CallataGuidesBrownsville, TX business phone guide
Population, businesses by sector and industry, area codes and local numbers for the Brownsville-Harlingen, TX metro area.
- Population
- 432,0002024 est.
- Establishments
- 6,732CBP 2023
- Counties
- 1
- Area codes
- 1
The Brownsville, TX area
The Brownsville-Harlingen, TX metro area covers 1 county in Texas and had 432,000 residents in July 2024, up 2.6% since April 2020. The U.S. population grew 2.6% over the same period. By population it ranks 126th of the 925 metro and micropolitan areas and 181st by business establishments.
| County | Population (2024) |
|---|---|
| Cameron County, TX | 431,874 |
Source: Census Vintage 2024 metropolitan and micropolitan area estimates.
Businesses in Brownsville, TX
County Business Patterns counted 6,732 establishments in the area in 2023, employing 123,749 people in mid-March with $4.5 billion in annual payroll. That is an average of 18.4 employees per establishment. 48.9% of establishments with employees had fewer than five people. By establishment count, the largest sectors are health care and social assistance (1,124), retail trade (1,037), and accommodation and food services (851).
| Sector (NAICS) | Establishments | Employees | Annual payroll |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health Care and Social Assistance (62) | 1,124 | 44,342 | $1,492,597,000 |
| Retail Trade (44) | 1,037 | 17,820 | $569,591,000 |
| Accommodation and Food Services (72) | 851 | 16,514 | $326,290,000 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) (81) | 554 | 3,288 | $97,541,000 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (54) | 511 | 3,168 | $170,556,000 |
| Finance and Insurance (52) | 488 | 3,461 | $180,175,000 |
| Construction (23) | 413 | 3,072 | $155,017,000 |
| Real Estate and Rental and Leasing (53) | 346 | 1,477 | $56,251,000 |
| Wholesale Trade (42) | 338 | 2,670 | $133,993,000 |
| Transportation and Warehousing (48) | 338 | 5,079 | $253,178,000 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services (56) | 225 | 9,721 | $283,379,000 |
| Manufacturing (31) | 176 | 6,642 | $535,462,000 |
| Information (51) | 88 | 1,788 | $90,927,000 |
| Educational Services (61) | 77 | 2,525 | $113,147,000 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71) | 70 | 1,076 | $22,109,000 |
| Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting (11) | 39 | 164 (high noise) | $5,584,000 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises (55) | 24 | 545 | $19,297,000 |
| Utilities (22) | 12 | 308 (high noise) | $25,640,000 |
| Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction (21) | 10 | 69 | $3,501,000 |
Source: Census County Business Patterns 2023, two-digit NAICS sectors. Manufacturing, retail and transportation span several two-digit codes; CBP reports them under 31, 44 and 48.
How Brownsville, TX's businesses compare
Brownsville, TX has 15.6 business establishments per 1,000 residents, 36.6% below the U.S. figure of 24.6. Establishments average 18.4 employees against 16.7 nationally, and payroll per employee is $36,649 (46.4% below the U.S. $68,342). 48.9% of establishments with employees have fewer than five people (U.S.: 55.5%), while 6.3% have 50 or more. Averages are pulled up by large employers; the size table is the better guide to what a typical business here looks like.
| Employment size | Establishments | Share | U.S. share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–4 employees | 3,294 | 48.9% | 55.5% |
| 5–9 employees | 1,307 | 19.4% | 17.5% |
| 10–19 employees | 1,051 | 15.6% | 12.5% |
| 20–49 employees | 658 | 9.8% | 9.1% |
| 50 or more employees | 422 | 6.3% | 5.4% |
Employment-size classes count establishments by mid-March 2023 employment. Establishments with no March employees are excluded from the size classes, so shares are of establishments with employees. Source: Census County Business Patterns 2023.
Small-business industries in Brownsville, TX
Of the 141 industries these guides cover, 115 have a published Census count in Brownsville, TX. The largest are physician practices (333), limited-service restaurants (311), and full-service restaurants (282). Relative to population, home health care agencies are the most over-represented: 24.1 per 100,000 residents against 12.0 nationally.
