Refugio County, Texas Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Refugio County is located in Texas with a total population of 6,693. It is the 190th most populous county out of 254 in Texas. The county encompasses 5 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Refugio County is 43.9 years. This is 24% higher than the state median of 35.5 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Refugio County is $58,016. This is 24% lower than the state median of $76,292. It is also 26% lower than the national median of $78,538. The poverty rate stands at 17.3%. This is 25% higher than the state poverty rate of 13.8%. The unemployment rate is 5.7%. This is 11% higher than the state rate of 5.1%. The median home value is $94,400. Housing costs are 64% lower than the state median of $260,400. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 1.6x, Refugio County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 78.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 25% higher than the state average of 62.6%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Refugio County is Hispanic or Latino, making up 50.1% of the population. White (non-Hispanic) residents account for 41.3%. The Asian population (0.2%) is well below the state average of 5.3%.

Education

13.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 58% lower than the state rate of 33.1%. Nationally, 35.0% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 82.7%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Refugio County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023), with comparisons drawn against Texas and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.