South Padre Island area reference
South Padre Island tourism statistics
Clear, citable travel data for the South Padre Island area. These figures use the latest Cameron County estimates published by Travel Texas, the state’s tourism research program.
How to read this page
The closest public data is countywide.
South Padre Island is in Cameron County. The official report measures travel’s direct impact across the county, so these figures describe the broader visitor economy that includes the Island, not South Padre Island alone.
That distinction matters. It keeps this reference useful without claiming more local precision than the public source provides.
2025 at a glance
Travel’s direct impact in Cameron County
Every figure below is from the same 2025 Travel Texas economic-impact report.
$1.324B
total travel spending
Direct travel spending in Cameron County in 2025, up 6.8% from 2024.
Source: Travel Texas, 2025$1.242B
visitor spending
Spending attributed to visitors in Cameron County in 2025.
Source: Travel Texas, 202510,340
travel-related jobs
Direct jobs supported by travel spending in Cameron County in 2025.
Source: Travel Texas, 2025$311.3M
travel-generated earnings
Direct earnings supported by travel in Cameron County in 2025.
Source: Travel Texas, 2025$43.5M
local tax revenue
Local tax revenue directly generated by travel in Cameron County in 2025.
Source: Travel Texas, 2025$65.1M
state tax revenue
State tax revenue directly generated by travel in Cameron County in 2025.
Source: Travel Texas, 2025A useful point of comparison
Travel spending rose 6.8% in one year.
Direct travel spending in Cameron County grew from $1.239 billion in 2024 to $1.324 billion in 2025. Visitor spending reached $1.242 billion in 2025.
More citable context
What those figures mean locally
$852 in travel-generated taxes per household
Travel directly generated an estimated $852 in combined state and local tax revenue per Cameron County household in 2025.
Sources and methodology
Built for clear attribution.
This page summarizes the 2025 county tables in The Economic Impact of Travel in Texas, prepared by Dean Runyan Associates for Travel Texas. The report identifies direct travel spending, earnings, employment and tax revenue, and notes that totals may not add precisely because of rounding.
Travel Texas publishes its research and provides access to county, city and district economic-impact data through its Travel Research program. We will refresh this page when a newer Cameron County report is available.
Cite this page
Holiday Sandcastle Village of South Padre Island. “South Padre Island Tourism Statistics: Cameron County Data.” Updated November 3, 2026. https://sandcastlevillage.com/south-padre-island-tourism-statistics
See the destination behind the data
Make room for a little island wonder.
Holiday Sandcastle Village is a free, always-open outdoor gallery on W Ling Street, under the Ferris wheel.