The town is very popular as a spring break beach destination for college students, especially those taking classes in the state of Texas. The town also has one of the most famous water parks in the United States, the Schlitterbahn Beach WaterPark.
Geography
South Padre Island is located at 26°6'43" North, 97°10'11" West (26.111935, -97.169587)1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 4.9 km² (1.9 mi²). 4.7 km² (1.8 mi²) of it is land and 0.2 km² (0.1 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 4.23% water.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there are 2,422 people, 1,211 households, and 662 families residing in the town. The population density is 516.7/km² (1,335.9/mi²). There are 4,685 housing units at an average density of 999.4/km² (2,584.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the town is 94.59% White, 0.70% African American, 0.45% Native American, 0.21% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 2.77% from other races, and 1.24% from two or more races. 22.83% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 1,211 households out of which 15.4% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.2% are married couples living together, 4.2% have a female householder with no husband present, and 45.3% are non-families. 35.8% of all households are made up of individuals and 7.8% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.00 and the average family size is 2.54.
In the town the population is spread out with 12.9% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 34.2% from 45 to 64, and 18.4% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 47 years. For every 100 females there are 113.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 115.9 males.
The median income for a household in the town is $45,417, and the median income for a family is $53,250. Males have a median income of $39,250 versus $30,028 for females. The per capita income for the town is $31,708. 12.0% of the population and 10.2% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 11.1% are under the age of 18 and 7.8% are 65 or older.