Rio Grande City, Starr County, Texas Population and Demographics

In this article, we'll explore the population statistics for Rio Grande City, Texas, including popular demographics data like median age, number of households, household income, gender, employment and unemployment rates, occupations, religion, and more.

We are using the latest American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year survey data from the US Census Bureau, which is accurate up to 2021.

Table of Contents

Population

There is a lot of data that lets us see how many people live in Rio Grande City, Texas. The most basic data is the total population, which is the total number of people living in Rio Grande City, Texas. The estimated population of Rio Grande City, Texas is 15,494 people, with a median age of 29.2.

We can look at the total population in Rio Grande City over the last 5 years to see how much it has changed.

Year Population Change 5-Year Change
2021
15,494
+7.52%
+8.27%
2020
14,411
+0.02%
-
2019
14,408
-0.05% -
2018
14,415
+0.73%
-
2017
14,310
- -

Population of Rio Grande City, Texas by Race and Ethnicity

We can also look at how the population has changed over the last 5 years by each of the race/ethnicity types as defined by the US Census Bureau.

Race 2021 2017 Change
White
4.8%
0.7%
+585.71%
Black/African American
0.2%
0.1%
+100.00%
Native
0%
0%
0.00%
Hispanic
94.2%
99.1%
-4.94%
Asian
0%
0%
0.00%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
0%
0%
0.00%
Two Or More Races
0.8%
0%
0.00%
Other
0%
0%
0.00%

This data can be very important for a number of reasons, including social and economic research, planning and development, and marketing to a multi-cultural population.

Note that the Native group includes both Native American and Alaskan Native people.

Population of Rio Grande City, Texas by Age and Gender

The age and gender of a population is another interesting demographic statistic because it lets us track trends in the population over time. For example, we can see how the population has changed over the last 5 years by median age as a total, and also by male and female.

Year Total Male Female
2021 29.2 -9.32% 27.3 -11.07% 31.5 -6.53%
2020 32.2 +0.31% 30.7 -0.65% 33.7 -3.16%
2019 32.1 +0.31% 30.9 -1.9% 34.8 +6.75%
2018 32 +4.92% 31.5 +3.62% 32.6 +6.19%
2017 30.5 - 30.4 - 30.7 -

The median age of Rio Grande City, Texas gives you an idea of the age distribution, with half of the population being older than the median age and half being younger.

This can then be used to infer and compare against birth rates, parent ages, and more metrics to understand the population. For example, an increasing median age indicates an aging population, which can be a sign of a declining population in terms of birth rates and workforce participation.

Age 2021 2017
(Years) Male Female Male Female
0 to 9 1,129 +46.26% 1,223 +2.2% 1,706 1,230
10 to 19 1,242 +15.04% 1,169 +8.99% 1,390 1,263
20 to 29 1,211 +4.52% 1,049 +16.8% 1,221 1,153
30 to 39 1,193 +1.37% 910 +32.06% 1,194 1,232
40 to 49 766 1.29% 845 -12.6% 749 729
50 to 59 734 -11.02% 557 +63.8% 652 979
60 to 69 473 +9.68% 626 7.2% 492 621
70+ 541 +11.71% 642 -49.84% 554 329

Median Household Income

The latest median household income of Rio Grande City, Texas is $42,050.00.

In simple terms, the median income is the middle income of a group of people. Half of the people in the group make more than the median income, and half make less. The median income is a good indicator of the overall income of a group of people, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more.

Median Income by Age

We can also look at the median income by age to see how the median income varies by age, and how it compares to the overall median income for Rio Grande City.

  • Under 25
    $14,722.00
  • 25 to 44
    $51,677.00
  • 45 to 64
    $0.00
  • 65 and over
    $36,061.00

Average Household Income

Whenever we ask what is the average household income in Rio Grande City, we are actually talking about the mean household income.

This is calculated by adding up all the incomes of all the households in Rio Grande City, and then dividing that number by the total number of households. This is a good way to get a general idea of the average income of a group of people, but it can be skewed by a very high or very low incomes.

The average household income of Rio Grande City, Texas is currently $58,460.00.

In terms of accurately summarizing income at a geographic level, the median income is a better metric than the average income because it isn't affected by a small number of very high or very low incomes.

If you had an area where the average income was greater than the median, it can mean that there is significant income inequality, with income being concentrated in a small number of wealthy households.

1.55% of households in Rio Grande City are classed as high income households (making $200,000+ per year).

Household Income Tiers

The US Census Bureau divides households into income tiers based on the median income for the area. This is a good way to compare the income of Rio Grande City against other areas.

  • Less than $24,999
    37.74%
  • $25,000 to $49,999
    21.72%
  • $50,000 to $74,999
    11.71%
  • $75,000 to $99,999
    12.10%
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    12.53%
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    2.64%
  • $200,000 or more
    1.55%

Per Capita Income

The per capita income in Rio Grande City is $18,849.00.

