CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

29.33° N · 94.94° W · GEOID 4806060

Bayou Vista

Galveston County, Texas · part of the Houston, TX metro

Limited data population under 5,000, core figures borrowed from county or metro: median_gross_rent

TexasBayou Vista, TXBayou VistaBayou Vista

The short answer

Bayou Vista is home to 1,754 people. Median household income is $120,455 a year and median rent is $1,404 a month, 14.0% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $375,600, about 3.1x annual median household income.

Median gross rent
$1,404
3% above the median place
Median household income
$120,455
50% above the median place
Median home value
$375,600
18% above the median place
Unemployment
5.7%
17% above the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about Bayou Vista

  • The median resident is 58.5 years old, older than in 97% of the 2,479 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the 2nd-highest of 414 Texas places.
  • Households average 1.87 people, smaller than in 97% of places its size.
  • Counting remote workers as zero, the average worker spends about 235 hours a year commuting, more than in 93% of places its size.
  • 89% of homes are owner-occupied, more than in 89% of places its size.
  • The median rent takes only 14.0% of the median household's income, a smaller share than in 88% of places its size.

Rent is light relative to pay, but the county has a FEMA natural hazard risk score of 95 out of 100. Budget for insurance before counting the savings.

01

Moving to Bayou Vista

Galveston County gains about 7.2 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in19,296
Moved out17,254
Net+2,042

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Within Texas, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within TexasOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$80K
Leavers$79K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Galveston County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
6.6% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 1.6% from another state. County figure.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Galveston County report $80,100 a year in income on average; those leaving, $78,900.
Income you would need
$56,200 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,404 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $2,419 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $375,600.
Getting to work
34 minutes each way on average; 10.2% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Clarkston Heights-Vineland, WA matches it on character. Compare the two
Net movers per 1,000 people7
7.2
above the median place (median -0.6)
Income of households moving out7
$78,929
12% above the median place
Income of households moving in7
$80,129
14% above the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureBayou VistaAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure6.6%16% above
Moved from another state1County figure1.6%17% below
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure7.2above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure$80,12914% above
Income of households moving out7County figure$78,92912% above
02

What it costs to live here

Rent to income is 14.0%, 31% below the median place.

Bayou Vista14.0%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$56,160
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
14.0%
31% below the median place
Home price to income
3.1x
18% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
14%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$105,900
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Bayou Vista, $1,404 a month, and local prices for everything else (97.4 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Bayou Vista, but easier on the budget

Close matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income.

PlaceRent to incomeMore left a year
White City, FL10.9% vs 14.0%n/aCompare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Bayou Vista.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Bayou Vista? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Vacant homes1
18.3%
160% above the median place
Homeownership1
89.3%
34% above the median place
Owner costs with a mortgage1
$2,419
29% above the median place
All 15 cost and housing measures
MeasureBayou VistaAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1County figure$1,4043% above
Rent to income114.0%31% below
Property tax rate11.1%25% above
Home price to income13.1x18% below
Prices vs US average2Metro figure98.62% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,4977% below
Property tax paid (median)1$4,29031% above
Median home value1$375,60018% above
Home prices, 1-year change4County figure1.7%46% below
Home prices, 5-year change4County figure43.0%17% below
Homeownership189.3%34% above
Renters paying 30%+1County figure54.9%9% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$2,41929% above
Vacant homes118.3%160% above
Median year built119790% above
03

Work and pay

Commutes by transit is 0.0%, below the median place (median 0.8%).

Commutes by transit1
0.0%
below the median place (median 0.8%)
Mean commute1
34 min
36% above the median place
Income per person1
$67,905
69% above the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Median household income$120,455 +50%
Poverty rate7.6% −29%
Works from home10.2% −18%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureBayou VistaAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$120,45550% above
Income per person1$67,90569% above
Unemployment1County figure5.7%17% above
Average annual pay5County figure$63,9013% below
Pay growth, 1 year5County figure2.0%46% below
Jobs5County figure126,45816% below
Poverty rate17.6%29% below
Mean commute134 min36% above
Works from home110.2%18% below
Commutes by transit10.0%below (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

Household size is 1.9, 25% below the median place.

Household size1
1.9
25% below the median place
Median age1
58.5
50% above the median place
Born abroad1
3.7%
58% below the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

No health insurance4.0% −38%
High school or higher94.2% +2%
Homes with broadband92.5% +0%
Bachelor's or higher31.9% −0%
All 9 people measures
MeasureBayou VistaAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population11,7546646th largest
Population change since 20206-0.3%below (median 1.1%)
Median age158.550% above
Bachelor's or higher131.9%0% below
High school or higher194.2%2% above
Household size11.925% below
Born abroad13.7%58% below
No health insurance14.0%38% below
Homes with broadband192.5%0% above
05

Life in Bayou Vista

84 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, 3 of them National Historic Landmarks.

