75% of residents live below the poverty line in Matagorda, where Texas’ towns sit at 12% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Only 3 of the 643 Texas towns we compare have a higher age of the median resident than Matagorda. Matagorda has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Matagorda Cemetery and Christ Episcopal Church. Matagorda has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.

What makes Matagorda stand out

Where Matagorda beats most towns.

Jobs vs. working residents

Jobs here1,166

Residents who work144

Work

A regional job hub: more jobs per worker than 99% of U.S. towns

2 places on the National Register

A history going back 191 years.

Matagorda Cemetery · National Register of Historic Places

Matagorda’s story

191 years in pictures

2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.

1835Matagorda is settled

Explore the history →

Landmarks

2 places in Matagorda on the National Register of Historic Places.

All landmarks →

Matagorda Cemetery

Christ Episcopal Church

By the sea

Matagorda lives by the ocean

Coastal flooding makes up 11% of the storm damage FEMA expects here.

11%of expected storm damage is coastal flooding

99thpercentile for coastal flood risk nationally

5storm & flood disasters paid out here

FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA · OpenStreetMap

The data

Ordered by what stands out in Matagorda.

Schools

The schools Matagorda’s kids attend

Its one school is below. Matagorda ISD runs its public schools. 109 students attend the town’s public school.

School	Level	Students	Letter
Matagorda IsdLargest public high schoolGrades PK–11	Grades PK–11	109	C⁻

Full pageMatagorda’s schools pageOpen the full Schools page

The districtsMATAGORDA ISD Every school1 school · Matagorda Isd Questions“Are Matagorda’s schools good?”

NCES · EDFacts

Work & commute

A job hub: Matagorda has 8.1 jobs for every working resident and draws in 1,150 commuters

11%work in town

Only 11% of working residents stay in Matagorda for work; the rest commute out. The top destinations are Houston (26%), Bay City (10%) and Victoria (2%). Half of commuters travel less than 77 miles.

Where working residents work

In Matagorda11%

Houston26%

Bay City10%

Victoria2%

Dallas2%

77 mi

median commute distance

1,166

jobs based in Matagorda

A job hub

jobs vs. working residents

Full pageMatagorda’s work & commute pageOpen the full Work & commute page

The jobs here1,166 jobs based here · A job hub Where people work11% work in Matagorda Commute timesCommute times How far they goHalf commute less than 77 miles

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

Natural hazards

Matagorda stands out in Texas and nationally, with the FEMA risk score higher than most

96risk score of 100

FEMA puts 63% of Matagorda’s expected hazard losses down to hurricanes, and 17% to inland flooding. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Matagorda after 5 declared disasters, most recently in 2024. Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 96% of U.S. communities.

FEMA risk score

HurricanesInland floodingCoastal flooding

federal disasters paid out here

Full pageMatagorda’s hazards pageOpen the full Hazards page

What it facesVery high risk Flood claims0 paid flood claims · No paid flood claims on record Past disasters5 federal disasters · Paid out in Matagorda Get ready0.2 events a year, on average · Ready for hurricanes

FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

Climate

A typical July afternoon in Matagorda is 90°F, against 95°F in Texas’ towns and 85°F across U.S. towns

91°summer high

Matagorda has warm winters and warm summers.

Typical low → high °F

Winter49–65°

Spring63–77°

Summer77–89°

Fall65–81°

Dec 16

typical first frost

Feb 5

typical last frost

+1.6°

vs. the 20th-century average

91°

typical summer high

Full pageMatagorda’s climate pageOpen the full Climate page

A year of weatherJuly highs 90°, January lows 46°Rain & snow44″ of rain a year · Snow is almost unheard of Heating & coolingBoth heating and cooling Then and now+1.6° vs. the 20th century · Warmer than the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

Health

How healthy Matagorda is

For adults in Matagorda, the share who worry about having enough food is 11%. Against the Texas average, Matagorda comes out ahead on 12 CDC measures out of 31, and behind on 10. Two figures for adults locally: 17% have diabetes, 13% binge drink. Only 3 of the 642 Texas towns we compare have a higher share of adults who have high blood pressure than Matagorda.