The Town FilesBrownsville, Tennessee
City in Haywood County · population 9,788 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $158,100
- Household income
- $43,494
- Jan low / Jul high
- 30° / 91°
- Snow a year
- 2 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 13
- Median age
- 40.4
Brownsville is a city of 9,788 people in Haywood County, Tennessee. The median home is worth $158,100, below the typical Tennessee town ($204,650).
How Brownsville ranks
Percentile among Tennessee towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Tennessee towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Brownsville is worth $158,100, below the typical Tennessee town ($204,650). Homes cost about 3.6 times the median household income of $43,494, which is more affordable than 54% of Tennessee towns. Median rent is $767 a month. 47.6% of households own their home.
| Housing | Brownsville | Typical Tennessee town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $158,100 | $204,650 |
| Median rent | $767 | $863 |
| Median household income | $43,494 | $57,917 |
| Home value ÷ income | 3.6× | 3.7× |
| Homeownership | 47.6% | 69.7% |
| Median year built | 1975 | 1980 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Brownsville
| People | Brownsville | Typical Tennessee town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 40.4 | 40.8 |
| Age 65 and over | 20.5% | 18.4% |
| Under 18 | 24.2% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 14.7% | 18.2% |
| Below the poverty line | 25.7% | 14.2% |
| Veterans | 4.6% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 1.2% | — |
| Work from home | 3.6% | 8.2% |
| Average commute | 23.5 min | 25.9 min |
| Homes with broadband | 85.0% | 88.2% |
Weather in Brownsville
July highs average 90.7°F and January lows 29.9°F. About 56.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 2.2 inches of snow (typical Tennessee town: 3.5 in). Expect about 57 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 67 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
13 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Brownsville since 1950, compared with 16 for the typical Tennessee town. 6 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an EF2, struck on February 5, 2008 about 8.3 miles from the town center. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 1 deaths and 23 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on March 31, 2023.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 16 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on August 10, 2000.
Severe weather in Haywood County since 1996
Haywood County has been included in 21 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for hurricane, biological, severe storm.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| February 6, 2026 | Winter Storm | DR-4898: Severe Winter Storm |
| January 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | EM-3635: Severe Winter Storm |
| June 19, 2025 | Severe Storm | DR-4878: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| April 2, 2025 | Severe Storm | EM-3625: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| May 17, 2023 | Severe Storm | DR-4712: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornado |
Jobs and pay in Haywood County
Haywood County had 8,085 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $74,843 a year. Unemployment was 4.4% in 2023; in Brownsville itself the ACS puts it at 8.6%.
Public schools in Brownsville
6 public schools with 2,548 students, about 13.1 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Haywood High School | 9-12 | 776 | 13.4 |
| Haywood Elementary | 1-2 | 365 | 13.5 |
| East Side Elementary | 3-4 | 361 | 14.4 |
| Sunny Hill Intermediate School | 5-6 | 355 | 12.7 |
| Anderson Early Childhood | PK-K | 351 | 12.1 |
| Haywood Middle School | 7-8 | 340 | 12.1 |
Towns near Brownsville
- Ripley, TN18.9 mi · 7,800 people · home $154,900
- Whiteville, TN19.7 mi · 2,606 people · home $124,400
- Covington, TN22.0 mi · 8,663 people · home $185,900
- Jackson, TN24.1 mi · 68,205 people · home $217,800
- Somerville, TN25.5 mi · 3,415 people · home $312,900
- Humboldt, TN25.8 mi · 7,874 people · home $102,300
- Bolivar, TN26.4 mi · 5,205 people · home $150,200
- Brighton, TN27.8 mi · 2,888 people · home $214,100
Brownsville questions
Is Brownsville, Tennessee a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Brownsville scores better for retirees than 15% of Tennessee towns and quieter than 29%. 20.5% of residents are 65 or older (median age 40.4).
How much does a house cost in Brownsville?
The median owner-occupied home in Brownsville is valued at $158,100 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $43,494, so homes cost about 3.6 times income. Median rent is $767 a month.
What is the weather like in Brownsville?
July highs average 90.7°F and January lows 29.9°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 56.1 inches of precipitation a year and 2.2 inches of snow.
Does Brownsville get tornadoes?
13 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Brownsville since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF2 on February 5, 2008. The typical Tennessee town has had 16.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)