El Refugio is a city of 780 people in Texas. This skews young, with a median age of 22.3. 1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, below the 36% national rate. The poverty rate is 60.5%, above the 12.5% national rate. Since 2000 the city has more than tripled, up 559 people. Households here earn about 40% less than in Texas as a whole.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $47,440, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 22.3
US median: 38.9
Less educated
1% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Renter-heavy
59% owner-occupied
US average: 65%
Unique to this place
What stands out about El Refugio
What changed most since 2000
Population221 → 780(+253%)US over the same years: +19%
Homes owned by their occupants92.9% → 59.0%(−33.9 pts)US over the same years: −1.1 pts
Adults with a bachelor's degree15.4% → 1.4%(−14.1 pts)US over the same years: +11.3 pts
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Over time
El Refugio, decade by decade
El Refugio population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
2000
221
$23,226
$97,641
15.4%
2.2
2010
331
$50,800
$31,505
0.0%
13.7
2020
407
$47,270
$94,297
7.1%
3.6
2024
780
$47,440
–
1.4%
0.0
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