Selected small-business industries (six-digit NAICS) covered by these guides. Source: Census County Business Patterns 2023.
Phone numbers in the Brownsville, TX area
The area's named cities and towns have 233 NANPA-assigned exchanges across 1 area code; 956 has the most (100%). A local number in the code your customers know is the simplest signal that you are nearby; Callata's plan includes up to 3.
| Area code | Exchanges in named places | Share | Time zone |
|---|---|---|---|
| 956 | 233 | 100% | Central |
Exchanges in rate centers matched to Census places in the area. Source: NANPA.
Local numbers by city
Pages for 8 cities and towns in the area list their area codes, prefixes and carriers.
| Place | Population (2024) | Area codes | Exchanges |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brownsville, TX | 191,967 | 956 | 105 |
| Harlingen, TX | 72,234 | 956 | 86 |
| San Benito, TX | 24,712 | 956 | 12 |
| Los Fresnos, TX | 8,563 | 956 | 11 |
| La Feria, TX | 7,036 | 956 | 5 |
| Port Isabel, TX | 5,210 | 956 | 8 |
| Santa Rosa, TX | 2,366 | 956 | 2 |
| Rio Hondo, TX | 2,311 | 956 | 4 |
Phone costs for a typical Brownsville, TX business
An 18-person team is the benchmark here, the rounded average establishment size in Brownsville, TX. Billed per seat at month-to-month list prices (checked September 28, 2026), RingCentral RingEX Core costs $540.00 a month and Ooma Office Pro $449.10. On Callata the same 18 people cost $359.00 a month, less than either per-seat plan.
| Provider (plan) | Pricing basis | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Callata (Callata Office) | $99 incl. 5 users, $20 per extra user | $359.00 | $4,308.00 |
| Quo (Starter) | $19.00 per user | $342.00 | $4,104.00 |
| Nextiva (Core) | $23.00 per user | $414.00 | $4,968.00 |
| Ooma (Office Pro) | $24.95 per user | $449.10 | $5,389.20 |
| Dialpad (Standard) | $27.00 per user | $486.00 | $5,832.00 |
| RingCentral (RingEX Core) | $30.00 per user | $540.00 | $6,480.00 |
Competitor prices are each vendor's published month-to-month list price per user for its lowest plan that includes business calling and texting, checked September 28, 2026: Quo Starter $19, Nextiva Core $23, Ooma Office Pro $24.95 (Essentials excludes texting; one-time $29.95 activation not included), Dialpad Standard $27, RingCentral RingEX Core $30 ($20 billed annually). Prices exclude taxes and fees and may change; annual contracts lower some competitors' prices.
Callata in Brownsville, TX
Callata Office costs $99 per month for up to 5 people, and each additional user is $20 a month. That covers up to 3 local numbers, calling from a browser or your cell, transcribed voicemail, recorded calls with AI summaries, after-hours routing and E911 on each number.
If you already have a number in Brownsville, TX, porting it to Callata is free. Texting from a local number requires a one-time carrier registration (10DLC, $49), and the numbers available in any area code depend on carrier inventory when you choose them.
Optional AI agents (receptionist, sales, support or scheduler) can answer calls after hours or when nobody picks up, take messages, text, email and transfer to your team. They are billed from prepaid AI minutes at $0.25 per minute, identify themselves as AI, and may only place outbound calls to people who consented, between 8am and 9pm.
Frequently asked questions
What area codes serve Brownsville, TX?
956, by NANPA-assigned exchanges in the area's named places.
How many businesses are in the Brownsville, TX area?
6,732 establishments in 2023, according to Census County Business Patterns.
How much does a business phone system cost in Brownsville, TX?
Callata is $99 a month with 5 users included, then $20 per additional user; for an 18-person team that is $359.00 a month. The same team on Ooma Office Pro lists at $449.10 a month (checked September 28, 2026).