Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Rio Grande City earns a D−, ranked 627th of 640 in Texas, mostly because of health and incomes. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 96% of the country. The median household income is $45K, and 31% of residents live below the poverty line. It also has a long history, with 7 places on the National Register. 31% of residents live below the poverty line in Rio Grande City, above both Texas’ towns (12%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). Rio Grande City's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 99% of U.S. towns. Only 71 of Texas’ 1,000 towns score higher on history.
Where Rio Grande City beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
13,834 counted in 2010 and 15,317 in 2020; an estimated 15,451 in 2025.
Growth has leveled off: within 1% of 2020, after 10.7% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Texas), ordered by how far Rio Grande City is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 3,992 in 1950, 15,317 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1908 and 2 maps from 1956 on.
7 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Rio Grande City, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Rio Grande City.
Rio Grande City has a longer frost-free season than nearly all U.S. towns and trades workers with McAllen and other neighbors, but it has poverty well above the Texas rate.
47% of Rio Grande City adults get no exercise outside work. Rio Grande City beats the Texas average on 2 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 20. 14% of Rio Grande City adults binge drink.
| Rio Grande City | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 24% | 19% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 13% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 15% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 47% | 30% | 25% |
| What stands out | Rio Grande City | TX |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 4.4% | 6.1% |
| Fewer binge drinkers | 14% | 17% |
| More uninsured adults | 42.3% | 19.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by Rio Grande City Grulla ISD. Two of its 8 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ringgold MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 639 | D |
| Preparatory for Early College H SLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 430 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TX on state tests and graduation
Values rose 2.6% in the past year while the Texas typical home fell 1.5%. The typical value, about $148K, is 15% below its January 2022 peak.
The typical Rio Grande City home is worth about $148,000, 50% below the Texas typical home. Rio Grande City’s median rent is $767 a month.
| Rio Grande City | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $767 a month | $1,208 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 69% | 69% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
4.9 miles of trail in 5 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Fort Ringgold County Park, at 21 acres.
| Rio Grande City | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 3.5% | 1.9% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Basilio Villarreal Municipal Park | 1 mi | 16 |
| 2. Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge | — | 133 |
| 3. Fort Ringgold County Park | — | 21 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 72% of U.S. communities. Since 2001, 6 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Rio Grande City.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The Rio Grande City weather station records that the frost-free season runs about 321 days, longer than in 96% of U.S. towns. The Rio Grande City weather station records that about 187 days a year reach 90°, more than in 100% of U.S. towns.
The July high in Rio Grande City is 99°F. Rio Grande City has warm winters and hot summers, with very little rain.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Rio Grande City has about as many jobs (5,891) as working residents, but only 1,553 people both live and work here. Jobs based here fell from 8,716 in 2013 to 5,891.
About one in 3 of Rio Grande City’s working residents works in town. Since 2013, Rio Grande City has lost 2,825 jobs, to 5,891 in 2023. The top destinations are McAllen (8%), Edinburg (5%) and Laredo (4%).
| Rio Grande City | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 29% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $45,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 7.3% | 9.7% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
None within 15 miles of Rio Grande City; the nearest are
About 6 of every 100 Rio Grande City residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Texas.
7 places in Rio Grande City on the National Register of Historic Places.
3 notable people were born in Rio Grande City.
City in Texas, United States
Rio Grande City is a city in and the county seat of Starr County, Texas, United States. The population was 15,317 at the time of the 2020 census. The city is 41 miles (66 km) west of McAllen. It is connected to Camargo, Tamaulipas, via the Rio Grande City–Camargo International Bridge. The city is situated within the Rio Grande Valley.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
4 towns share a border with Rio Grande City.
| Town | TX rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rio Grande City | #627 | D− | C | C+ | C | D− |
| Las Lomas | — | — | A | — | C | D− |
| Santa Cruz | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| El Mesquite | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Ranchitos del Norte | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Las Lomas has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Las Lomas reports no FBI crime data of its own. Santa Cruz, El Mesquite and Ranchitos del Norte aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Rio Grande City with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Rio Grande City grades D− overall, better than 2% of U.S. towns and #627 of 640 in Texas. It grades D− for health, C+ for safety and C for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D−.
That is 3.9 years of the area's median household income ($37,639 across the Rio Grande City-Roma, TX area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.
3 notable people were born here, including Ricardo Sanchez and William G. Harrell.
