| Official Name: | Refugio, Texas |
| Settlement Type: | Town |
| Mapsize: | 250px |
| Image Map1: | Refugio County Refugio.svg |
| Mapsize1: | 250px |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | United States |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | Texas |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name2: | Refugio |
| Established Title: | Incorporated |
| Established Date: | February 1, 1842[1] |
| Unit Pref: | Imperial |
| Area Footnotes: | [2] |
| Area Total Km2: | 4.07 |
| Area Land Km2: | 4.07 |
| Area Water Km2: | 0.00 |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 1.57 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 1.57 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 0.00 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Total: | 2712 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Timezone: | Central (CST) |
| Utc Offset: | -6 |
| Timezone Dst: | CDT |
| Utc Offset Dst: | -5 |
| Elevation M: | 14 |
| Elevation Ft: | 46 |
| Coordinates: | 28.3058°N -97.2747°W |
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP Code |
| Postal Code: | 78377 |
| Area Code: | 361 |
| Blank Name: | FIPS code |
| Blank Info: | 48-61436[3] |
| Blank1 Name: | GNIS feature ID |
| Blank1 Info: | 1345013[4] |
| Population Density Sq Mi: | auto |
Refugio [5] is a town in Refugio County, of which it is the county seat, in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 2,712 as of the 2020 Census. Refugio is the birthplace of Baseball Hall of Fame member Nolan Ryan.
Refugio is located at 28.3058°N -97.2747°W (28.305812, −97.274594).[6] According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.6 square miles (4.0 km), all land.
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen climate classification, Refugio has a humid subtropical climate, Cfa on climate maps.[7]
| White (NH) | 791 | 29.17% | |
| Black or African American (NH) | 298 | 10.99% | |
| Native American or Alaska Native (NH) | 9 | 0.33% | |
| Asian (NH) | 10 | 0.37% | |
| Some Other Race (NH) | 3 | 0.11% | |
| Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH) | 53 | 1.95% | |
| Hispanic or Latino | 1,548 | 57.08% | |
| Total | 2,712 |
As of the census of 2000, 2,941 people, 1,128 households, and 788 families resided in the town. The population density was 1880.7sp=usNaNsp=us. The 1,312 housing units averaged 839.0 per square mile (324.7/km). The racial makeup of the town was 74.53% White, 13.40% African American, 0.51% Native American, 0.51% Asian, 9.48% from other races, and 1.56% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 44.30% of the population.
Of the 1,128 households, 30.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.5% were married couples living together, 18.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.1% were notfamilies; 27.3% of the households were made up of individuals, and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55, and the average family size was 3.08.
In the town, the population was distributed as 26.7% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 25.1% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 17.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.3 males. The median income for a household in the town was $26,719, and for a family was $32,237. Males had a median income of $33,021 versus $15,549 for females. The per capita income for the town was $13,523. About 16.8% of families and 21.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.7% of those under age 18 and 20.9% of those age 65 or over.
The Town of Refugio is served by the Refugio Independent School District.
The 1938 Refugio Oilers played minor league baseball as members of the Class D level Texas Valley League. The Brownsville Charros, Corpus Christi Spudders, Harlingen Hubs, McAllen Packers and Taft Cardinals joined Refugio in the league, which began play on April 14, 1938.[9] [10] [11] [12]
In 1947, future Baseball Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan was born in Refugio, though his family would move to Alvin, Texas, when Ryan was an infant.[13] [14]
See main article: Hurricane Harvey. On August 23, 2017, Governor Greg Abbott published an emergency evacuation for the town of Refugio, following his state of emergency announcement on the state of Texas. On August 25, at peak intensity, Hurricane Harvey hit Refugio, causing significant damage to businesses and homes along US-77. Wind speeds were clocked up to 130 mph when the storm hit the town. Many professional storm trackers were storm chasing in Refugio during the peak of the storm, witnessing and documenting the experience. Several businesses in Refugio closed permanently in the aftermath of Harvey, and the town was without utilities for months.