Census Data for Rio Grande City

Population ...

The most recent Census Estimate<1> was for 2019 and it gave Rio Grande City a population of 14,457 people.

The last Decennial Census<2> was in 2010, which gave Rio Grande City a population of 13,834 people.

The city of Rio Grande City is located in Starr County. The 2010 Census gave Starr County; a population of 60,968 people. This means that Rio Grande City had 22.69% of the county's total population, making it Starr's most populous community.

At the same time, Texas had a population of 25,145,561 people, meaning that Rio Grande City had 0.06% of the total population of Texas - making it the state's 172nd most populous community.

Area ...

The 2010 Census shows that the sampling area for Rio Grande City has a total area of 11.35 square miles [29.4 km²].

Starr County has a land area of 1,223 square miles [3,168 km²]. At 11.35 square miles [29.4 km²], Rio Grande City has 0.93% of the county's total land area.

• Continue Reading ...
  • When the Census Bureau conducts a census for a city like Rio Grande City, they draw a boundary around the area in which they are going to conduct their count - this defines the sampling area (usually a polygon). The shape of the sampling area can be quite complex and it's important to keep in mind that the boundaries of the sampling area may or may not match the recognized boundaries of the city.
  • Things like population, area and housing for Rio Grande City reflect the sampling area. Since the shape of the sampling area and the actual boundaries of Rio Grande City might be different, it's best to check with the U.S. Census Bureau to resolve any difference between the two.
  • Not only does the sampling area define boundaries, it also has a GPS location (latitude & longitude) that indicates a point within the sampling area (usually the center of the polygon, known as the centroid). At the time of the 2010 Census, the sampling area was located at:
  • Lat:   26° 22' 51"   (or 26.38°)
  • Lon:   -98° 49' 17"   (or -98.82°)

Housing Units ...

At the time of the 2010 Census, Rio Grande City had 4,305 Housing Units<3> and with its population of 13,834 people, this averages 3.21 people per Housing Unit.

• Continue Reading ...
  • The 2010 Census shows Rio Grande City had a land area of 11.35 square miles [29.4 km²]. This translates to 379.3 Housing Units per square mile [146.4 housing units/km²].

Starr County ...

Rio Grande City is located in Starr County<4> and is the County Seat for Starr County.

The county had a population of 60,968 people at the 2010 Census. With it's population of 13,834 people, Rio Grande City represented 22.69% of the county's total.

In addition, where the city of Rio Grande City has a population density of 1,218 people per square mile [470.6 people/km²], Starr County averages 49.84 people per square mile [19.24 people/km²].

For more information, please visit our Census Page for Starr County.

Census-to-Census Observations ...

Introduction ...

When the Census Bureau takes a census count (or enumeration) for Rio Grande City, they start by specifying the boundaries of the area to be counted. This area (or sampling area) is a polygon and its shape can be quite complex - it may or may not match the geographical boundaries of Rio Grande City. It's important to note that from one Census to the next, the shape and location of the polygon can change.

• Continue Reading ...
  • Although we don't have specific information about the shape of the polygon for Rio Grande City or how it changed has over time, there is some information that can give us some hints. For example, since the shape of the sampling area is directly related to the shape of the polygon, any change to area probably indicates a new shape for the polygon.
  • If you need precision or details about the methodology of the Census, you should visit the U.S. Census Bureau for a definitive answer.

Location ...

While generally coinciding with the GPS location (latitude/longitude) of Rio Grande City, the latitude and longitude given by the Census Bureau actually indicates the GPS location of the polygon for Rio Grande City.

• Continue Reading ...
  • For the 2010 Censuses, the location was given as:

  Lat:   26.380999°   (or 26°22'51" N)

  Lon:   -98.821477°   (or -98°49'17" W)

  • The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the U.S. Board on Geographic Names (BGN) have assigned a unique GNIS identifier (#2410952) to Rio Grande City. This identifier also marks a GPS point on the map, and that point lies within the boundaries of Rio Grande City. The GNIS point has been mapped to the latitude/longitude:
  • Lat:   26.380826°   (or 26°22'50" N)
  • Lon:   -98.821901°   (or -98°49'18" W)
  • The GPS location given for the 2010 Census lies 152.2 feet to the northeast<5> of the point given by the GNIS for Rio Grande City. For more information about this and the relationship of the various Federal Codes, please visit our Misc Page for Rio Grande City.

Miscellaneous Information for Rio Grande City ...

The Federal government has assigned various identifying codes to each community, county and state. At one time or another, the US Census Bureau has used one (or more) of the following identifiers when referring to either Starr County or the city of Rio Grande City:

• The GNIS Codes ...
  • The current system of identification is called the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). The following GNIS codes relate to Rio Grande City:
  • GNIS ID for Rio Grande City: 2410952
  • GNIS ID for Starr County: 1383999
  • GNIS ID for State of Texas: 1779801

• The FIPS Codes ...
  • An earlier (and largely obsolete) identification method was called the Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS):
  • State Code: 48 (Texas)
  • County Code: 427 (Starr County)
  • Place Code: 62168 (Rio Grande City)
  • State & County Code: 48/427 (Texas / Starr County)
  • State & Place Code: 48/62168 (Texas / Rio Grande City)

• Misc. Census Codes ...
  • Rio Grande City is located in Census Region #3 (the South Region) and Division #7 (the West South-Central Division).

• The US Postal Service ZIP Code ...
  • While some people have used a ZIP code to identify a community, the purpose of the ZIP code was to make mail delivery more efficient by grouping addresses together. Although the ZIP Code doesn't specifically identify a city like Rio Grande City, it does identify addresses that are in (or near) Rio Grande City. It's important to remember that the boundaries of a ZIP Code can be changed, re-assigned or overlapped with other ZIP Codes.
  • The ZIP code for Rio Grande City:78582<6>

• Census ZCTA Codes ...
  • The US Census Bureau created statistical entities that they call ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) and these ZCTAs are frequently confused with the ZIP codes that come from the US Postal Service (USPS).
  • ZCTAs were first created for the 2000 Census and at that time, they were based upon the USPS ZIP codes. While largely covering the same areas, the boundaries of a ZCTA do not necessarily match the boundaries of a postal ZIP code with the same number. For example, while a postal ZIP code can cross a county or state line, a Census ZCTA can not. They should be treated as separate entities with no correlation between them.

For more information about the various Federal identification codes, please visit our Misc Page for Rio Grande City.

Off-the-Road Links ...

The official website for Rio Grande City: www.ci.rio-grande-city.tx.us/

The official website for State of Texas: https://texas.gov/

The official website of the U.S. Census Bureau

The official website of the U.S. Board on Geographic Names (BGN)

The official website of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)