Live-In Caregivers in South Padre Island, TX

Local figures

Live-In Caregivers in South Padre Island, TX: the local picture

34

residents 85 or older (1.2% of all residents)

625

households headed by someone 65+ own their home (87%)

46%

of South Padre Island homes have 3 or more bedrooms (63% in Cameron County)

$7.25

Texas minimum wage per hour

About 34 South Padre Island residents are 85 or older. Live-in care is most often arranged for this age group, when help is needed through the day and someone should be close at night.

A live-in caregiver needs a private room. 46% of homes in South Padre Island have three or more bedrooms (63% in Cameron County), while 14% have one bedroom or none, where live-in care rarely works; the median home has 4.3 rooms.

Of South Padre Island households headed by someone 65 or older, 625 own their home and 97 rent; among householders 85 and older it is 20 owners and 0 renters. Renters should check that the lease allows another adult to live in before anyone moves in.

South Padre Island compared with Cameron County and Texas

Census figure	South Padre Island	Cameron County	Texas
Residents 85 or older	1.2%	1.6%	1.4%
Residents 65+ in households who live alone	23%	24%	25%
Residents 65+ with a disability	14%	38%	35%
Residents 65+ below the poverty line (approx.)	4.8%	23%	12%
Residents 65 or older	40%	14%	13%
Residents 5+ who speak a language other than English at home	17%	72%	35%
Median income, households headed by someone 65+	$64,262	$37,536	—

Older residents in towns around South Padre Island

Town	Distance	Residents 65+	Residents 85+
Port Isabel, TX	6.2 mi	737	99
Laguna Vista, TX	7.9 mi	1,194	99
Brownsville, TX	19 mi	24,519	2,858
Laureles, TX	20 mi	486	22
Los Fresnos, TX	20 mi	703	41
Cameron Park, TX	22 mi	698	51

Emergency hospitals near South Padre Island

Hospital with an emergency department	Town	Distance	CMS overall rating	Phone
Valley Regional Medical Center	Brownsville, TX	21 mi	2 of 5	(956) 350-7000
Valley Baptist Medical Center- Brownsville	Brownsville, TX	25 mi	3 of 5	(956) 544-1400
Vhs Harlingen Hospital Company LLC	Harlingen, TX	33 mi	2 of 5	(956) 389-1100

Straight-line miles from the center of South Padre Island. Medicare (CMS) data, October 2026; call ahead to confirm. We are not affiliated with these providers.

What it covers

What a live-in caregiver can help with

Help across the day: meals, housekeeping, personal care
Someone in the home overnight if help is needed
Medication reminders and appointment rides
Companionship and a steady routine

Cost

What live-in care costs in South Padre Island

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $11.65 an hour (the Texas median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $2,524 a month (47% of the $5,355 monthly median income of South Padre Island households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $8,481 a month (158% of the $5,355 monthly median income of South Padre Island households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. Texas's minimum wage is $7.25 an hour (U.S. Department of Labor table, updated July 1, 2026).

Hiring directly, you agree the rate with the caregiver and usually become the household employer (U.S. Department of Labor rules). Some families qualify for programs that pay for care at home; see STAR+PLUS in Texas: using consumer directed services to pay a family caregiver.

Before you hire

What to know before hiring a live-in caregiver

Put the arrangement in writing: hours on duty, sleep time, days off, the room and pay (federal rules: DOL Fact Sheet 79B).

Questions worth asking: Have you lived in with a client before, and for how long? What days off and sleep time do you need? How do you handle being woken at night? More in our live-in caregivers guide.

CaregiverConnect does not run background checks. Check identity, references and any certification yourself before anyone starts. The Safety Center explains how.

Questions

Live-In Caregivers in South Padre Island: common questions

Where is the nearest emergency hospital to South Padre Island?

Valley Regional Medical Center in Brownsville, about 21 mi in a straight line from the center of South Padre Island (Medicare hospital file). Its listed phone number is (956) 350-7000. In an emergency, call 911.

How much does live-in care cost in South Padre Island?

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $11.65 an hour (the Texas median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $2,524 a month (47% of the $5,355 monthly median income of South Padre Island households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $8,481 a month (158% of the $5,355 monthly median income of South Padre Island households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. Texas's minimum wage is $7.25 an hour (U.S. Department of Labor table, updated July 1, 2026).

Live-in or 24-hour care in South Padre Island?

A live-in caregiver sleeps in the home and has protected sleep and break time. 24-hour care uses two or three caregivers in shifts so someone is always awake; in South Padre Island it costs more than three times as much a month (see the cost section above). Choose shifts if help is needed several times a night.

More near South Padre Island

More senior care near South Padre Island

Live-In Caregivers in nearby cities

Other care in South Padre Island

More for South Padre Island families

Sources

Census ACS 2020–2024 5-year; CMS provider data (October 25, 2026); U.S. DOL state minimum wages (July 1, 2026); BLS OEWS May 2025 aide wages, which cover employed aides rather than private rates.