The
Brownsville–Harlingen Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the
United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of one county –
Cameron – in the
Rio Grande Valley region of
South Texas, anchored by the cities of
Brownsville and
Harlingen.The 2012 U.S. Census Bureau estimate places the Brownsville–Harlingen metropolitan area population at 415,557 allotting it the eighth most populous metropolitan area in the state of Texas, it has recently been named the poorest city in the United States. The typical Brownsville-Harlingen, Texas household earns just $32,093 a year, or $21,564 less than the typical American household. The city is by several measures the poorest in the country. More than 35% of area residents live in poverty, the highest poverty rate in the country. Low incomes in the area may be the result of a poorly educated workforce. Just 64.6% of Brownsville area adults have at least a high school diploma, 22.3 percentage points fewer than the national figure. About 29% of area households rely on food stamps, the third highest share of any metro area in the country.