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Cost of living, pay and housing

31.82° N · 99.11° W · GEOID 4840456

Lake Brownwood

Brown County, Texas · part of the Brownwood, TX metro

Limited data population under 5,000

TexasLake Brownwood, TXLake BrownwoodLake Brownwood

The short answer

Lake Brownwood is home to 1,544 people. Median household income is $70,000 a year and median rent is $1,024 a month, 17.6% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $130,700, about 1.9x annual median household income.

Median gross rent
$1,024
25% below the median place
Median household income
$70,000
13% below the median place
Median home value
$130,700
59% below the median place
Unemployment
5.3%
8% above the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about Lake Brownwood

  • Only 0% of workers mostly work from home, fewer than in 99% of the 2,104 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 351 Texas places.
  • 0% of residents were born outside the US, fewer than in 99% of places its size. It is the lowest of 389 Texas places.
  • 38% of homes stand vacant, more than in 97% of places its size. It is the highest of 339 Texas places.
  • The median resident is 52.1 years old, older than in 94% of places its size. It is the 2nd-highest of 414 Texas places.
  • Owning with a mortgage costs about $51 a month less than the median rent, which is rarer than in 95% of places its size.
01

Moving to Lake Brownwood

Brown County gains about 8.3 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in1,795
Moved out1,552
Net+243

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Taylor County, TX9288+4
Coleman County, TX7866+12
Comanche County, TX7255+17
Eastland County, TX54
Mills County, TX50

Within Texas, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within TexasOther states

Income per tax return

Arrivals$72K
Leavers$56K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Brown County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
8.5% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 1.9% from another state. County figure.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Brown County report $72,000 a year in income on average; those leaving, $55,900, so newcomers earn more than leavers.
Income you would need
$41,000 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,024 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $973 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $130,700.
Getting to work
19 minutes each way on average; 0.0% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Chillicothe, IL matches it on character. Compare the two
Net movers per 1,000 people5
8.3
above the median place (median -0.6)
Income of households moving out5
$55,869
21% below the median place
Moved here in the past year1
8.5%
48% above the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureLake BrownwoodAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure8.5%48% above
Moved from another state1County figure1.9%5% below
Net movers per 1,000 people5County figure8.3above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in5County figure$71,9662% above
Income of households moving out5County figure$55,86921% below
02

What it costs to live here

Owner costs with a mortgage is $973, 48% below the median place.

Lake Brownwood17.6%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$40,960
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
17.6%
14% below the median place
Home price to income
1.9x
51% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
18%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$57,700
a year, prices not adjusted
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Lake Brownwood, $1,024 a month. It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Lake Brownwood, but easier on the budget

Close matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income.

PlaceRent to incomeMore left a year
Swoyersville, PA12.5% vs 17.6%n/aCompare
Lake City, MN14.5% vs 17.6%n/aCompare
Lakehills, TX13.9% vs 17.6%n/aCompare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Lake Brownwood.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Lake Brownwood? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Owner costs with a mortgage1
$973
48% below the median place
Vacant homes1
38.4%
above the median place (median 7.1%)
Median home value1
$130,700
59% below the median place
All 14 cost and housing measures
MeasureLake BrownwoodAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,02425% below
Rent to income117.6%14% below
Property tax rate10.9%2% above
Home price to income11.9x51% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms2County figure$1,13730% below
Property tax paid (median)1$1,21363% below
Median home value1$130,70059% below
Home prices, 1-year change3County figure4.7%46% above
Home prices, 5-year change3County figure55.8%8% above
Homeownership180.6%21% above
Renters paying 30%+160.0%19% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$97348% below
Vacant homes138.4%above (median 7.1%)
Median year built119840% above
03

Work and pay

Works from home is 0.0%, below the median place (median 12.4%).

Works from home1
0.0%
below the median place (median 12.4%)
Commutes by transit1
0.0%
below the median place (median 0.8%)
Income per person1
$33,464
16% below the median place
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureLake BrownwoodAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$70,00013% below
Income per person1$33,46416% below
Unemployment1County figure5.3%8% above
Average annual pay4County figure$50,35624% below
Pay growth, 1 year4County figure4.6%24% above
Jobs4County figure15,57490% below
Poverty rate112.2%13% above
Mean commute1County figure19 min24% below
Works from home10.0%below (median 12.4%)
Commutes by transit10.0%below (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

Born abroad is 0.0%, below the median place (median 8.8%).

