Population 268,638 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Hays County
Household size in Hays County
| Period | Hays County | Austin area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.88 | 2.69 | 2.87 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.90 | 2.79 | 2.93 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.86 | 2.83 | 2.95 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.69 | 2.55 | 2.83 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.18 | −0.14 | −0.05 | −0.03 |
Households in Hays County average 2.69 people, about the same as the country as a whole (2.65). The typical household here is bigger than in the Austin area overall, where it has 2.55 people. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.88, a much bigger shift than nationally.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Hays County
| Period | Hays County | Austin area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 32.9 | 34.0 | 34.7 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 34.3 | 35.2 | 35.4 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 34.8 | 36.3 | 36.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 35.7 | 37.2 | 36.7 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.8 | +3.3 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
Hays County is young: half of its residents are under 35.7, compared with a national median of 40.1. The population tilts toward young adults and children. The median age has climbed from 32.9 in 2006–10, as it has nationally.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Hays County
| Period | Hays County | Austin area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.7% | 11.8% | 13.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 10.6% | 11.2% | 13.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 9.3% | 9.8% | 13.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.6% | 9.7% | 12.9% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.9 pts | −2.2 pts | −0.8 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head just over one in ten households in Hays County (10.6%), a little below the national share of 11.6%. The picture is much the same across the Austin area. The single-parent share is up 0.9 points from 2006–10, even as the national share fell.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Hays County
Renters in Hays County
| Period | Hays County | Austin area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 32.2% | 40.7% | 35.2% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 34.9% | 42.1% | 37.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 37.7% | 41.8% | 38.0% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 35.9% | 41.7% | 37.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | +3.7 pts | +1.0 pts | +2.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
More than a third of households in Hays County rent their homes (35.9%), close to the national share of 34.8%. Renters make up a smaller share here than in the Austin area as a whole (41.7%). Among owners, 35.2% have paid off their mortgages, below the national share of 39.8%. The renter share has risen 3.7 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Hays County
| Period | Hays County | Austin area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.0% | 8.8% | 11.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 9.3% | 8.5% | 10.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.9% | 8.3% | 10.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 5.7% | 5.9% | 9.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.2 pts | −2.9 pts | −2.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Fewer homes sit empty in Hays County than nationally: 5.7%, against 9.6% for the U.S. Vacancy is down 2.2 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country. Of Texas' 254 counties, only three have a lower vacancy rate.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Hays County
| Period | Hays County | Austin area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1994 | 1990 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1996 | 1992 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 2001 | 1995 | 1987 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 2005 | 2000 | 1992 | 1980 |
| Change | +11 | +10 | +8 | +6 |
Much of the housing in Hays County is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 2005, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole. The median year built has moved up from 1994 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the east, the oldest in the south. Only two of Texas' 254 counties have newer homes.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Hays County
| Period | Hays County | Austin area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $995 | $1,064 | $921 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,132 | $1,155 | $1,005 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,320 | $1,428 | $1,178 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,737 | $1,911 | $1,560 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$741 | +$847 | +$639 | +$606 |
The median renter in Hays County pays $1,737 a month for rent and utilities, above the national median of $1,571. Even so, rents here are lower than in the wider Austin area ($1,911). Rents are up $741 a month from 2006–10, a 74% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 32.4% of the typical renter's income, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Hays County
Bachelor's degrees in Hays County
| Period | Hays County | Austin area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 33.9% | 38.3% | 27.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 36.2% | 40.3% | 27.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 37.7% | 44.2% | 30.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 43.6% | 50.4% | 34.0% | 35.6% |
| Change | +9.8 pts | +12.1 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
More than four in ten adults 25 and older in Hays County (43.6%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, above the national share of 35.6%. Still, the share is lower than in the Austin area as a whole (50.4%). The share with a degree is up 9.8 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally. Of Texas' 254 counties, only nine have a higher share of college graduates.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Hays County
| Period | Hays County | Austin area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 87.2% | 87.6% | 80.7% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 88.5% | 88.3% | 82.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 90.4% | 89.9% | 83.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 91.8% | 91.6% | 85.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.6 pts | +4.0 pts | +5.1 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in Hays County have finished high school (91.8%), a bit above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma has risen 4.6 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Hays County has a higher share of high school graduates than at least four in five Texas counties.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Hays County
| Period | Hays County | Austin area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.3% | 6.4% | 7.0% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 6.9% | 6.9% | 7.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.6% | 4.3% | 5.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.4% | 4.3% | 5.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.8 pts | −2.2 pts | −1.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little easier to find in Hays County than nationally: unemployment was 4.4%, against 5.4%. Unemployment is down 1.8 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Hays County compared with nearby counties
| County | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hays County | 2.69 | 35.7 | 10.6% | 35.9% | 5.7% | 2005 | $1,737 | 43.6% | 91.8% | 4.4% |
| Blanco County | 2.38 | 52.2 | 4.8% | 23.8% | 16.0% | 1998 | $1,139 | 36.3% | 92.0% | 5.7% |
| Bastrop County | 2.98 | 37.5 | 9.6% | 23.5% | 7.8% | 1997 | $1,439 | 24.2% | 79.6% | 4.0% |
| Kerr County | 2.29 | 48.9 | 7.8% | 29.9% | 12.0% | 1987 | $1,224 | 31.8% | 90.2% | 3.2% |
| Washington County | 2.27 | 42.6 | 8.8% | 30.2% | 12.7% | 1987 | $1,192 | 30.7% | 90.5% | 3.1% |
| Waller County | 3.05 | 34.3 | 13.1% | 28.0% | 10.8% | 1999 | $1,511 | 28.8% | 86.5% | 6.5% |
| Edwards County | 3.42 | 38.6 | 8.7% | 12.1% | 50.4% | 1976 | $712 | 29.3% | 82.4% | 0.0% |
| Liberty County | 3.43 | 32.3 | 13.3% | 17.7% | 14.3% | 1999 | $1,063 | 11.0% | 73.5% | 6.8% |
| Jefferson County | 2.60 | 38.1 | 17.1% | 37.5% | 13.9% | 1980 | $1,212 | 20.2% | 85.2% | 6.1% |
| Orange County | 2.67 | 39.1 | 12.3% | 24.8% | 13.9% | 1985 | $1,194 | 18.6% | 90.8% | 5.9% |
| Terrell County | 1.85 | 59.9 | 6.7% | 10.6% | 29.4% | 1957 | $1,400 | 26.9% | 94.2% | 0.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Albany County, NY · Yolo County, CA · Arlington County, VA · Atlantic County, NJ · Boulder County, CO · Weld County, CO · Mohave County, AZ · Lexington County, SC · Linn County, IA · Lorain County, OH
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Hays County. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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