Editing Refugio, Texas

{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name      = Refugio, Texas
| settlement_type    = Town
| nickname           = 
| motto              = <!-- Images -->
| image_skyline      = Refugio city hall 2015.jpg
| imagesize          = 225px
| image_caption      = Refugio City Hall
| image_flag         = 
| image_seal         = <!-- Maps -->
| image_map          = TXMap-doton-Refugio.PNG
| mapsize            = 250px
| map_caption        = Location of Refugio, Texas
| image_map1         = Refugio County Refugio.svg
| mapsize1           = 250px
| map_caption1       = <!-- Location -->
| subdivision_type   = Country
| subdivision_name   = United States
| subdivision_type1  = State
| subdivision_name1  = [[Texas]]
| subdivision_type2  = [[List of counties in Texas|County]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Refugio County, Texas|Refugio]]

<!-- Government -->| government_footnotes = 
| government_type    = 
| leader_title       = 
| leader_name        = 
| leader_title1      = 
| leader_name1       = 
| established_title  = Incorporated
| established_date   = February 1, 1842<ref>"[https://books.google.com/books?id=iws5AAAAIAAJ&dq=Texas+%22act+to+incorporate+the+Town+of%22+%22be+it+enacted%22+-amend+-repeal&pg=PA86 An Act to Incorporate the Town of Refugio]". ''Session Laws''. Texas. 1842. p. 86.</ref>

<!-- Area -->| unit_pref          = Imperial
| area_footnotes     = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2019">{{cite web|title=2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2019_Gazetteer/2019_gaz_place_48.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=August 7, 2020}}</ref>
| area_magnitude     = 
| 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 -->| population_as_of   = [[2020 United States Census|2020]]
| population_footnotes = 
| population_total   = 2712
| population_density_km2 = auto

<!-- General information -->| timezone           = [[North American Central Time Zone|Central (CST)]]
| utc_offset         = -6
| timezone_DST       = CDT
| utc_offset_DST     = -5
| elevation_footnotes = 
| elevation_m        = 14
| elevation_ft       = 46
| coordinates        = {{coord|28|18|21|N|97|16|29|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
| postal_code_type   = [[ZIP Code]]
| postal_code        = 78377
| area_code          = [[Area code 361|361]]
| blank_name         = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info         = 48-61436<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref>
| blank1_name        = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info        = 1345013<ref name="GR3">{{cite web|url=http://geonames.usgs.gov|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=US Board on Geographic Names|publisher=[[United States Geological Survey]]|date=October 25, 2007}}</ref>
| website            = 
| footnotes          = 
| population_density_sq_mi = auto
}}
'''Refugio''' ({{IPAc-en|r|ᵻ|f|ˈ|jʊər|.|i|.|oʊ}} {{respell|rif|YOOR|ee|oh}})<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.texasmonthly.com/the-daily-post/texans-spanish-place-names/|title = A Comprehensive List of How Texans Mispronounce Places with Spanish Names|date = November 28, 2017}}</ref> is a town in [[Refugio County, Texas|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 United States census|2020 Census]].<ref name=":0" /> Refugio is the birthplace of [[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum|Baseball Hall of Fame]] member [[Nolan Ryan]].

== Geography ==
Refugio is located at {{coord|28|18|21|N|97|16|29|W|type:city}} (28.305812, −97.274594).<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=April 23, 2011|date=February 12, 2011|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref> According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of 1.6&nbsp;square miles (4.0&nbsp;km{{sup|2}}), all land.

=== Climate ===
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.<ref>[http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=925714&cityname=Refugio%2C+Texas%2C+United+States+of+America&units= Climate Summary for Refugio, Texas]</ref>

== Demographics ==
{{US Census population
| 1880 = 455
| 1910 = 773
| 1920 = 933
| 1930 = 2019
| 1940 = 4077
| 1950 = 4666
| 1960 = 4944
| 1970 = 4340
| 1980 = 3898
| 1990 = 3158
| 2000 = 2941
| 2010 = 2890
| 2020 = 2712
| footnote = U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="Decennial Census">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
}}

