Cameron County, Texas: commercial real estate data.
Cameron County, Texas has a population of 426,120 across 891 square miles, up 2.5 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $17.39 bn in 2024, 6,732 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 163 7(a) approvals worth $69.0 m.
128 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections
Cameron County
How many people live in Cameron County
- Population426,120
- Households138,433
- Average household size3.08
- Median household income$52,601
- Median age32.7
- Median gross rent$912 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$136,500
- Home value to household income2.6 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income20.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher22.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree7.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over257,360
- Population under 18122,156
- Share under 1828.7 percent
- Population 65 and over60,919
- Share 65 and over14.3 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64243,045
- Civilian labor force184,980
- Unemployment rate5.9 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over60.9 percent
- Rank by population among Texas counties13th of 254
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents173rd
Cameron County is the 13th largest of 254 Texas counties by population. A median home costs 2.6 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 28.7 percent against 14.3 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Cameron County
Is Cameron County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base2.55 percent
- Census 2020 base population421,126
- Births, 20246,170
- Deaths, 20243,233
- Natural change, 20242,937
- Net domestic migration, 2024-1,946
- Net international migration, 20242,371
- Total net migration, 2024425
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-5,088
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents995th
The county has grown 2.55 percent since the 2020 census base.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Cameron County
Where people moving to Cameron County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving5,064
- People arriving, from those returns9,688
- Adjusted gross income arriving$290.4 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$57,350
- Largest single originCameron County Non-migrants (148,886 households)
- Largest single destination (148,886 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cameron County Non-migrants | 148,886 | 332,430 | $7.38 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 1,675 | 3,200 | $113.2 m |
| Hidalgo County | 758 | 1,507 | $34.9 m |
| Other flows - South | 614 | 1,249 | $45.2 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 573 | 1,033 | $34.2 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 483 | 932 | $24.3 m |
| Harris County | 376 | 775 | $15.5 m |
| Other flows - West | 366 | 723 | $24.4 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Cameron County Non-migrants, 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.
Cameron County
What the Cameron County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$17.39 bn
- County GDP, 2023$16.03 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20248.4 percent
- GDP change over five years47.0 percent
- Rank by GDP among Texas counties21st
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents290th
- GDP per resident$40,803
Output grew 8.4 percent in the latest year and 47.0 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.
Cameron County
Who employs people in Cameron County
- Covered employment, annual average156,619
- Establishments reporting7,200
- Average annual pay$44,590
- Average weekly wage$857
- Sector 62, employment46,282
- Sector 62, average annual pay$36,440
- Sector 44-45, employment17,538
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$33,102
- Sector 72, employment17,369
- Sector 72, average annual pay$21,179
- Sector 56, employment9,401
- Sector 56, average annual pay$36,225
- Sector 31-33, employment7,110
- Sector 54, employment5,508
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 46,282 | 1,150 | $36,440 |
| Sector 44-45 | 17,538 | 1,032 | $33,102 |
| Sector 72 | 17,369 | 836 | $21,179 |
| Sector 56 | 9,401 | 314 | $36,225 |
| Sector 31-33 | 7,110 | 246 | $62,212 |
| Sector 54 | 5,508 | 564 | $109,183 |
| Sector 48-49 | 4,558 | 332 | $60,086 |
| Sector 23 | 3,867 | 423 | $52,924 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 46,282 jobs, 29.6 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Cameron County
What businesses operate in Cameron County
- Establishments, all industries6,732
- Employment at those establishments123,749
- Annual payroll$4.54 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents15.8
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Cameron County
What is being built in Cameron County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20242,347
- Declared construction value permitted$461.2 m
- Single family units authorised1,668
- Multifamily units authorised679
- Multifamily share of units28.9 percent
- Average declared value per unit$196,519
- Units authorised per 1,000 households17.0
Multifamily is 28.9 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Cameron County
How much SBA lending happens in Cameron County
- 7(a) approvals recorded163
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$69.0 m
- Average 7(a) approval$423,476
- Median 7(a) approval$150,000
- 10th percentile approval$15,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,250,000
- Largest single approval$4,718,200
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)2,393
- Jobs per approval14.7
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active44
- Distinct industries receiving approvals89
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer14.1 percent
- Loans on real estate terms23
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter135
- Franchise loans21
- Franchise share of approvals12.9 percent
- Leading industry by approval countHome Health Care Services (9)
- Most active lenderWells Fargo Bank National Association (33)
- 504 approvals recorded28
- 504 gross approval dollars$17.5 m
- Average 504 approval$625,143
- Median 504 approval$393,000
- Distinct CDCs active8
- 504 jobs per approval10.1
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved16.2
- Most active CDCBrownsville Local Development Company, Inc. (18)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals85.3 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$86.5 m
The average approval of $423,476 sits well above the median of $150,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 14.1 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
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.
Cameron County
Do SBA loans in Cameron County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded20
- Paid in full17
- Charged off3
- Charge off rate on resolved loans15.0 percent
- Status: Paid in full17
- Status: Exempt from disclosure110
- Status: Cancelled23
- Status: Charged off3
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed10
Of the 20 loans that have reached a final outcome, 15.0 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Cameron County
Which parts of Cameron County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending12
- BROWNSVILLE, approvals78
- HARLINGEN, approvals37
- SAN BENITO, approvals17
- LOS FRESNOS, approvals16
- LA FERIA, approvals4
- South Padre Island, approvals3
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| BROWNSVILLE | 78 | $22,210,100 |
| HARLINGEN | 37 | $22,027,700 |
| SAN BENITO | 17 | $2,085,100 |
| LOS FRESNOS | 16 | $12,940,100 |
| LA FERIA | 4 | $1,840,200 |
| South Padre Island | 3 | $3,775,800 |
| RANCHO VIEJO | 2 | $40,000 |
| PORT ISABEL | 2 | $3,250,000 |
BROWNSVILLE accounts for 78 approvals against 37 in HARLINGEN. 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.
Cameron County
How big is Cameron County
- Land area891 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Texas counties159th of 254
- Width, east to west44.5 mi
- Height, north to south38.3 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary2
- Residents per square mile of land478
- Establishments per square mile7.56
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.
Cameron County
What hazards affect Cameron County
- EPA radon zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book19
- Of those, participating in the NFIP19
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
The EPA places the county in radon zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L.
US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001. FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Community Status Book, Community Status Book, as retrieved.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Cameron 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 Cameron County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population426,120
- Households138,433
- Average household size3.08
- Median household income$52,601
- Median age32.7
Common questions
Cameron County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Cameron County, Texas?
426,120, in 138,433 households, ranking 13th of 254 Texas counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Cameron County growing?
The population has grown 2.55 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 6,170 births against 3,233 deaths, with net migration of 425. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Cameron County?
$52,601. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $136,500, which is 2.6 times income, and median gross rent is $912 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Cameron County?
6,732 establishments, employing 123,749 people with an annual payroll of $4.54 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Cameron County?
Average annual pay is $44,590, or $857 a week, across 156,619 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Cameron County?
163 7(a) approvals totalling $69.0 m since FY2020, across 44 lenders, with a median approval of $150,000, plus 28 504 approvals worth $17.5 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Cameron County get paid back?
Of the 20 loans that have reached a final outcome, 17 were paid in full and 3 charged off, a charge off rate of 15.0 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Cameron County?
2,347 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $461.2 m. Multifamily was 28.9 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Cameron 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 Cameron County come from?
The largest single origin is Cameron County Non-migrants, with 148,886 households. Arriving households report an average income of $57,350 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Cameron 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 Cameron County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.