Cameron County

What Buyers Should Know

Cameron County’s 2026 HUD area median income (AMI) for a 4-person household is approximately $58,900, with the TSAHC Heroes 115% AMI ceiling reaching ~$67,735. Most Cameron County buyers qualify for at least one TSAHC or TDHCA program; the county is not designated a HUD targeted area, so the standard income limits and first-time-buyer rules apply.

FHA loan limits in Cameron mirror the Brownsville-Harlingen baseline. Conforming limits run $806,500 for 1-unit. VA loans are uncapped above conforming limits for full-entitlement veterans.

Property tax in Cameron County averages around 2.06% effective (verify current year at the county appraisal district). The Texas residence homestead exemption shaves $100,000 off school-district appraised value and caps appraised value growth at 10% per year — file with the appraisal district on or before April 30 of the year following purchase.

South Rio Grande Valley + SpaceX Boca Chica

Cameron County anchors the southern Rio Grande Valley with Brownsville (county seat, ~189,000), Harlingen (~75,000), San Benito, Los Fresnos, and South Padre Island. The county hosts SpaceX’s Starbase facility at Boca Chica, the Port of Brownsville, and the Brownsville-Padre Island International Airport. UTRGV Brownsville campus + Texas Southmost College anchor higher-ed. Brownsville ISD, Harlingen CISD, San Benito CISD, Los Fresnos CISD, and Point Isabel ISD serve the county. The Brownsville-MSA AMI is the lowest among Texas major MSAs, giving TSAHC Home Sweet Texas + TDHCA programs broad accessibility.