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents0.0 −100%
Playgrounds per 10k11.4 +21%
Grocery stores per 10k0.0 −100%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k11.4 +2%
Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%
Named paths and bike trails0 km −100%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.0 −100%

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars21.7 +4%
Shops27.7 −9%
Arts, recreation and fitness3.3 −20%
Doctors' offices and clinics15.1 −25%
Child care centers1.8 −22%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Public school students12
61,488
above the median place (median 4,897)
Public schools12
88
above the median place (median 9)
Child care centers per 10k8
1.8
22% below the median place
All 16 schools and local life measures
MeasureBayou VistaAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools12County figure88above (median 9)
Public school students12County figure61,488above (median 4,897)
Students per teacher12County figure15.83% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure21.74% above
Shops per 10k8County figure27.79% below
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure3.320% below
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure15.125% below
Child care centers per 10k8County figure1.822% below
Parks per 10k90.0below (median 10.2)
Playgrounds per 10k911.421% above
Grocery stores per 10k90.0below (median 2.1)
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k911.42% above
Libraries per 10k90.0below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails90.0below (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi90.0below (median 0.2)
National Register listings10County figure84above (median 13)
06

Safety, weather and risk

Violent crime per 100k is 0, below the median place (median 192).

Violent crime per 100k
0
below the median place (median 192)
Property crime per 100k
0
below the median place (median 1,213)
Months reported
12 of 12
by the city police department to the FBI

Counts only offenses reported by the city police department. Sheriff, state and campus police are not included, and some departments do not report to the FBI at all, so compare with care.

January average low13
46°F
83% above the median place
Average temperature13
70°F
28% above the median place
Hurricane risk14
97.0
37% above the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureBayou VistaAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high13County figure90°F4% above
January average low13County figure46°F83% above
Average temperature13County figure70°F28% above
Annual precipitation13County figure53.7 in23% above
Natural hazard risk14County figure95.43% above
Hurricane risk14County figure97.037% above
Tornado risk14County figure97.019% above
Wildfire risk14County figure84.939% above
Heat wave risk14County figure93.54% above
Median air quality index15County figure455% above
Good air days15County figure59.7%13% below
08

Bayou Vista in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 21% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 21% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$2,083/mo (2024)$2,640/mo$2,170 to $3,220/mo+4.0%
Median household income$120,455 (2024)$151,500$128,000 to $179,500+3.9%
Median home value$375,600 (2024)$530,000$385,000 to $730,000+5.9%
Population1,755 (2025)1,7701,690 to 1,840+0.1%

The median home would be worth 3.5 years of the median income in 2030, against 3.1 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Bayou Vista

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Clarkston Heights-Vineland, WA$1,125$101,286Compare
Bear Valley Springs, CA$1,439$120,481Compare
Apple Valley, OH$1,165$100,593Compare
Fruitland Park, FL$1,221$82,656Compare
Fruitland Park, FLApple Valley, OHBear Valley Springs, CAClarkston Heights-Vineland, WABayou Vista, TXBayou VistaClarkston Heights-VinelandBear Valley SpringsApple ValleyFruitland ParkBayou VistaClarkston Heights-VinelandBear Valley SpringsApple ValleyFruitland Park

Common questions

Is Bayou Vista a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. The median resident is 58.5 years old, older than in 97% of the 2,479 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the 2nd-highest of 414 Texas places. Households average 1.87 people, smaller than in 97% of places its size. On cost, space and class size it scores 82 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Bayou Vista expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 14.0% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a lighter load here than usual. The median home is valued at $375,600.

What salary do you need to live in Bayou Vista?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $56,160 a year. Work it out from your current city.

Is Bayou Vista safe?

There were 0 reported violent crimes per 100,000 residents, against 192 in the typical place.

What places are similar to Bayou Vista?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Clarkston Heights-Vineland, WA, Bear Valley Springs, CA, Apple Valley, OH and Fruitland Park, FL.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  5. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  6. Population Estimates · US Census Bureau · Vintage 2025
  7. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  8. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  9. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  10. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  11. Crime Data Explorer · Federal Bureau of Investigation · 2025 data
  12. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  13. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  14. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  15. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Bayou Vista with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Bayou Vista itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/bayou-vista-texas

Citytistics. “Bayou Vista, Texas.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/bayou-vista-texas/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.