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El Refugio vs La Puerta

Next-door neighbors. The biggest differences: jobs per worker (27× in La Puerta) and street grid (5.6× in La Puerta).

E ×
El Refugio, TXAn outdoors townTexas · 780 people
L ×
La Puerta, TXA small town of 582Texas · 582 people
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Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

El RefugioAn outdoors town
Outdoors62.6% conserved land1.1 miles of trails across 1 parks and preserves All about El Refugio →
La PuertaA small town of 582
Quiet strengthsLa Puerta doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about La Puerta →
The biggest differences

Where they part ways

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Jobs per worker27×
La Puerta is more of a job hub
La Puerta 0.54El Refugio 0.02
Street grid5.6×
La Puerta has the more walkable street grid
La Puerta 53.9El Refugio 9.6
Conserved land+62.6 pts
El Refugio has more conserved land
El Refugio 62.6%La Puerta 0%
Homeowners+42.5 pts renters
La Puerta has more renters
El Refugio 59%La Puerta 16.5%
Trails2.8×
El Refugio has more miles of trail
El Refugio 1.1 miLa Puerta 0.4 mi
Bachelor’s degree++23.7 pts
More adults in La Puerta have a degree
La Puerta 25.1%El Refugio 1.4%
★ What stands out · Where they are

El Refugio and La Puerta share a border

Straight-line miles between town centers.

El RefugioLa PuertaEl RefugioLa Puerta
El Refugio ↔ La Puerta0.7 miles apart · They share a border
Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons
El RefugioLa Puerta
Snow a year0″0″
January low45°F45°F
July high99°F99°F
Growing season (days)321d321d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)57th57th
Outdoors & history
El RefugioLa Puerta
Trails1 mi—
Conserved land62.6%—
Community
El RefugioLa Puerta
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

El RefugioLa Puerta
People
Population 780Highest 582Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census — +0.9% TX: +15.9%
Median age 22.3±3.4Lowest 37% below TX 27.4±5.3Highest 23% below TX
La Puerta and El Refugio are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 36.7%±29.7Lowest TX: 25% 42.6%±46.9Highest TX: 25%
La Puerta and El Refugio are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 4%±8.6Lowest TX: 13.4% 4.1%±8.9Highest TX: 13.4%
La Puerta and El Refugio are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 1.4%Lowest TX: 33.8% 25.1%Highest TX: 33.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 12.4%±7.7Highest TX: 6.2% 7.2%±6Lowest TX: 6.2%
El Refugio and La Puerta are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $47,440±$25k 40% below TX —
Rentmedian gross, monthly — $720±$14 49% below TX
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,136 73% below TX —
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent — 30.7%±12.7 TX: 51.7%
Below poverty line 60.5%Highest TX: 13.8% 19.2%Lowest TX: 13.8%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 59%Highest TX: 62.6% 16.5%Lowest TX: 62.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1988Highest 4 yrs older than TX 1983Lowest 9 yrs older than TX
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 14 min 48% below TX —
Work from home 19.4%±18.2Highest TX: 14.4% 0%±10.2Lowest TX: 14.4%
El Refugio and La Puerta are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 0%Lowest 0.6%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 32.8 miLowest 34.3 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.02Lowest 0.54Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Rio Grande City (20%)Rio Grande City (24%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in La PuertaFew work in El Refugio
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 62.6%Highest 0%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 1.1 miHighest 0.4 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.8 miHighest 1.3 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1Highest 0Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 9.6Lowest 53.9Highest
Texas average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024
Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

El Refugio neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to El Refugio’s Town Square.

La Puerta neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to La Puerta’s Town Square.

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Bordering El Refugio

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Garza-Salinas II559 people · $48K homes

Towns like El Refugio

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Jewett1,075 people · $138K homes
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Loraine813 people · $61K homes
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Callisburg459 people · $181K homes
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Beckville690 people · $115K homes
Not sure which town to add? Find your place ranks Texas towns on what matters to you.Find your place →

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

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