Austwell, Texas
Austwell is a small community in Refugio County on the Texas Gulf Coast, roughly 52 miles northeast of Corpus Christi in the low, marshy Coastal Bend. It sits near the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, the coastal wintering grounds famous for the endangered whooping cranes that migrate there each year. The surrounding landscape is a mix of tidal flats, bays, and coastal prairie.
Place essentials
Official Census snapshot- Census place type
- City
- July 2025 population
- 114
- Change from 2020 base
- -3.4%
- Land area
- 0.4 sq. mi.
- County footprint
- Refugio County
Place type, county footprint, and land area use the Census Bureau's January 1, 2025 geography. Population uses Vintage 2025 estimates through July 1, 2025; change compares that estimate with the April 1, 2020 estimates base. Geography file | Population file
Property here runs through the appraisal district and tax office for Refugio County. The homestead exemption, appraisal cap, protests, and any MUD, PID, or special districts all sit at the parcel level.
Official routes
Use the office for the parcel address; a mailing city is not always the governing city.
County context
What to know around Austwell
County lines carry much of the property, land, water, and outdoors context around Austwell.
History & Identity
Refugio County takes its name from a Spanish mission founded in 1793
The county seat of Refugio and the county itself are both named after the Nuestra Senora del Refugio Mission, one of the last Spanish missions established in Texas.
Property Tax
Two offices handle your property taxes in Refugio County
The appraisal district sets your property value; a separate tax office collects the bill.
Windstorm Insurance
Refugio County is in the TWIA windstorm insurance zone
Refugio County is one of the first-tier coastal counties where TWIA wind and hail coverage can come into play after a private-market denial.
Nearby
Places near Austwell
Nearby counties
Local notes for nearby counties
Next steps for Austwell
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