Per capita income is the average income of a person in a given area. It is calculated by dividing the total income of Rio Grande City by the total population of Rio Grande City.

This is different from the average or mean income because it includes and accounts for all people in Rio Grande City, Texas, including people like children, the elderly, unemployed people, retired people, and more.

Education Levels

We can also look at the education levels in Rio Grande City to see how many people have a high school degree, a bachelor's degree, or a graduate degree.

Educational attainment is a good indicator of the overall education level of a population, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more to see how education levels affect income, unemployment rates, and more.

  • Master's degree or higher
    6.61%
  • Bachelor's degree
    28.58%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    12.11%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    47.45%
  • Less than high school diploma
    5.25%

Employment

Employment rates are all based around the total population in Rio Grande City that are over the age of 16.

The total population of Rio Grande City over the age of 16 is 10,843.

Of those people, a total of 63.20% are working or actively looking for work. This is called the labor force participation rate.

The participation rate is a useful market measure because it shows the relative amount of labor resources available to the economy.

The employment to total population rate in Rio Grande City is 56.30%.

Employment by Age

We can look at the employment rates by age to see how it compares to the overall employment rate.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
16 to 19 years 938 27.50% 65.10%
20 to 24 years 940 77.60% 15.90%
25 to 29 years 1,434 72.40% 5.00%
30 to 34 years 1,146 69.40% 8.30%
35 to 44 years 2,196 79.00% 11.10%
45 to 54 years 1,596 84.30% 11.40%
55 to 59 years 597 60.30% 0.00%
60 to 64 years 465 26.00% 0.00%
65 to 74 years 975 44.50% 0.00%
75 years and over 556 7.40% 0.00%

Employment by Race

Another very interesting employment statistic we can look at is the employment and unemployment rates by race in Rio Grande City. The table below shows the rates for each of the ethnicity groups types defined by the US Census Bureau.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
White 7,180 64.60% 12.10%
Black or African American 44 2.30% 0.00%
American Indian and Alaska Native 24 100.00% 0.00%
Asian 5 0.00% 0.00%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0 0.00% 0.00%
Other 441 81.60% 0.00%
Two or more races 3,149 58.20% 10.30%
Hispanic or Latino 10,113 63.00% 11.80%
Not Hispanic or Latino 566 62.50% 0.00%

Occupations

In this section we can look at the most common occupations in Rio Grande City as well as the gender breakdown and earnings of them.

The total population of civilian employees that are 16 years old or older in Rio Grande City is 6,107, with median earnings of $26,804.00.

Women in Rio Grande City, Texas earning approximately 85.50% of the men's earnings.

Population Earnings
Total 6,107 $26,804.00
Male 3,112 $29,629.00
Female 2,995 $25,336.00

Occupations by Category

In the table below, we can break down the population and earnings even further by occupation. The list of occupation categories below will show you how many people are employed in each category and the median earnings of each profession.

Occupation Employed Earnings
Management 391 $19,137.00
Business and Financial 177 $42,628.00
Computer and Mathematical 22 $0.00
Architecture and Engineering 24 $0.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 104 $0.00
Community and Social Service 138 $36,071.00
Legal 27 $0.00
Educational and Library 757 $42,989.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 23 $0.00
Healthcare Practitioners 467 $41,541.00
Healthcare Support 540 $13,082.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 7 $0.00
Law Enforcement 17 $0.00
Food Preparation and Serving 495 $17,776.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 249 $10,077.00
Personal Care and Service 154 $27,550.00
Sales 474 $14,483.00
Office and Administrative Support 285 $27,486.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 23 $0.00
Construction and Extraction 681 $29,818.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 326 $51,042.00
Production 96 $56,250.00
Transportation and Material Moving 344 $48,468.00

Occupations by Gender

The table below shows the same occupations from the list above, but we have split them by male and female to see how many male and females work in each occupation, the median earnings, and the male to female ratio of earnings.

That last metric is important because it can be used to look at the gender pay gap between men and women.

Occupation Male Female
Population Earnings Population Earnings
Management 204 $19,859.00 187 $11,807.00
Business and Financial 66 $0.00 111 $43,423.00
Computer and Mathematical 22 $0.00 0 $0.00
Architecture and Engineering 24 $0.00 0 $0.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 0 $0.00 104 $0.00
Community and Social Service 45 $48,692.00 93 $29,116.00
Legal 27 $0.00 0 $0.00
Educational and Library 112 $58,590.00 645 $41,274.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 0 $0.00 23 $0.00
Healthcare Practitioners 102 $65,156.00 365 $37,137.00
Healthcare Support 100 $13,611.00 440 $13,047.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 7 $0.00 0 $0.00
Law Enforcement 8 $0.00 9 $0.00
Food Preparation and Serving 202 $12,419.00 293 $17,858.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 66 $20,000.00 183 $7,221.00
Personal Care and Service 78 $0.00 76 $21,413.00
Sales 304 $14,448.00 170 $15,556.00
Office and Administrative Support 36 $0.00 249 $26,968.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 23 $0.00 0 $0.00
Construction and Extraction 681 $29,818.00 0 $0.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 326 $51,042.00 0 $0.00
Production 96 $56,250.00 0 $0.00
Transportation and Material Moving 344 $48,468.00 0 $0.00

Households and Family Size

A household defined bu the US Census Bureau is a group of people who occupy a housing unit. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, group of rooms, or single room occupied as separate living quarters.

