Housing data for Port Isabel, TX
Port Isabel, TX has an estimated 5,111 residents and 2,661 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is a city in Cameron County.
40.0% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $748 a month.
Its population shrank measurably since 2015–2019 (−18.8%).
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 5,111 (±17)
- Housing units
- 2,661 (±318)
- Households that rent
- 40.0%
- Median gross rent
- $748
- Residents since 2015–2019
- −18.8%
What stands out in Port Isabel
Rental vacancy rate: 18.7% (±12.9 points) in Port Isabel, higher than in Cameron County (5.5%).
Homes built before 1980: 46.7% (±12.5 points) in Port Isabel, higher than in Cameron County (29.7%).
Average commute: 13.7 minutes (±2.0) in Port Isabel, lower than in Cameron County (21.3 minutes).
Median gross rent: $748 (±$57) in Port Isabel, lower than in Cameron County ($912).
- Vacancy rate in Port Isabel
- Age of homes in Port Isabel
- Commute and cars in Port Isabel
- Median rent in Port Isabel
Housing in Port Isabel at a glance
- Median rent: $748 median gross rent a month
- Rent by bedrooms: $829 median gross rent, 2 bedrooms
- Rent burden: 58.9% of renters pay 30% or more of income (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Renters and owners: 40.0% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $32,222 median household income (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Home values: $182,600 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $1,286 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $2,833 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 17.5% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 43.0% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 46.7% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 18.7% rental vacancy rate
- Heating fuel: 89.4% heat with electricity
- Commute and cars: 13.7 minutes average trip to work
- Crime reported to police: 342 violent crimes per 100,000 residents
- Growth: −18.8% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 29.7% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 9.1% of homes have more than 1 person per room
Port Isabel against Cameron County, its state and the nation
| Port Isabel | Cameron County | Texas | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 5,111 (±17) | 426,120 (exact) | 30,188,424 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 2,661 (±318) | 159,679 (±95) | 12,128,515 (±1,574) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 40.0% (±10.9 points) | 34.8% (±1.0 points) | 37.4% (±0.2 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $748 (±$57) | $912 (±$25) | $1,403 (±$4) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $32,222 (±$25,587) | $52,601 (±$1,632) | $78,476 (±$263) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $182,600 (±$55,456) | $136,500 (±$3,909) | $283,800 (±$738) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $2,833 (±$1,145) | $2,042 (±$72) | $4,232 (±$19) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 46.7% (±12.5 points) | 29.7% (±1.1 points) | 33.2% (±0.2 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 13.7 minutes (±2.0) | 21.3 minutes (±0.4) | 26.7 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 77.7% (±9.6 points) | 84.4% (±0.7 points) | 91.4% (±0.1 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 37.8 years (±10.7) | 32.7 years (±0.2) | 35.6 years (±0.1) | 38.9 years |
Port Isabel covers 6.8 square miles of land, about 753 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Port Isabel has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 6,292 (±24) | 5,111 (±17) | −18.8% | Measurable decrease |
| Housing units | 2,863 (±238) | 2,661 (±318) | −7.1% | Not a measurable change |
| Median gross rent | $724 (±$134) | $748 (±$57) | +3.3% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median home value | $108,500 (±$27,142) | $182,600 (±$55,456) | +68.3% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median household income | $32,598 (±$6,820) | $32,222 (±$25,587) | −1.2% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $954 (±$148) | $1,286 (±$295) | +34.8% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $1,753 (±$313) | $2,833 (±$1,145) | +61.6% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Households that rent | 35.3% (±6.6 points) | 40.0% (±10.9 points) | +4.7 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 8.1% (±6.1 points) | 18.7% (±12.9 points) | +10.6 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.
Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.
The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.
Crime reported to police in Port Isabel
In 2025, the Port Isabel Police Department reported 342 violent and 3,042 property crimes per 100,000 residents to the FBI.
Across Cameron County, the departments that report recorded 331 violent and 1,577 property crimes per 100,000 residents that year.
