Rental numbers for Cameron County, TX
The typical home here runs -$572 a month at 7.78% with 25% down, breaking even at about 1.7%. 0 of 7 ZIP codes with full Zillow data in this county are cash-flow positive; the median gross yield is 9.1%.
- Gross yield
- 8.4%
- typical home, Zillow
- Median ZIP yield
- 9.1%
- 7 ZIPs with full data
- Cash flow
- -$572/mo
- at 7.78%, 25% down
- Typical price
- $209,000
- Zillow ZHVI, Aug 2026
- Typical rent
- $1,463/mo
- Zillow ZORI, Aug 2026
ZIP codes in Cameron County
13 with published figures
| 78521Brownsville | $175,000 | $1,466 | 10.1% | 4.3% | -$317 | +6.9% |
| 78526Brownsville | $239,000 | $1,963 | 9.9% | 4.4% | -$411 | +4.0% |
| 78586San Benito | $167,000 | $1,300 | 9.3% | 3.7% | -$390 | n/a |
| 78520Brownsville | $195,000 | $1,471 | 9.1% | 3.6% | -$467 | n/a |
| 78593Santa Rosa | $158,000 | $990* | 7.5% | 2.0% | -$587 | n/a |
| 78559La Feria | $186,000 | $1,150* | 7.4% | 2.5% | -$610 | n/a |
| 78597South Padre Island | $440,000 | $2,683 | 7.3% | 3.5% | -$1,093 | n/a |
| 78550Harlingen | $182,000 | $1,073 | 7.1% | 1.9% | -$694 | +0.7% |
| 78552Harlingen | $226,000 | $1,309 | 6.9% | 2.1% | -$818 | +2.0% |
| 78583Rio Hondo | $216,000 | $1,050* | 5.8% | 1.5% | -$895 | n/a |
| 78566Los Fresnos | $228,000 | $1,000* | 5.3% | 0.6% | -$1,116 | n/a |
| 78575Rancho Viejo | $289,000 | $1,250* | 5.2% | 0.9% | -$1,339 | n/a |
| 78578Port Isabel | $264,000 | $970* | 4.4% | 0.1% | -$1,412 | n/a |
* HUD Fair Market Rent, 2 bedroom, where Zillow publishes no rent index. Conservative.
Trends
Five years to August 2026
- Price, 12 months
- +1.3%
- Rent, 12 months
- +3.8%
- Rent minus price growth
- +2.5 pts
- Property tax
- 1.50%
- effective rate, ACS 2024
Show the numbers
| Month | Typical value | Rent |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 2021 | $166,971 | $1,112 |
| Aug 2022 | $190,092 | $1,220 |
| Aug 2023 | $202,469 | $1,301 |
| Aug 2024 | $206,535 | $1,340 |
| Aug 2025 | $206,838 | $1,410 |
| Aug 2026 | $209,484 | $1,463 |
HUD Fair Market Rent
FY2027, Brownsville-Harlingen, TX MSA
| Bedrooms | Studio | 1 bed | 2 bed | 3 bed | 4 bed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair Market Rent | $827 | $884 | $1,042 | $1,393 | $1,496 |
The 40th percentile gross rent for a standard unit, set by HUD each October and used for Section 8 payment standards. It runs below market rent; Zillow's index is shown above where it exists.
Supply
- Permits per 1,000 households
- 17.1
- 2,364 units, last 12 months
- National percentile
- 87th
- among US counties
Tools
Test a listing in Cameron County against today's rate.
Open the calculatorPart of the Brownsville, TX metro.
Questions
- Is Cameron County good for rental property?
- The typical home here runs -$572 a month at 7.78% with 25% down, breaking even at about 1.7%. 0 of 7 ZIP codes with full Zillow data in this county are cash-flow positive; the median gross yield is 9.1%. The figures use a typical home, 7.78% with 25% down and default costs shown on each ZIP page. They describe the market, not any one property.
- What is the property tax rate in Cameron County?
- About 1.50% of value, from Census ACS median taxes paid over median home value. On a $209,000 home that is about $3,134 a year.
- What is Fair Market Rent in Cameron County?
- HUD's FY2027 Fair Market Rent here is $884 for a 1-bedroom, $1,042 for a 2-bedroom and $1,393 for a 3-bedroom. Typical cash flow at today's rate is -$572 a month.
Sources and method
- Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), mid tier, smoothed and seasonally adjusted
Zillow Research. Read: 2026-08.
Typical home value by ZIP, county, metro and state, and the price trend.
- Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI), all homes plus multifamily, smoothed
Zillow Research. Read: 2026-08.
Typical market rent by ZIP, county and metro, and the rent trend (tier A pages).
- HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents, FY2026
US Department of Housing and Urban Development. Read: FY2026.
Rent by bedroom count for every ZIP. The rent used on tier B pages, and a reference on all pages. It is the 40th percentile gross rent, so it runs below market.
- HUD Fair Market Rents by county, FY2027
US Department of Housing and Urban Development. Read: FY2027.
County rent by bedroom count on county pages.
- American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020 to 2024 (B25103 median real estate taxes paid, B25077 median home value, B11001 households)
US Census Bureau. Read: 2020 to 2024.
Effective property tax rate (median taxes paid divided by median value) by ZIP code tabulation area, county and state; households for the permits ratio.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, 30-year fixed (FRED series MORTGAGE30US)
Freddie Mac via the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Read: 2026-09-24.
The weekly 30-year rate. The site adds a disclosed investor premium to it for the loan payment.
- Building Permits Survey, county monthly files
US Census Bureau. Read: 2025-09 to 2026-08.
New housing units permitted in the last 12 months per 1,000 households, a supply-pressure signal.
Data: Zillow Research (ZHVI, ZORI), HUD, US Census Bureau, Freddie Mac. Every formula is on the methodology page.
Estimates from public data for a typical property. Not investment, tax or legal advice. Your property, financing and costs will differ.