Laguna Heights is a

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, such ...

(CDP) in Cameron County,

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

, United States. The population was 962 at the 2020 census, significantly down from 3,488 at the 2010 census.

History

Laguna Heights was struck by a high-end

EF1 tornado The Enhanced Fujita scale (abbreviated as EF-Scale) rates tornado intensity based on the severity of the damage they cause. It is used in some countries, including the United States, Canada, China, and Mongolia. The Enhanced Fujita scale repla ...

on May 13, 2023, which caused major damage to properties, killed one person, and injured 11 others.

Geography

Laguna Heights is located in eastern Cameron County at (26.080060, -97.256172), on the south shore of

Laguna Madre The Laguna Madre is a long, shallow, hypersaline lagoon along the western coast of the Gulf of Mexico in Nueces, Kenedy, Kleberg, Willacy and Cameron Counties in Texas, United States. It is one of seven major estuaries along the Gulf Coas ...

, a large lagoon connected to the Gulf of Mexico. The CDP is bordered to the south and east by the city of

Port Isabel Port Isabel may refer to: Places *Port Isabel, Texas, USA; a city in Cameron County *Port Isabel, Sonora, Mexico; a former port (1864-1879) at the mouth of the Colorado River * Port Isabel Independent School District, Cameron County, Texas, USA *Po ...

and to the west by the town of Laguna Vista.

Texas State Highway 100 State Highway 100 (SH 100) is a Texas state highway that runs between "Russeltown" and Port Isabel. It was designated in 1926 along its current route. Its western terminus is at Interstate 69E/U.S. Highway 77/83 and ends at the western end of t ...

passes through Laguna Heights, leading eastward to the center of Port Isabel and to

South Padre Island South Padre Island is a barrier island in the U.S. state of Texas. The remote landform is located in Cameron County, Willacy County, and accessible by the Queen Isabella Causeway. South Padre Island was formed when the creation of the Port Mans ...

, and westward to

Interstate 69E Interstate 69E (I-69E) is a north–south freeway running through South Texas. Once complete, the freeway will begin in Brownsville and head northward before terminating near Victoria as both I-69W and I-69E merge into I-69 toward Housto ...

between Harlingen and Brownsville. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the Laguna Heights CDP has a total area of , all land.

Demographics

Laguna Heights is part of the Brownsville– Harlingen

Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally Incorporated town, incorporate ...

2020 census

As of the

2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...

, there were 962 people, 575 households, and 371 families residing in the CDP.

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2010, there were 3,488 people, 528 households, and 459 families residing in the CDP. The population density was . There were 572 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the CDP was 67.19%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 0.85%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.30% Native American, 0.05%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 29.40% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 2.21% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 93.32% of the population. There were 528 households, out of which 56.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.8% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 15.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 12.9% were non-families. 10.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 2.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.77 and the average family size was 4.04. In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 37.5% under the age of 18, 12.2% from 18 to 24, 30.1% from 25 to 44, 14.8% from 45 to 64, and 5.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 25 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.9 males. The median income for a household in the CDP was $18,083, and the median income for a family was $19,491. Males had a median income of $15,677 versus $14,861 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the CDP was $6,538. About 37.7% of families and 45.6% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 55.4% of those under age 18 and 25.6% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Children living in Laguna Heights are zoned to schools in

Point Isabel Independent School District Point Isabel Independent School District is a public school district based in Port Isabel, Texas, United States. In addition to Port Isabel, the district serves the towns of Laguna Vista and South Padre Island, as well as the unincorporated Ca ...

. Children go to Garriga Elementary School (Grades K-2), Derry Elementary School, (3-5), Port Isabel Junior High School (6-8), and

Port Isabel High School Port Isabel High School (PIHS) is a 4A public high school located in Port Isabel, Texas, United States. It is the sole high school in the Point Isabel Independent School District. In 2015, the school was rated " met standard" by the Texas Educat ...

(9-12). All of the schools are in

. In addition,

South Texas Independent School District South Texas Independent School District (STISD) is a magnet school district headquartered in Mercedes, Texas (USA). STISD operates magnet schools that draw students from three counties: Cameron, Hidalgo and Willacy. STISD covers an area of , o ...

operates magnet schools that serve the community.

References

;Notes {{Authority control Census-designated places in Cameron County, Texas Census-designated places in Texas