Hays County, Texas: commercial real estate data.
Hays County, Texas has a population of 268,638 across 678 square miles, up 21.1 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $15.30 bn in 2024, 5,891 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 316 7(a) approvals worth $226.3 m.
129 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections
Hays County
How many people live in Hays County
- Population268,638
- Households99,849
- Average household size2.69
- Median household income$89,097
- Median age34.1
- Median gross rent$1,495 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$399,800
- Home value to household income4.5 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income20.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher43.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree15.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over168,291
- Population under 1860,220
- Share under 1822.4 percent
- Population 65 and over32,662
- Share 65 and over12.2 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64175,756
- Civilian labor force147,110
- Unemployment rate4.4 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over70.6 percent
- Rank by population among Texas counties20th of 254
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents269th
Hays County is the 20th largest of 254 Texas counties by population. A median home costs 4.5 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 22.4 percent against 12.2 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Hays County
Is Hays County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base21.14 percent
- Census 2020 base population241,069
- Births, 20243,224
- Deaths, 20241,626
- Natural change, 20241,598
- Net domestic migration, 20247,430
- Net international migration, 20241,308
- Total net migration, 20248,738
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 202438,356
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents13th
The county has grown 21.14 percent since the 2020 census base. Migration contributed more to 2024 change than births over deaths, so demand here follows people arriving rather than families forming.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Hays County
Where people moving to Hays County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving13,680
- People arriving, from those returns24,182
- Adjusted gross income arriving$1.43 bn
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$104,368
- Largest single originHays County Non-migrants (84,073 households)
- Largest single destination (84,073 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hays County Non-migrants | 84,073 | 176,787 | $9.06 bn |
| Travis County | 5,379 | 9,886 | $696.2 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 2,143 | 3,870 | $234.9 m |
| Other flows - South | 767 | 1,380 | $66.9 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 722 | 1,141 | $36.1 m |
| Williamson County | 651 | 1,119 | $48.6 m |
| Other flows - West | 618 | 1,174 | $79.3 m |
| Bexar County | 575 | 876 | $32.6 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Hays County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Hays County
What the Hays County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$15.30 bn
- County GDP, 2023$14.05 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20248.9 percent
- GDP change over five years68.5 percent
- Rank by GDP among Texas counties27th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents324th
- GDP per resident$56,967
Output grew 8.9 percent in the latest year and 68.5 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Hays County
Who employs people in Hays County
- Covered employment, annual average95,598
- Establishments reporting6,330
- Average annual pay$54,838
- Average weekly wage$1,055
- Sector 44-45, employment14,142
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$36,182
- Sector 72, employment12,387
- Sector 72, average annual pay$24,576
- Sector 62, employment8,648
- Sector 62, average annual pay$51,776
- Sector 23, employment7,515
- Sector 23, average annual pay$73,565
- Sector 48-49, employment7,396
- Sector 31-33, employment5,585
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 44-45 | 14,142 | 713 | $36,182 |
| Sector 72 | 12,387 | 554 | $24,576 |
| Sector 62 | 8,648 | 597 | $51,776 |
| Sector 23 | 7,515 | 775 | $73,565 |
| Sector 48-49 | 7,396 | 111 | $50,330 |
| Sector 31-33 | 5,585 | 265 | $74,801 |
| Sector 56 | 4,321 | 370 | $56,700 |
| Sector 54 | 3,929 | 926 | $92,486 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 14,142 jobs, 14.8 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Hays County
What businesses operate in Hays County
- Establishments, all industries5,891
- Employment at those establishments76,995
- Annual payroll$3.58 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents21.9
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Hays County
What is being built in Hays County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20245,405
- Declared construction value permitted$1.31 bn
- Single family units authorised3,918
- Multifamily units authorised1,487
- Multifamily share of units27.5 percent
- Average declared value per unit$243,011
- Units authorised per 1,000 households54.1
Multifamily is 27.5 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Hays County
How much SBA lending happens in Hays County
- 7(a) approvals recorded316
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$226.3 m
- Average 7(a) approval$716,260
- Median 7(a) approval$324,800
- 10th percentile approval$50,000
