South Padre Island · Satx usa / CC BY-SA 4.0South Padre Island beach panorama · Spheroidite / CC BY-SA 4.0Street Scene South Padre Island Texas · No machine-readable author provided. MauriceJFox3 assumed (based on copyright claims). / Public domainSoPadre · Herbert Smith / CC BY-SA 3.0
South Padre Island is a small town of 2,386 in Texas, with a median household income of $62,557
and a 3.4% unemployment rate.
Its cost of living index is 85 (US average = 100), which is
15% below the national average.
Strengths:
South Padre Island stands out for an affordable cost of living, a well-educated population, short average commutes.
Trade-offs:
Potential downsides include a higher-than-average crime index. Whether South Padre Island is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All South Padre Island city data on this page comes from official government sources —
the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 85.2
South Padre Island's overall cost of living index is 85.2,
where 100 represents the US national average.
Living in South Padre Island costs roughly 15% less than the average American city.
Metric
South Padre Island, TX
National Avg
Median Home Value
$389,400
$244,900
Median Monthly Rent
$1,361
$1,163
Homeownership Rate
71.2%
65.9%
Median Household Income
$62,557
$74,755
Crime & Safety
High Crime
South Padre Island's violent crime rate is 1428.6 per 100,000 residents
— 276% higher than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Violent Crime
1428.6 /100k
Property Crime
11822.7 /100k
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Metric
South Padre Island, TX
National Avg
School District
N/A
—
Elementary Schools
N/A
—
Middle Schools
N/A
—
High Schools
N/A
—
Student/Teacher Ratio
N/A
16:1
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
53.7%
35.4%
High School Diploma or Higher
91.6%
91.1%
Weather & Climate
South Padre Island sees average highs of 68.3°F in January
and 88.7°F in July,
with 28.8 inches of annual precipitation
and 0.2 inches of snow per year.
South Padre Island's cost of living index is 85, where 100 is the national average.
That makes South Padre Island roughly 15% less expensive than a typical US city — a meaningful affordability advantage.
The median home price is $389,400 and median rent is $1,361/month.
South Padre Island's violent crime rate is 1428.6 per 100,000 residents — the national average is ~380 per 100,000. Property crime is 11822.7 per 100,000 (national avg ~2,100). Data from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program.
School district information is sourced from NCES Common Core of Data.
South Padre Island, TX has a population of 2,386, a median household income of $62,557, and an unemployment rate of 3.4%.
It offers below-average costs of living, which stretches take-home pay further than in most American cities. Whether it's right for you depends on your priorities — use the compare tool above to stack it against another city you're considering.
South Padre Island averages 68.3°F in January and 88.7°F in July. Annual rainfall is 28.8 inches
with about 0.2 inches of snow per year.
Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991–2020).
South Padre Island, TX is covered by 1 ZIP code: 78597.
The population of South Padre Island, Texas is 2,386 with a median age of 58.5. Source: US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates.
Key numbers for living in South Padre Island: cost of living index 85 (100 = US average), median home $389,400, median household income $62,557, crime index 400 (100 = US average, lower is safer). Whether these are benefits or drawbacks depends on where you're coming from — compare South Padre Island side by side with your current city to see the trade-offs.
