Port Aransas, by the data
Recurring research reports on the island's economy, housing, tourism, and coast. Every figure traces to a public source — the Texas Comptroller, the U.S. Census, and other open datasets — with nothing estimated or fabricated. Built to be cited, and refreshed as new government data lands.
The State of Short-Term Rentals in Port Aransas
How much lodging tax the island collects, how it compares to peer Texas coastal cities, and a dated snapshot of the active vacation-rental market — built entirely on public data.
Port Aransas by the Numbers
A demographic portrait of the island and its Coastal Bend neighbors — population, age, households, income, and how much of the housing stock sits empty for seasonal use — drawn entirely from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey.
Beach Conditions & Water Quality in Port Aransas
Monthly water-quality safe-sample rates from EPA Beach Watch Enterococcus testing, a multi-year Gulf water-temperature climatology from NOAA, and sourced seasonal context for red tide and sargassum — every figure real, dated, and cited.
Port Aransas Tourism Economy Snapshot
The three pillars of the island's visitor economy in one place: hotel occupancy tax (lodging revenue), monthly city sales-tax allocations (retail activity), and regional Leisure & Hospitality employment — all from public government data.
Port Aransas Ferry Wait Time Study
How long you really wait for the SH 361 ferry, by day of week and hour — logged from TxDOT's live ferry-approach message signs and built up over time into a typical-wait heatmap. No estimates, no backfill: just real readings.
Port Aransas Hurricane Season Tracker
Live tropical status for the island from the National Hurricane Center and National Weather Service, the storms that shaped Port Aransas led by Hurricane Harvey, and official evacuation resources.
Port Aransas Real Estate & Property Value Report
How the island's property market has moved year over year — total appraised value, the condo-vs-single-family split, and new-construction activity — using the Nueces Central Appraisal District's certified rolls. No sale prices: Texas is a non-disclosure state.
The State of Fishing in Port Aransas
A historical, data-driven look at the Port Aransas fishery: when target species show up across the year, decades of Deep Sea Roundup tournament weights, and the shape of the local charter fleet — built on real occurrence records and published results, never a bite forecast.
Interactive tools
STR Revenue Estimator
Pick a bedroom count and neighborhood to estimate the gross annual revenue a Port Aransas short-term rental could generate — a transparent, aggregate-only model built on public data.
Trip Cost Calculator
Set your party size, nights, season, and whether you want to fish to get a transparent low/base/high Port Aransas trip budget — every priced line built on real, dated public prices.