Town · Texas
Primera, Texas
Primera, town, in Cameron County, Texas. Primera had 5,478 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 4.2% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 5,257 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 5,344 (±21). GEOID 4859540.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
5,478
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 5,257 · ACS 2020-2024: 5,344 ±21
Median household income
$80,116
±$11,903 (90% margin)
Texas: $78,476
Median home value
$160,900
±$16,084 (90% margin)
Texas: $283,800
Median gross rent
$1,293
±$181 (90% margin)
Texas: $1,403
Where is Primera and what county is it in?
Primera is a town in Cameron County, Texas. It covers 2.8 square miles of land, 1,893 residents per square mile in 2020.
Primera is in the Brownsville-Harlingen, TX metropolitan statistical area (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Primera, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 5,478 people lived in Primera on July 1, 2025, up 4.2% since 2020, slower than Texas (+8.8%). The 2020 Census counted 5,257 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 5,344 (±21).
| Measure | Primera | Cameron County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 5,344 ±21 | 426,120 | +472 |
| Households | 1,471 ±181 | 138,433 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 3.63 ±0.44 | 3.05 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 1,798 ±226 | 159,679 | no clear change |
Primera's population since 2000
From 2,723 in 2000 to 5,478 in 2025: up 101.2%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Primera as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Primera?
The median resident of Primera is 30.9 years old; 34.9% are under 18 and 8.4% are 65 or older. The largest group is Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 88.3%, then non-Hispanic white residents at 11.7%. 13.1% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Primera | Cameron County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 30.9 ±2.8 | 32.7 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 34.9% ±5.6 pts | 28.7% | – |
| 65 years and over | 8.4% ±2.5 pts | 14.3% | – |
| Male | 49.0% ±4.1 pts | 49.4% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 88.3% ±7.6 pts | 89.3% | no clear change |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 11.7% ±7.6 pts | 8.7% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.9 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.9 pts | 0.8% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.9 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.9 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.9 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.9 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 13.1% ±5.0 pts | 23.2% | no clear change |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 56.2% ±7.0 pts | 72.2% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 3.8% ±3.0 pts | 4.1% | – |
| With a disability | 9.9% ±3.6 pts | 12.3% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 25.2% ±5.7 pts | 25.8% | +8.8 pts |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 73.6% ±5.6 pts | 72.5% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 22.9% ±7.9 pts | 22.1% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 4.6% ±2.8 pts | 7.0% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 95.1% ±4.6 pts | 91.5% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.2% ±0.4 pts | 0.7% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Primera earn?
Half of Primera's 1,471 households earn less than $80,116 a year (±$11,903), against $52,601 in Cameron County and $78,476 in Texas. In 2015-2019 the median was $57,395 in 2024 dollars, so it rose by $22,721 after inflation. 13.1% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Primera | Cameron County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $80,116 ±$11,903 | $52,601 | +$22,721 |
| Mean household income | $94,878 ±$15,780 | $71,924 | – |
| Per capita income | $27,820 ±$5,282 | $24,089 | +$6,972 |
| People below the poverty line | 13.1% ±7.8 pts | 24.8% | −18.7 pts |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 19.3% ±15.5 pts | 35.6% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 20.9% ±10.8 pts | 24.8% | – |
| Households with a computer | 94.8% ±4.7 pts | 91.2% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 89.9% ±6.3 pts | 84.4% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Primera?
Owners occupy 75.5% of Primera's occupied homes and renters 24.5%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $160,900 by its owner (±$16,084). The median renter pays $1,293 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Primera | Cameron County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $160,900 ±$16,084 | $136,500 | +$50,999 |
| Median gross rent | $1,293 ±$181 | $912 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 8.9% ±10.1 pts | 40.0% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,362 ±$60 | $1,449 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 75.5% ±10.2 pts | 65.2% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 24.5% ±10.2 pts | 34.8% | – |
| Housing units | 1,798 ±226 | 159,679 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 2.9% ±3.8 pts | 1.4% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±12.9 pts | 5.5% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 77.2% ±8.5 pts | 64.7% | – |
| Mobile homes | 10.6% ±5.5 pts | 10.5% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 6.3% ±4.5 pts | 2.4% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 26.2% ±8.5 pts | 14.0% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 2.7% ±3.6 pts | 2.1% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 4.2% ±4.4 pts | 6.6% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Primera building?
Builders took permits for 21 new housing units in Primera in 2025 (21 in single-family houses), 3.8 per 1,000 residents against 6.6 across Texas.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Primera work and get to work?
89.3% of Primera's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 19.9 minutes.
| Measure | Primera | Cameron County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 74.8% ±7.9 pts | 58.0% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 2.9% ±2.1 pts | 5.9% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 89.3% ±5.8 pts | 75.6% | – |
| Carpooled | 2.6% ±2.0 pts | 11.7% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±1.9 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Walked | 0.5% ±0.7 pts | 1.6% | – |
| Worked from home | 6.8% ±4.8 pts | 9.1% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 19.9 min ±3.5 | 21.3 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Primera?
No census tract lies mostly in Primera; 4 tracts reach into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 104.03Cameron County | 3,459 | $61,540 |
| Tract 104.04Cameron County | 3,286 | $80,351 |
| Tract 103.03Cameron County | 5,030 | $77,247 |
| Tract 103.01Cameron County | 5,410 | $45,128 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Primera) · Census block assignment files
How does Primera compare with other places in Texas?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Primera is the 4,654th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 368th-most populous of 1,224 in Texas.
Primera ranks 317th of 933 places in Texas with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 368th | 1,224 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 382nd | 784 |
| Residents per square mile | 213th | 979 |
| Median household income | 317th | 933 |
| Per capita income | 636th | 978 |
| Median home value | 619th | 950 |
| Median gross rent | 313th | 852 |
| Poverty rate | 431st | 716 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 403rd | 877 |
| Median age | 844th | 973 |
| Owner-occupied share | 387th | 973 |
| Travel time to work | 789th | 976 |
Primera's figures with every place in Texas (CSV)
Every place in Texas, sortable · Compare Primera with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Primera?
20 of the 57 figures for Primera on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Primera are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Primera.