CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

30.19° N · 97.98° W · GEOID 4807486

Belterra

Hays County, Texas · part of the Austin, TX metro

TexasBelterra, TXBelterraBelterra

The short answer

Belterra is home to 6,978 people. Median household income is $219,727 a year and median rent is $2,845 a month, 15.5% 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 $773,400, about 3.5x annual median household income.

Belterra is defined by its growth. Household income growth is 12.1% a year, against 5.5% a year in its closest peers. Also notable: After the median rent, with other prices set to the US average, the median household keeps about $198,500 a year, more than in 98% of places its size.

77OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Strong

Belterra scores better than 77% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 57th of 407 in Texas.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%73
Economy 20%80
Safety 20%n/a
Amenities 15%17
Education 10%93
Commute 10%29
Growth 5%n/a

Not rated: safety, growth, for want of data (the city police department does not report a full year to the FBI). The other weights are spread over the categories rated.

Median gross rent
$2,845
108% above the median place
Median household income
$219,727
174% above the median place
Median home value
$773,400
142% above the median place
Unemployment
4.4%
9% below 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 Belterra

  • HousingHalf the homes were built after 2012, newer housing than in 98% of the 2,479 places under 10,000 people we track.
  • AffordabilityThe median household earns $219,727 a year, more than in 98% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track.
01

Moving to Belterra

Hays County gains about 31.9 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in23,564
Moved out16,965
Net+6,599

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Travis County, TX9,0793,843+5,236
Bexar County, TX1,0481,049−1
Comal County, TX6941,218−524
Guadalupe County, TX6451,121−476

Within Texas, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within TexasOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$90K
Leavers$75K

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

Who moves here
12.0% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 2.3% from another state. County figure.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Hays County report $90,300 a year in income on average; those leaving, $74,800, so newcomers earn more than leavers.
Income you would need
$113,800 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $2,845 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $3,986 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $773,400.
Getting to work
29 minutes each way on average; 37.0% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Wyndham, VA matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Net movers per 1,000 people6
31.9
above the median place (median -0.6)
Moved here in the past year1
12.0%
109% above the median place
Income of households moving in6
$90,337
28% above the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureBelterraAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure12.0%109% above
Moved from another state1County figure2.3%16% above
Net movers per 1,000 people6County figure31.9above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in6County figure$90,33728% above
Income of households moving out6County figure$74,8006% above
02

What it costs to live here

Rent is light relative to pay, but the county has a FEMA natural hazard risk score of 91 out of 100. Budget for insurance before counting the savings.

Belterra15.5%
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
$113,800
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
15.5%
24% below the median place
Home price to income
3.5x
7% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
16%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$198,800
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Belterra, $2,845 a month, and local prices for everything else (93.5 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Belterra, but easier on the budget

Places that match Belterra on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.

PlaceMatchRent to incomeMore left a year
Wyndham, VA6511.5% vs 15.5%$14,800Compare
Medina, MN627.4% vs 15.5%$8,200Compare
New Albany, OH6211.9% vs 15.5%$18,000Compare
Bellaire, TX5013.1% vs 15.5%$19,100Compare

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

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Belterra? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Vacant homes1
0.0%
below the median place (median 7.1%)
Homeownership1
98.7%
49% above the median place
Median year built1
2012
2% above the median place
All 14 cost and housing measures
MeasureBelterraAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$2,845108% above
Rent to income115.5%24% below
Home price to income13.5x7% below
Prices vs US average2Metro figure98.13% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,81713% above
Property tax paid (median)1$10,001206% above
Median home value1$773,400142% above
Home prices, 1-year change4County figure-0.1%below (median 3.2%)
Home prices, 5-year change4County figure44.3%14% below
Homeownership198.7%49% above
Renters paying 30%+1County figure59.9%18% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$3,986113% above
Vacant homes10.0%below (median 7.1%)
Median year built120122% 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%)
Works from home1
37.0%
198% above the median place
Median household income1
$219,727
174% above the median place
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureBelterraAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$219,727174% above
Income per person1$82,767107% above
Unemployment1County figure4.4%9% below
Average annual pay5County figure$56,69214% below
Pay growth, 1 year5County figure3.4%8% below
Jobs5County figure98,49535% below
Poverty rate1County figure12.1%13% above
Mean commute129 min15% above
Works from home137.0%198% above
Commutes by transit10.0%below (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

High school or higher is 99.8%, 8% above the median place.