There are currently 4,388 households in Rio Grande City, with an average household size of 3.41 people.

A family is defined as a group of two or more people related by birth, marriage, or adoption who live together in the same household.

There are 3,464 families in Rio Grande City with an average family size of 3.93 people.

Households by Marital Status

The four categories of household by marital status are:

  • Married-couple family
  • Male householder with no spouse present
  • Female household with no spouse present
  • Nonfamily household

The table below shows the total number of households and families, with the average sizes of each.

Married Male Female Nonfamily
Total Households 1,967 194 1,303 924
Average Household Size 3.78 5.95 4.17 1.01
Total Families 1,967 194 1,303 0
Average Household Size 3.72 5.09 4.07 0

Poverty

Of the 3,464 families in Rio Grande City, 26.80% are considered to be below the poverty threshold.

The table below shows the latest poverty thresholds in Rio Grande City:

Household Size Poverty Threshold
1 Person $14,580.00
2 People $19,720.00
3 People $24,860.00
4 People $30,000.00
5 People $35,140.00
6 People $40,280.00
7 People $45,420.00
8 People $50,560.00

Housing

There are 5,317 housing units in Rio Grande City, Texas.

The table below shows the split between occupied and vacant units:

Total Percentage
Occupied 4,388 82.53%
Vacant 929 17.47%

16.48% of the total 5,317 housing units in Rio Grande City are rental units. This is approximately 876 properties.

For owner-occupied housing units, a total of 3,267 are occupied by the owner - or 61.44% of the total.

Rental Rates

The median rent for a property in Rio Grande City is $539.00.

In the chart below, we can look at the number of rental properties in Rio Grande City that fall into a particular rent range. These can then be used to compare with other areas, or to see how they have changed over time.

  • No rent paid
    245
  • Less than $500
    341
  • $500 to $999
    432
  • $1,000 to $1,499
    103
  • $1,500 to $1,999
    0
  • $2,000 to $2,499
    0
  • $2,500 to $2,999
    0
  • $3,000 or more
    0

Property Value

The median value of a property in Rio Grande City is $96,700.00.

Just like with rental rates, we can look at the number of properties in Rio Grande City that fall into a particular value range.

  • Less than $50,000
    514
  • $50,000 to $99,999
    1,207
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    547
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    301
  • $200,000 to $299,999
    516
  • $300,000 to $499,999
    182
  • $500,000 to $999,999
    0
  • $1,000,000 or more
    0

Property Age

We can also look at the age of properties in Rio Grande City. The chart below shows the number of properties in Rio Grande City that fall into a particular age range.

  • 1939 or earlier
    133
  • 1940 to 1949
    97
  • 1950 to 1959
    251
  • 1960 to 1969
    386
  • 1970 to 1979
    1,008
  • 1980 to 1989
    835
  • 1990 to 1999
    781
  • 2000 to 2009
    1,090
  • 2010 to 2013
    736
  • 2014 or later
    0

Vehicles per Household

The number of vehicles available per household can be a good indicator of the level of affluence in an area. The chart below shows the number of households in Rio Grande City that have a particular number of vehicles available.

  • No vehicles available
    505
  • 1 vehicle available
    1,376
  • 2 vehicles available
    1,589
  • 3 or more vehicles available
    918

Commuting to Work

In this section, we can also look at how people in Rio Grande City get to work. The chart below shows the number of people in Rio Grande City that commute to work in a particular way.

21.8 minutes is the average travel time to work for people in Rio Grande City.

These commute times can be compared to other date like income and educational levels to see how they relate to each other and if there are any trends in the data that might suggest a correlation.

  • Less than 5 minutes
    593
  • 5 to 9 minutes
    732
  • 10 to 14 minutes
    1,110
  • 15 to 19 minutes
    1,106
  • 20 to 24 minutes
    449
  • 25 to 29 minutes
    271
  • 30 to 34 minutes
    457
  • 35 to 39 minutes
    36
  • 40 to 44 minutes
    25
  • 45 to 59 minutes
    240
  • 60 to 89 minutes
    343
  • 90 or more minutes
    186

Summary

We've covered a LOT of demographic and population data for Rio Grande City, Texas in this article! Hopefully you have found it very useful in your research of the area.

If you use any of the data found on this page, please consider linking back to USPopulation.org as the source and if you have any feedback or data requests, click here to contact us.