Get paid to care for family in Refugio County
Most of the 1,500 people in Refugio County who are 65 or older are cared for at home, by a relative. Texas Medicaid can pay you for that work.
Refugio County at a glance
- Aged 65+
- 1,500
- Aged 85+
- 147
- Rank in TX
- 176th
- Median age
- 42.4
22% of residents
when daily help usually starts
of 254 counties, by residents 65+
older than the country
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Population Estimates (Vintage 2024). Refugio County is one of the most rural counties in the country (Rural-Urban Continuum Code 8).
- 50 + DC
- states covered
- 3,144
- counties with local data
- $0
- it is always free to apply
- 2 min
- to see if you qualify
Population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau · Rules from each state's published Medicaid program
Care in Refugio
What being a paid caregiver looks like here
About 1,500 people in Refugio County are 65 or older — 22% of everyone who lives here. That is an older county than Texas overall, so more families here are already doing this work. Roughly 147 are 85 or older, the age when daily help usually starts. Out here, hiring an outside agency often is not realistic at all. Being paid to do the care yourself is not a workaround — it is how these programs were designed to work.
Statewide, 4.4 million people in Texas are 65 or older — 14% of the state, across 254 counties.
What Texas pays family caregivers
$13–$15/hr
Your exact pay is set by the program and your care plan. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Source: Texas Medicaid program data · Updated September 2026
Texas's programs at a glance
- Consumer Directed Services (CDS)
- STAR+PLUS HCBS
- CLASS & MDCP Waivers
- Spouse paid?
- Not right now
- Parent paid for a child?
- Not right now
- Waitlist
- Waitlists can be long — apply early.
These rules are set by the state, so they are the same in every county. Read the full Texas guide →
Towns and cities in Refugio County
Texas sets eligibility, not your town — so a family in Refugio and a family at the far edge of the county apply the same way. The largest communities in Refugio County:
- Refugio2,788
- Woodsboro1,291
- Bayside280
- Austwell114
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Subcounty Population Estimates.
How families in Refugio apply
You do not need a county office to start. Families in Refugio County start with Texas's program:
Call 877-438-5658 to join the CLASS or MDCP interest list, or 800-964-2777 for the STAR+PLUS HCBS interest list; benefits applications go through YourTexasBenefits.com or 2-1-1 Texas.
Or skip the phone tag — our free 2-minute check tells you which Texas program fits your family, then we help with the forms.
See if you qualify →Refugio questions, answered honestly
Can I get paid to care for a family member in Refugio County?
Yes. Texas runs real Medicaid programs — like Consumer Directed Services (CDS) — that pay family caregivers, and they cover families in Refugio County. We help you enroll, and applying costs you nothing.
How much do family caregivers earn in Refugio County?
Reported figures in Texas are around $13–$15/hr, but rates vary — the program sets your exact pay. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Where do families in Refugio County apply?
Families in Refugio County start with the state, not the county. Call 877-438-5658 to join the CLASS or MDCP interest list, or 800-964-2777 for the STAR+PLUS HCBS interest list; benefits applications go through YourTexasBenefits.com or 2-1-1 Texas.
Can I get paid to care for my spouse in Refugio County?
Not right now — but other family members often can be. The fine print for Texas: no — spouses cannot be paid attendants in Medicaid CDS programs; reported exception: state-funded CMPAS may allow a spouse
How many people in Refugio County might need this?
1,500 residents of Refugio County are 65 or older and about 147 are 85 or older, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2024 population estimates. Most of them are cared for at home by a relative rather than in a facility. Texas's programs exist to pay for exactly that care.
Which towns in Refugio do you cover?
All of Refugio County — including Refugio, Woodsboro, Bayside and Austwell. Eligibility is set by Texas, not by your town, so where you live inside the county does not change whether you qualify.
Program facts come from Texas's published Medicaid program rules · Population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau · Updated September 2026. Rules change — always confirm with the program.
Guides
For families in Refugio County
Start with the Texas caregiver program, then read how the pieces fit together.
Nearby
Counties next to Refugio
The counties Refugio touches, by Census boundaries — a few of those borders run across water.
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