Hays County, Texas Demographics 2026

Name: Hays County, Texas Demographics
Creator: U.S. Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

Hays County, Texas has a population of 268,638, the 20th most populous county in Texas. The median household income is $89,097 and the median home value is $399,800. The poverty rate is 12.1%.

Data vintage: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates · refreshed July 2026 · Methodology & source notes

Hays County Quick Facts

Population 268,638

Median Household Income $89,097

Median Home Value $399,800

Poverty Rate 12.1%

Unemployment Rate 4.4%

Median Age 34.1 years

Homeownership Rate 64.1%

Affordability Ratio 4.5x

Bachelor's Degree+ 43.1%

High School Graduation 92.0%

Cities/Places 13

Population 268,638 20th of 254

Median Income $89,097 14% higher than state

Poverty Rate 12.1%

Unemployment 4.4%

How Hays County Changed

Change from the 2019–2023 ACS period to 2020–2024. These are rolling five-year estimates, not year-over-year measurements.

Metric	2019–2023	2020–2024	Change
Population	256,429	268,638	+4.8%
Median household income	$85,827	$89,097	+3.8%
Median home value	$371,400	$399,800	+7.6%

Median Household Income

Hays

$89,097

$78,476

National

$80,734

Median Home Value

Hays

$399,800

$283,800

National

$332,700

Economy & Housing

Household Income Distribution

Under $25K 12.0%

$25K-$50K 16.1%

$50K-$100K 27.0%

$100K+ 44.8%

Detailed income brackets

Under $10K

5.5%

$10K-$15K

2.1%

$15K-$20K

2.1%

$20K-$25K

2.3%

$25K-$30K

3.3%

$30K-$35K

3.5%

$35K-$40K

3.5%

$40K-$45K

2.8%

$45K-$50K

3.1%

$50K-$60K

6.0%

$60K-$75K

8.4%

$75K-$100K

12.7%

$100K-$125K

11.8%

$125K-$150K

7.4%

$150K-$200K

10.3%

$200K+

15.3%

Employment

4.4% Unemployment Rate State: 5.3%|National: 5.2%

68.7% Labor Force Participation

Housing Overview

Owner 64.1%

Renter 35.9%

Affordability Index Moderate

4.5x home value to income ratio

Median gross rent $1,495/mo 20.1% of median household income annually

People & Demographics

Age Distribution

Under 18

22.4%

18-34

28.9%

35-54

26.6%

55-74

17.9%

75+

4.2%

Race & Ethnicity

Diversity Index

High Diversity

A diverse community with significant representation from multiple racial and ethnic groups.

State average: 67 | National average: 61

Education

Educational Attainment (Adults 25+)

Cities & Places in Hays County

City	Population	Median Income	Poverty	Home Value
San Marcos	70,897	$51,281	26.9%	$310,400
Kyle	56,823	$90,323	8.9%	$334,600
Buda	15,859	$123,766	6.0%	$446,600
Dripping Springs	7,405	$109,364	2.1%	$635,600
Belterra	6,978	$219,727	1.5%	$773,400
Wimberley	2,891	$80,362	6.9%	$550,800
Uhland	2,520	$92,238	6.4%	$279,900
Woodcreek	2,333	$74,107	4.1%	$425,600
Niederwald	1,029	$78,438	26.9%	$286,500
Mountain City	787	$128,929	0.0%	$494,800
Bear Creek	515	$121,000	0.0%	$847,500
Hays	198	$70,625	6.1%	$327,300
Driftwood	28	N/A	0.0%	N/A

Explore Texas Rankings

Cities by Population All cities ranked by size Richest Cities Ranked by median income Most Educated By bachelor's degree rate Most Affordable By housing affordability

Population Overview

Hays County is located in Texas with a total population of 268,638. It is the 20th most populous county out of 254 in Texas. The county encompasses 13 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Hays County is 34.1 years. This is 4% lower than the state median of 35.6 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Hays County is $89,097. This is 14% higher than the state median of $78,476. It is also 10% higher than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 12.1%. This is 12% lower than the state poverty rate of 13.8%. The unemployment rate is 4.4%. This is 16% lower than the state rate of 5.3%. The median home value is $399,800. Housing costs are 41% higher than the state median of $283,800. The home-value-to-income ratio is 4.5x. 64.1% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 2% higher than the state average of 62.6%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Hays County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 50.4% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 39.4%. The Black or African American population (3.8%) is well below the state average of 11.9%. The Asian population (2.0%) is well below the state average of 5.5%.

Education

43.1% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This places Hays County in the top 10% of all counties in the state for educational attainment. This is 28% higher than the state rate of 33.8%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 92.0%. Notably, 15.5% of adults hold a graduate or professional degree, indicating a highly educated workforce.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Hays County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, with comparisons drawn against Texas and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the population of Hays County, Texas?

Hays County has a population of 268,638, making it the 20th most populous county in Texas.

What is the median income in Hays County?

The median household income in Hays County is $89,097 with a poverty rate of 12.1%.

How many cities are in Hays County, Texas?

Hays County contains 13 Census-designated places.