Born abroad1
0.0%
below the median place (median 8.8%)
No health insurance1
23.5%
267% above the median place
Median age1
52.1
34% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Homes with broadband83.6% −9%
Household size2.3 −8%
High school or higher92.6% +0%
All 8 people measures
MeasureLake BrownwoodAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population11,5446646th largest
Median age152.134% above
Bachelor's or higher1County figure20.2%37% below
High school or higher192.6%0% above
Household size12.38% below
Born abroad10.0%below (median 8.8%)
No health insurance123.5%267% above
Homes with broadband183.6%9% below
05

Life in Lake Brownwood

7 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents0.0 −100%
Playgrounds per 10k0.0 −100%
Grocery stores per 10k0.0 −100%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k0.0 −100%
Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%
Named paths and bike trails0 km −100%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.0 −100%

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars21.1 +1%
Shops36.2 +19%
Arts, recreation and fitness4.7 +15%
Doctors' offices and clinics17.7 −12%
Child care centers2.1 −9%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Students per teacher9
12.6
18% below the median place
Shops per 10k6
36.2
19% above the median place
Public schools9
22
144% above the median place
All 16 schools and local life measures
MeasureLake BrownwoodAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools9County figure22144% above
Public school students9County figure6,20127% above
Students per teacher9County figure12.618% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k6County figure21.11% above
Shops per 10k6County figure36.219% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k6County figure4.715% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k6County figure17.712% below
Child care centers per 10k6County figure2.19% below
Parks per 10k70.0below (median 10.2)
Playgrounds per 10k70.0below (median 9.4)
Grocery stores per 10k70.0below (median 2.1)
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k70.0below (median 11.2)
Libraries per 10k70.0below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails70.0below (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi70.0below (median 0.2)
National Register listings8County figure746% below
06

Safety, weather and risk

July average high is 95°F, 10% above the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached Lake Brownwood. Larger places are fetched first.

July average high10
95°F
10% above the median place
Natural hazard risk11
64.9
30% below the median place
Average temperature10
65°F
19% above the median place
All 9 weather and risk measures
MeasureLake BrownwoodAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high10County figure95°F10% above
January average low10County figure34°F34% above
Average temperature10County figure65°F19% above
Annual precipitation10County figure29.4 in33% below
Natural hazard risk11County figure64.930% below
Hurricane risk11County figure45.036% below
Tornado risk11County figure70.513% below
Wildfire risk11County figure86.241% above
Heat wave risk11County figure61.532% below
08

Lake Brownwood in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 19% of the median income in 2030, up from 18% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,024/mo (2023)$1,410/mo$1,140 to $1,740/mo+4.6%
Median household income$70,000 (2024)$88,500$75,000 to $105,000+4.0%
Median home value$130,700 (2024)$199,000$144,000 to $273,000+7.2%

The median home would be worth 2.2 years of the median income in 2030, against 1.9 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Lake Brownwood

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Chillicothe, IL$899$66,132Compare
Gun Barrel City, TX$960$71,310Compare
Southport, NY$1,136$62,684Compare
Apache Junction, AZ$1,146$60,975Compare
Apache Junction, AZSouthport, NYGun Barrel City, TXChillicothe, ILLake Brownwood, TXLake BrownwoodChillicotheGun Barrel CitySouthportApache JunctionLake BrownwoodChillicotheGun Barrel CitySouthportApache Junction

Common questions

Is Lake Brownwood a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Only 0% of workers mostly work from home, fewer than in 99% of the 2,104 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 351 Texas places. 0% of residents were born outside the US, fewer than in 99% of places its size. It is the lowest of 389 Texas places. On cost, space and class size it scores 80 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Lake Brownwood expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 17.6% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a lighter load here than usual. The median home is valued at $130,700.

What salary do you need to live in Lake Brownwood?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $40,960 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Lake Brownwood?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Chillicothe, IL, Gun Barrel City, TX, Southport, NY and Apache Junction, AZ.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  3. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  4. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  5. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  6. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  7. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  8. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  9. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  10. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  11. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Lake Brownwood with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Lake Brownwood itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/lake-brownwood-texas

Citytistics. “Lake Brownwood, Texas.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/lake-brownwood-texas/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.