ZIP codes in Port Isabel
| ZIP code | Share of the ZIP’s land in this place | Residents | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 78578 | 12% | 10,016 | $749 | $196,200 | $51,880 |
A ZIP code is a mail route rather than a boundary, so the Census Bureau publishes figures for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas built from census blocks; the share column says how much of each one’s land lies in this place.
Places near Port Isabel
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laguna Vista | 4.3 mi | — | $255,900 | 15.6% |
| South Padre Island | 6.2 mi | $1,521 | $516,900 | 30.2% |
| Bayview | 11 mi | $2,250 | $313,100 | 6.0% |
| Brownsville | 14 mi | $923 | $139,900 | 38.3% |
| Los Fresnos | 15 mi | $989 | $152,200 | 38.0% |
| Laureles | 16 mi | $873 | $152,400 | 18.6% |
| Cameron Park | 16 mi | $760 | $74,800 | 40.9% |
| South Point | 16 mi | — | $86,300 | 0.0% |
Places in Texas most like Port Isabel
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Pleasant | $910 | $170,700 | $50,515 | 42.0% |
| Queen City | $774 | $116,300 | $43,457 | 38.5% |
| Rio Hondo | $691 | $104,000 | $35,682 | 41.8% |
| Texarkana | $1,010 | $171,500 | $50,573 | 48.4% |
| Paris | $971 | $150,000 | $47,239 | 51.6% |
| Nash | $919 | $156,200 | $50,592 | 33.2% |
Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across Texas.
HUD Fair Market Rent for Port Isabel, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $827 | $884 | $1,042 | $1,393 | $1,496 |
HUD income limits for Port Isabel, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $17,600 | $29,300 | $46,900 |
| 2 people | $21,640 | $33,500 | $53,600 |
| 3 people | $27,320 | $37,700 | $60,300 |
| 4 people | $33,000 | $41,850 | $66,950 |
| 5 people | $38,680 | $45,200 | $72,350 |
| 6 people | $44,360 | $48,550 | $77,700 |
| 7 people | $50,040 | $51,900 | $83,050 |
| 8 people | $55,250 | $55,250 | $88,400 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Brownsville-Harlingen, TX MSA, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $64,600.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
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Questions about Port Isabel
What is the average rent in Port Isabel, TX?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in Port Isabel is $748 (±$57) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.
How much is a one-bedroom apartment in Port Isabel?
The median gross rent for a one-bedroom home in Port Isabel, TX is $499 (±$466) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many renters are there in Port Isabel?
Port Isabel has an estimated 826 (±220) renting households, 40.0% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Port Isabel, TX?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $182,600 (±$55,456) for owner-occupied homes in Port Isabel (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average mortgage payment in Port Isabel?
The Census Bureau publishes total owner costs rather than the mortgage alone: the median for owners with a mortgage in Port Isabel, TX is $1,286 (±$295) a month, including taxes, insurance and utilities.
How much are property taxes in Port Isabel?
The median real estate tax paid by homeowners in Port Isabel, TX is $2,833 (±$1,145) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is Port Isabel growing?
In Port Isabel, the number of residents went from 6,292 in 2015–2019 to 5,111 in 2020–2024 (−18.8%), a measurable decrease.
What ZIP codes are in Port Isabel?
The ZIP code that covers Port Isabel is 78578.
What is the median rent in ZIP code 78578?
The median gross rent in ZIP Code Tabulation Area 78578 is $749 (±$62) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Port Isabel city, Texas
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Port Isabel city, Texas
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Port Isabel city, Texas
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Port Isabel city, Texas
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Port Isabel city, Texas
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Port Isabel city, Texas
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Port Isabel city, Texas
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX MSA
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX MSA
- US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas
- FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Crime Data Explorer: Port Isabel Police Department (ORI TX0310600)
- FBI: Uniform Crime Reporting statistics and their proper use
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Port Isabel city, Texas (place:58892, in state:48).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.
Figures last updated on .