- 90th percentile approval$2,046,500
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)3,547
- Jobs per approval11.2
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active86
- Distinct industries receiving approvals135
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer18.7 percent
- Loans on real estate terms59
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter226
- Franchise loans67
- Franchise share of approvals21.2 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFitness and Recreational Sports Centers (12)
- Most active lenderThe Huntington National Bank (37)
- 504 approvals recorded130
- 504 gross approval dollars$136.8 m
- Average 504 approval$1,052,546
- Median 504 approval$701,000
- Distinct CDCs active10
- 504 jobs per approval10.3
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved9.8
- Most active CDCCapital Certified Development Corporation (65)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals70.9 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$363.2 m
The average approval of $716,260 sits well above the median of $324,800, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 18.7 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Hays County
Do SBA loans in Hays County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded56
- Paid in full50
- Charged off6
- Charge off rate on resolved loans10.7 percent
- Status: Paid in full50
- Status: Exempt from disclosure202
- Status: Charged off6
- Status: Cancelled38
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed20
Of the 56 loans that have reached a final outcome, 10.7 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Hays County
Which parts of Hays County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending9
- KYLE, approvals70
- Buda, approvals59
- DRIPPING SPRINGS, approvals51
- San Marcos, approvals51
- AUSTIN, approvals37
- WIMBERLEY, approvals30
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| KYLE | 70 | $51,552,000 |
| Buda | 59 | $38,053,300 |
| DRIPPING SPRINGS | 51 | $31,556,100 |
| San Marcos | 51 | $45,174,100 |
| AUSTIN | 37 | $29,443,600 |
| WIMBERLEY | 30 | $23,079,400 |
| DRIFTWOOD | 16 | $6,940,600 |
| BASTROP | 1 | $289,000 |
KYLE accounts for 70 approvals against 59 in Buda. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Hays County
How big is Hays County
- Land area678 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Texas counties220th of 254
- Width, east to west35.2 mi
- Height, north to south41.7 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land396
- Establishments per square mile8.69
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Hays County
What hazards affect Hays County
- EPA radon zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book14
- Of those, participating in the NFIP14
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Best Community Rating System class in the county A lower CRS class is a larger flood insurance premium discount.Class 5
- Communities carrying a CRS class2
The EPA places the county in radon zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. The best Community Rating System class in the county is 5, which carries a flood insurance premium discount for properties in the participating community.
US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001. FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Community Status Book, Community Status Book, as retrieved.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Hays County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Hays County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population268,638
- Households99,849
- Average household size2.69
- Median household income$89,097
- Median age34.1
Common questions
Hays County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Hays County, Texas?
268,638, in 99,849 households, ranking 20th of 254 Texas counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Hays County growing?
The population has grown 21.14 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 3,224 births against 1,626 deaths, with net migration of 8,738. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Hays County?
$89,097. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $399,800, which is 4.5 times income, and median gross rent is $1,495 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Hays County?
5,891 establishments, employing 76,995 people with an annual payroll of $3.58 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Hays County?
Average annual pay is $54,838, or $1,055 a week, across 95,598 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Hays County?
316 7(a) approvals totalling $226.3 m since FY2020, across 86 lenders, with a median approval of $324,800, plus 130 504 approvals worth $136.8 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Hays County get paid back?
Of the 56 loans that have reached a final outcome, 50 were paid in full and 6 charged off, a charge off rate of 10.7 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Hays County?
5,405 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $1.31 bn. Multifamily was 27.5 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Hays County?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Hays County come from?
The largest single origin is Hays County Non-migrants, with 84,073 households. Arriving households report an average income of $104,368 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Hays County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Hays County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.