===2020 census===
{| class="wikitable"
|+Refugio racial composition<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Explore Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=1600000US4861436&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2 |access-date=May 21, 2022 |website=data.census.gov}}</ref><br /> (NH = Non-Hispanic){{efn|Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.<ref>https://www.census.gov/ {{nonspecific|date=August 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=About the Hispanic Population and its Origin |url=https://www.census.gov/topics/population/hispanic-origin/about.html |website=www.census.gov |access-date=May 18, 2022}}</ref>}}
!Race
!Number
!Percentage
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino whites|White]] (NH)
|791
|29.17%
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino African Americans|Black or African American]] (NH)
|298
|10.99%
|-
|Native American or [[Alaska Native]] (NH)
|9
|0.33%
|-
|[[Asian Americans|Asian]] (NH)
|10
|0.37%
|-
|Some Other Race (NH)
|3
|0.11%
|-
|[[Multiracial Americans|Mixed/Multi-Racial]] (NH)
|53
|1.95%
|-
|[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]]
|1,548
|57.08%
|-
|'''Total'''
|'''2,712'''
|
|}
As of the [[2020 United States census]], there were 2,712 people, 957 households, and 598 families residing in the town.

===2000 census===
As of the census<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, 2,941 people, 1,128 households, and 788 families resided in the town. The population density was {{convert|1,880.7|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The 1,312 housing units averaged 839.0 per square mile (324.7/km{{sup|2}}). The racial makeup of the town was 74.53% White, 13.40% African American, 0.51% Native American, 0.51% Asian, 9.48% from [[Race (United States Census)|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.

== Notable people ==
* [[Rocky Bridges]], [[Major League Baseball]] (MLB) infielder
* [[Dan Firova]], MLB catcher, [[Washington Nationals]] bullpen coach, and [[Houston Astros]] coach (2022 World Series Win)
* [[Joseph L. Galloway]], American newspaper correspondent and columnist
* [[Kim Henkel]], co-writer, with [[Tobe Hooper]], of the original film ''[[The Texas Chain Saw massacre]]''
* [[Kermit Oliver]], painter
* [[Allison Paige]], country music singer-songwriter
* [[Nolan Ryan]], MLB pitcher, all-time Major League leader in [[strikeout]]s, and member of the [[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum|Baseball Hall of Fame]]
* [[Jack Starrett]], film actor and director

== Education ==
The Town of Refugio is served by the [[Refugio Independent School District]].

== Sports ==
The 1938 [[Refugio Oilers]] played [[minor league baseball]] as members of the [[Class D (baseball)|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.<ref name="encyc">{{cite book |title=The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball |editor1-first=Lloyd |editor1-last=Johnson |editor2-first=Miles |editor2-last=Wolff |edition=Third |publisher=[[Baseball America]] |date=2007 |isbn=978-1932391176}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/l-RGVL/y-1938|title=1938 Texas Valley League (TVL) minor league baseball on StatsCrew.com|website=www.statscrew.com}}</ref><ref name="auto2">{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/league.cgi?id=04d16527|title=1938 Texas Valley League|website=Baseball-Reference.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal
| last =Presswood  
| first =Mark 
| author-link = 
| title =The Minor League in Texas: Professional Baseball Had an Early Start in Small Towns  
| journal =Texas Almanac 2008–2009 
| volume =
| issue =
| pages =180–191 
| date =2009 
| language = 
| url =https://texasalmanac.com/sites/default/files/images/almanac-feature/Minor_League_in_Texas-TxAlm0809.pdf 
| jstor = 
| issn = 
| doi = 
| id = 
| mr = 
| zbl = 
| jfm =
| access-date = }}</ref>

In 1947, future [[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum|Baseball Hall of Fame]]r [[Nolan Ryan]] was born in Refugio, though his family would move to [[Alvin, Texas]], when Ryan was an infant.<ref name="auto4">{{cite web|url=https://www.tshmf.org/ryan.html|title=Ryan|website=Texas State History Museum Foundation}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://thisdayinbaseball.com/nolan-ryan-is-born-in-refugio-texas/|title=Nolan Ryan is born in Refugio, Texas|first=This Day in|last=Baseball|date=January 31, 1947}}</ref>

== Hurricane Harvey ==
{{main|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 [[U.S. Route 77 in Texas|US-77]]. Wind speeds were clocked up to 130&nbsp;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.

== References ==
{{Portal|Texas}}
{{reflist}}
{{notelist}}

{{Refugio County, Texas}}
{{Texas}}
{{Texas county seats}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Towns in Refugio County, Texas]]
[[Category:Towns in Texas]]
[[Category:County seats in Texas]]
[[Category:Irish-American history and culture in Texas]]