Jan. 29—The Brownsville-Harlingen Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) is ranked fourth overall among the Top 30 Leading Metro Locations 2025 by Area Development magazine.
The Greater Brownsville Economic Development Corporation (formerly the Greater Brownsville Incentives Corporation) announced the news earlier this month. The ratings reflect “the region’s strong performance in workforce readiness, economic strength and overall competitiveness,” according to GBEDC.
“The annual rankings, developed in partnership with Chmura Economics & Analytics, are widely used by corporate decision-makers and site selectors to evaluate locations for business expansion and investment,” officials said.
The Area Development ranking comes on the heels of Brownsville-McAllen being ranked the 10th most moved-to region among the top 25 metros and cities in the nation according to the latest U-Haul Growth Index, also published this month.
Gilberto Salinas, chief executive officer for GBEDC, said “Brownsville’s continued recognition across multiple national reports speaks to the progress our community has made through collaboration, strategic investment and long-term vision.”
“Ranking among the top metros nationally for both economic competitiveness and population growth reflects the confidence people and businesses have in Brownsville,” he said. “We are proud of this achievement and remain focused on building on this success by attracting quality jobs and investment.
“Together, these national indicators reinforce Brownsville’s position as a competitive and growing community where economic development efforts are translating into real-world results for businesses, residents, and the broader region.”
Salinas, who was recently included in the “Texas 100: Influential Pros to Know for 2026,” an annual list curated by The Business Journals, said “Brownsville is redefining what it means to be a border city.”
“Since we sit at the center of North American trade and re-shoring activity, we’ve been able to transform our strategic location into a global advantage,” he said. “This has only helped us as the trend of re-shoring continues. Our international connectivity, young workforce and business climate have attracted leading companies in aerospace, energy, logistics, food processing and advanced manufacturing. This has resulted in billions in active investments, from SpaceX, to NextDecade to Linde.”
Salinas said Brownsville has also been recognized as the state’s “top city for job growth.”
