Moving to El Refugio
Starr County loses about 5.0 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.
Where people come from and where they go, top counties
Within Texas, other states or abroad
Income per tax return
People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Starr County; flows under 20 returns are not published.
- Who moves here
- 0.0% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 0.0% from another state.
- Who arrives and who leaves
- Households moving into Starr County report $36,700 a year in income on average; those leaving, $39,700, so leavers earn more than newcomers.
- Income you would need
- $29,000 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
- Rent or buy
- Median rent is $726 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,473 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $78,000.
- Getting to work
- 23 minutes each way on average; 9.3% work from home.
- If it is close but not quite
- Mila Doce, TX matches it on character. Compare the two
All 5 moving measures
| Measure | El Refugio | Among 6,645 places | Vs median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moved here in the past year1 | 0.0% | below (median 5.7%) | |
| Moved from another state1 | 0.0% | below (median 2.0%) | |
| Net movers per 1,000 people5County figure | -5.0 | below (median -0.6) | |
| Income of households moving in5County figure | $36,746 | 48% below | |
| Income of households moving out5County figure | $39,747 | 43% below |
What it costs to live here
Median home value is $78,000, 76% below the median place.
Could you afford it?
Uses the median rent in El Refugio, $726 a month. It runs in your browser and stores nothing.
Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in El Refugio.
All 14 cost and housing measures
| Measure | El Refugio | Among 6,645 places | Vs median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median gross rent1County figure | $726 | 47% below | |
| Rent to income1 | 18.4% | 10% below | |
| Property tax rate1 | 1.4% | 53% above | |
| Home price to income1 | 1.6x | 57% below | |
| Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms2County figure | $1,014 | 37% below | |
| Property tax paid (median)1County figure | $1,083 | 67% below | |
| Median home value1 | $78,000 | 76% below | |
| Home prices, 1-year change3County figure | 21.3% | above (median 3.2%) | |
| Home prices, 5-year change3County figure | 71.1% | 38% above | |
| Homeownership1 | 59.0% | 11% below | |
| Renters paying 30%+1County figure | 55.8% | 10% above | |
| Owner costs with a mortgage1County figure | $1,473 | 21% below | |
| Vacant homes1County figure | 17.2% | 144% above | |
| Median year built1 | 1988 | 1% above |
Work and pay
Commutes by transit is 0.0%, below the median place (median 0.8%).
All 10 work and pay measures
| Measure | El Refugio | Among 6,645 places | Vs median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income1 | $47,440 | 41% below | |
| Income per person1 | $15,392 | 62% below | |
| Unemployment1County figure | 10.4% | 113% above | |
| Average annual pay4County figure | $41,877 | 37% below | |
| Pay growth, 1 year4County figure | 5.3% | 43% above | |
| Jobs4County figure | 15,052 | 90% below | |
| Poverty rate1 | 60.5% | above (median 10.8%) | |
| Mean commute1County figure | 23 min | 9% below | |
| Works from home1County figure | 9.3% | 25% below | |
| Commutes by transit1 | 0.0% | below (median 0.8%) |
Who lives here
Median age is 22.3, 43% below the median place.
All 8 people measures
| Measure | El Refugio | Among 6,645 places | Vs median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population1 | 780 | 6646th largest | |
| Median age1 | 22.3 | 43% below | |
| Bachelor's or higher1County figure | 13.6% | 58% below | |
| High school or higher1 | 68.2% | 26% below | |
| Household size1 | 3.4 | 36% above | |
| Born abroad1 | 19.4% | 119% above | |
| No health insurance1County figure | 28.9% | 352% above | |
| Homes with broadband1 | 78.6% | 15% below |
Life in El Refugio
9 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, one of them a National Historic Landmark.
Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)
Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.
All 9 schools and local life measures
| Measure | El Refugio | Among 6,645 places | Vs median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public schools8County figure | 29 | 222% above | |
| Public school students8County figure | 16,900 | 245% above | |
| Students per teacher8County figure | 13.8 | 10% below | |
| Restaurants and bars per 10k6County figure | 8.9 | 57% below | |
| Shops per 10k6County figure | 19.5 | 36% below | |
| Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k6County figure | 1.2 | 71% below | |
| Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k6County figure | 10.7 | 47% below | |
| Child care centers per 10k6County figure | 1.8 | 22% below | |
| National Register listings7County figure | 9 | 31% below |
Safety, weather and risk
Average temperature is 75°F, 36% above the median place.
No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached El Refugio. Larger places are fetched first.
All 9 weather and risk measures
| Measure | El Refugio | Among 6,645 places | Vs median |
|---|---|---|---|
| July average high9County figure | 98°F | 13% above | |
| January average low9County figure | 48°F | 91% above | |
| Average temperature9County figure | 75°F | 36% above | |
| Annual precipitation9County figure | 21.8 in | 50% below | |
| Natural hazard risk10County figure | 84.8 | 8% below | |
| Hurricane risk10County figure | 78.8 | 11% above | |
| Tornado risk10County figure | 38.2 | 53% below | |
| Wildfire risk10County figure | 84.9 | 39% above | |
| Heat wave risk10County figure | 81.5 | 10% below |
How it is changing
Five-year survey estimates, one point per release.
No history available.
Median household income
Median home value
Citytistics measures
Measures only Citytistics publishes, built from the figures on this page. Scores of 100 beat every place we track. Formulas
Places like El Refugio
The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.
| Place | Rent | Income | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mila Doce, TX | $640 | $50,921 | Compare |
| Albion, MI | $775 | $39,885 | Compare |
| Williamsburg, KY | $793 | $38,147 | Compare |
| Doolittle, TX | $950 | $36,109 | Compare |
Nearby
- Rio Grande City, TX5 mi
- Roma, TX16 mi
- Doffing, TX24 mi
- Palmview, TX25 mi
- La Homa, TX25 mi
- Alton, TX28 mi
Compare El Refugio with
Common questions
Is El Refugio a good place to live?
It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. 60.5% of residents live below the poverty line, more than in 99% of the 2,082 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the highest of 373 Texas places. The median resident is 22.3 years old, younger than in 98% of places its size. It is the 2nd-lowest of 414 Texas places. On cost, space and class size it scores 69 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.
Is El Refugio expensive to live in?
The median rent takes 18.4% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a lighter load here than usual. The median home is valued at $78,000.
What salary do you need to live in El Refugio?
To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $29,040 a year. Work it out from your current city.
What places are similar to El Refugio?
On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Mila Doce, TX, Albion, MI, Williamsburg, KY and Doolittle, TX.
Sources and methods
The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.
- American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
- Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
- House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
- Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
- SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
- County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
- National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
- Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
- 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
- National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).
What stands out compares El Refugio with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for El Refugio itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/el-refugio-texas
Citytistics. “El Refugio, Texas.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/el-refugio-texas/
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.