Refugio County, Texas: commercial real estate data.
Refugio County, Texas has a population of 6,707 across 770 square miles, up 0.0 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $484.3 m in 2024, 136 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 3 7(a) approvals worth $3.5 m.
119 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections
Refugio County
How many people live in Refugio County
- Population6,707
- Households2,495
- Average household size2.69
- Median household income$60,181
- Median age42.4
- Median gross rent$795 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$99,000
- Home value to household income1.6 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income15.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher14.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree2.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over4,845
- Population under 181,457
- Share under 1821.7 percent
- Population 65 and over1,511
- Share 65 and over22.5 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 643,739
- Civilian labor force2,861
- Unemployment rate4.5 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over54.5 percent
- Rank by population among Texas counties190th of 254
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents2758th
Refugio County is the 190th largest of 254 Texas counties by population. A median home costs 1.6 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 22.5 percent against 21.7 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single storey product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Refugio County
Is Refugio County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base0.04 percent
- Census 2020 base population6,736
- Births, 202482
- Deaths, 2024114
- Natural change, 2024-32
- Net domestic migration, 202463
- Net international migration, 20240
- Total net migration, 202463
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024152
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1812th
The county has grown 0.04 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration alone is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Refugio County
Where people moving to Refugio County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving159
- People arriving, from those returns307
- Adjusted gross income arriving$8.2 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$51,516
- Largest single originRefugio County Non-migrants (2,495 households)
- Largest single destination (2,495 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Refugio County Non-migrants | 2,495 | 5,153 | $142.4 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 116 | 225 | $6.3 m |
| Nueces County | 22 | 41 | $895,000 |
| Victoria County | 21 | 41 | $968,000 |
The largest single source of arrivals is Refugio County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Refugio County
What the Refugio County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$484.3 m
- County GDP, 2023$487.6 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 2024-0.7 percent
- GDP change over five years82.2 percent
- Rank by GDP among Texas counties189th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents2422nd
- GDP per resident$72,213
Output grew -0.7 percent in the latest year and 82.2 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Refugio County
Who employs people in Refugio County
- Covered employment, annual average2,263
- Establishments reporting206
- Average annual pay$52,440
- Average weekly wage$1,008
- Sector 23, employment309
- Sector 23, average annual pay$59,250
- Sector 44-45, employment269
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$32,737
- Sector 21, employment192
- Sector 21, average annual pay$105,591
- Sector 53, employment86
- Sector 53, average annual pay$79,083
- Sector 11, employment69
- Sector 81, employment55
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 23 | 309 | 18 | $59,250 |
| Sector 44-45 | 269 | 19 | $32,737 |
| Sector 21 | 192 | 19 | $105,591 |
| Sector 53 | 86 | 6 | $79,083 |
| Sector 11 | 69 | 23 | $48,039 |
| Sector 81 | 55 | 12 | $30,338 |
| Sector 48-49 | 52 | 6 | $82,755 |
| Sector 31-33 | 37 | 4 | $76,830 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 309 jobs, 13.7 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Refugio County
What businesses operate in Refugio County
- Establishments, all industries136
- Employment at those establishments1,514
- Annual payroll$79.3 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents20.3
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Refugio County
What is being built in Refugio County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202414
- Declared construction value permitted$3.1 m
- Single family units authorised14
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$217,900
- Units authorised per 1,000 households5.6
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Refugio County
How much SBA lending happens in Refugio County
- 7(a) approvals recorded3
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$3.5 m
- Average 7(a) approval$1,171,667
- Median 7(a) approval$1,040,000
- 10th percentile approval$100,000
- 90th percentile approval$2,375,000
- Largest single approval$2,375,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)42
- Jobs per approval14.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active2
- Distinct industries receiving approvals2
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer33.3 percent
- Loans on real estate terms1
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter2
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countSupport Activities for Oil and Gas Operations (2)
- Most active lenderNewtek Bank, National Association (2)
- 504 approvals recorded1
- 504 gross approval dollars$223,000
- Average 504 approval$223,000
- Median 504 approval$223,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval4.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved17.9
- Most active CDCCapital Certified Development Corporation (1)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals75.0 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$3.7 m
The average approval of $1,171,667 sits close to the median of $1,040,000, so lending here is fairly evenly sized rather than driven by a few large deals. 33.3 percent of approvals run on real estate terms of 240 months or more, so this is a market where SBA credit is buying buildings, not just funding operations.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Refugio County
Do SBA loans in Refugio County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded0
- Paid in full0
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure3
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 0 resolved loans, too few to publish a rate. A rate computed on a handful of loans is noise, so none is shown.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Refugio County
Which parts of Refugio County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending2
- Woodsboro, approvals2
- REFUGIO, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Woodsboro | 2 | $1,140,000 |
| REFUGIO | 1 | $2,375,000 |
Woodsboro accounts for 2 approvals against 1 in REFUGIO. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Refugio County
How big is Refugio County
- Land area770 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Texas counties205th of 254
- Width, east to west47.1 mi
- Height, north to south33 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land9
- Establishments per square mile0.18
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Refugio County
What hazards affect Refugio County
- EPA radon zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book5
- Of those, participating in the NFIP5
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
The EPA places the county in radon zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L.
US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001. FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Community Status Book, Community Status Book, as retrieved.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Refugio County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Refugio County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population6,707
- Households2,495
- Average household size2.69
- Median household income$60,181
- Median age42.4
Common questions
Refugio County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Refugio County, Texas?
6,707, in 2,495 households, ranking 190th of 254 Texas counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Refugio County growing?
The population has grown 0.04 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 82 births against 114 deaths, with net migration of 63. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Refugio County?
$60,181. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $99,000, which is 1.6 times income, and median gross rent is $795 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Refugio County?
136 establishments, employing 1,514 people with an annual payroll of $79.3 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Refugio County?
Average annual pay is $52,440, or $1,008 a week, across 2,263 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Refugio County?
3 7(a) approvals totalling $3.5 m since FY2020, across 2 lenders, with a median approval of $1,040,000, plus 1 504 approvals worth $223,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Refugio County?
14 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $3.1 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Refugio County?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Refugio County come from?
The largest single origin is Refugio County Non-migrants, with 2,495 households. Arriving households report an average income of $51,516 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Refugio County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Refugio County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.