron County?
No highway work zones were listed in Cameron County in the October 11, 2026 state feed. Some states publish only part of their road work in open feeds, so check the state's 511 site before you travel. The map's layer refreshes every morning.
See today's work zones on the map →
How many schools, nursing homes and parks are in Cameron County?
Federal school lists show 186 public and 15 private schools in the county. 14 nursing homes are certified by Medicare or Medicaid here; star ratings for each are on the map and on Medicare's Care Compare. USGS mapping shows 27 fire or EMS stations and 19 police or sheriff stations. Park Service units in the area: Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park. 2 state parks or recreation areas: Boca Chica State Park and Resaca de la Palma State Park.
Gun shops, liquor stores and Planned Parenthood in Cameron County
Gun shops
21 gun shops with a public storefront are on the map in Cameron County, plus 16 more licensed dealers without a public storefront (not shown). 11 of them are pawnshops licensed to sell guns. On the ATF list: Academy Sports + Outdoors #30 (Brownsville), Academy Sports + Outdoors #351 (Harlingen), Academy Sports + Outdoors (#30) (Brownsville), Amigo Pawn & Jewelry (3 in Brownsville), Barrels & Bullets Gun Store (South Padre Island), Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World 060 (Harlingen), Cash America Pawn (2 in Brownsville), Ezpawn (2 in Brownsville) and 9 more.
Liquor stores
25 liquor stores are on the map in Cameron County: B&M Liquor (Los Fresnos), Ben's Liquor (3 in South Padre Island), Ben’s Liquor (South Padre Island), Bottle Shop Liquor Store (La Feria), Causey's Liquors (Port Isabel), Feldman's Liquor & Wine Feldmans Liquor #131 Bens Liquor Sfp (Port Isabel), Feldmans Liquor #173 Feldmans Liquor Wine & Beer Feldmans Padre (South Padre Island), Feldmans Liquors & Wine Felmans Liquor #133 Feldmans Liquor (South Padre Island) and 15 more.
Planned Parenthood
2 Planned Parenthood health centers are on the map in Cameron County: Planned Parenthood Association Of Cameron & Willacy Counties, Inc. (Brownsville) and Planned Parenthood Association Of Cameron & Willacy Counties, Inc. (Harlingen).
See them on the map: gun shops · liquor stores · Planned Parenthood →
Sources: ATF licensee list (Sept 2026); state liquor licence lists, OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps (non-official); HHS Title X directory and CMS NPPES.
Common questions
What is the crime rate in Cameron County?
Cameron County averaged 1,551 reported violent crimes a year in 2021-2025, or 3.6 per 1,000 residents, 10% lower than the Texas rate (4.1). The property-crime rate was 17.8 per 1,000 (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting).
What is the median household income in Cameron County?
$52,601 (Census American Community Survey, 2020-2024 average), compared with $78,476 for Texas and $80,734 nationally.
What is the unemployment rate in Cameron County?
The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 6.5% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 12,240 people out of work and looking.
What natural hazards affect Cameron County?
On FEMA's National Risk Index, Cameron County has an overall natural-hazard risk rating of “Relatively High”. Of the seven hazards on our map, FEMA rates these highest: hurricanes (Very High) and heat waves (Relatively High).
Is there road construction in Cameron County right now?
No highway work zones were listed in Cameron County in the October 11, 2026 state feed. Some states publish only part of their road work in open feeds, so check the state's 511 site before you travel.
How many nursing homes are in Cameron County?
14 Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing homes (CMS provider data, September 2026).
How does Cameron County compare with neighboring counties?
| County | Population | Violent crimes per 1,000 (2021-25) | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hidalgo County | 891,977 | 3.0 | $54,338 |
| Willacy County | 20,139 | 4.5 | $54,180 |
Cities in Cameron County with their own page: Brownsville, Harlingen.
More: Texas statewide numbers · Sex-offender registry search (U.S. Justice Department, NSOPW)
Where do these numbers come from?
- Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting 2021-2025 (agency level, Return A), averaged and summed by county by Map the Block; Census population; state and national rates: FBI estimated crimes 2021-2025.
- Income, housing, education: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year, table B19013 (median household income) and related tables.
- Monthly unemployment: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS), county data, not seasonally adjusted. Public domain.
- Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), county scores; disasters: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
- Superfund: U.S. EPA, Superfund site boundaries and NPL status (October 2026). Dams: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Inventory of Dams (public map service, October 2026). Chemical releases: U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory, reporting year 2024 (basic data file).
- Air and water: U.S. EPA AirData, annual AQI by county 2024; EPA Air Quality Design Values 2023-2025 (June 2026); U.S. EPA SDWIS via ECHO drinking-water download (September 30, 2026). Traffic deaths: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2024; Census population.
- Work zones: State departments of transportation, via the U.S. DOT Work Zone Data Exchange (WZDx) and state 511 feeds; refreshed every morning (snapshot October 11, 2026).
- Schools: National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE public school locations 2024-25; budgets: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2024; National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE Private School geocodes (Private School Survey 2023-24). Nursing homes: U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Nursing Home Provider Information and Penalties (September 2026). Stations: U.S. Geological Survey, National Structures Dataset (Fire Stations/EMS Stations), October 2026 pull.
- Parks: USGS Protected Areas Database of the U.S. (PAD-US 4.1); state park agencies' open data (CA, NY, PA, TN, TX, FL, NJ, KY, HI, UT, MT and others); OpenStreetMap contributors for some hours, phones, fees and camping; U.S. National Park Service: unit boundaries (Land Resources Division), Acreage Report (Sept 30, 2026), park pages on nps.gov (hours, fees), Visitor Use Statistics (2025).
Map the Block shows public statistics about places, not people, and does not rate or rank neighborhoods as places to live. Figures are as published by each source; check the source before relying on a number.
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