High school or higher1
99.8%
8% above the median place
Homes with broadband1
99.1%
7% above the median place
Household size1
3.3
30% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Bachelor's or higher66.4% 2.1×
Born abroad6.9% −22%
Median age37.9 −3%
All 8 people measures
MeasureBelterraAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population16,9785401st largest
Median age137.93% below
Bachelor's or higher166.4%107% above
High school or higher199.8%8% above
Household size13.330% above
Born abroad16.9%22% below
No health insurance1County figure11.6%81% above
Homes with broadband199.1%7% above
05

Life in Belterra

The nearest National Park Service site is El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail, about 17 miles away.

59 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places. Its history on Wikipedia

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents2.9 −72%
Playgrounds per 10k2.9 −70%
Grocery stores per 10k0.0 −100%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k0.0 −100%
Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%
Named paths and bike trails6 km 3.2×
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.

National Park Service sites nearby

  • El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail 17 miles
  • Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park 38 miles
  • San Antonio Missions National Historical Park 63 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars19.7 −5%
Shops27.4 −10%
Arts, recreation and fitness4.9 +20%
Doctors' offices and clinics15.4 −24%
Child care centers1.9 −17%

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

Nearest National Park Service site9
16.8
45% below the median place
Public school students11
46,885
above the median place (median 4,897)
Public schools11
60
above the median place (median 9)
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureBelterraAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools11County figure60above (median 9)
Public school students11County figure46,885above (median 4,897)
Students per teacher11County figure15.40% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k7County figure19.75% below
Shops per 10k7County figure27.410% below
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k7County figure4.920% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k7County figure15.424% below
Child care centers per 10k7County figure1.917% below
Parks per 10k82.972% below
Playgrounds per 10k82.970% below
Grocery stores per 10k80.0below (median 2.1)
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k80.0below (median 11.2)
Libraries per 10k80.0below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails86.4220% above
Transit stops per sq mi80.0below (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site916.845% below
National Park Service sites within 60 miles920% above
National Register listings10County figure59354% above
06

Safety, weather and risk

July average high is 95°F, 9% above the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached Belterra. Larger places are fetched first.

July average high12
95°F
9% above the median place
Average temperature12
68°F
24% above the median place
Median air quality index14
53
23% above the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureBelterraAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high12County figure95°F9% above
January average low12County figure39°F55% above
Average temperature12County figure68°F24% above
Annual precipitation12County figure35.1 in20% below
Natural hazard risk13County figure90.52% below
Hurricane risk13County figure63.910% below
Tornado risk13County figure96.118% above
Wildfire risk13County figure88.044% above
Heat wave risk13County figure92.12% above
Median air quality index14Metro figure5323% above
Good air days14Metro figure43.6%36% below
08

Belterra in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 16% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 16% 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. On projected 2030 affordability, Belterra does better than 70% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 95%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$2,845/mo (2024)$3,820/mo$3,130 to $4,660/mo+5.0%
Median household income$219,727 (2024)$288,500$243,500 to $341,000+4.6%
Median home value$773,400 (2024)$1,169,000$849,000 to $1,611,000+7.1%

The median home would be worth 4.1 years of the median income in 2030, against 3.5 now.

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

09

Places like Belterra

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

PlaceRentIncome
Moorefield, VA$2,761$205,257Compare
South Riding, VA$2,905$196,403Compare
Lowes Island, VA$2,840$220,833Compare
Bridgewater Center, NJ$2,662$205,595Compare
Bridgewater Center, NJLowes Island, VASouth Riding, VAMoorefield, VABelterra, TXBelterraMoorefieldSouth RidingBridgewater CenterBelterraMoorefieldSouth RidingBridgewater Center

Places built like Belterra

Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how Belterra performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
Belterra, TX15.5%12.1%/yrn/a
Santa Rita Ranch, TX20.2%0.0%/yrn/aCompare
Lantana, TX20.8%6.2%/yrn/aCompare
Heath, TX19.0%7.2%/yr21.0%Compare
Lucas, TX9.6%6.7%/yr16.9%Compare
Argyle, TX18.0%0.3%/yr44.9%Compare
Nolensville, TN16.6%5.6%/yr14.3%Compare

Common questions

Is Belterra a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 77 out of 100, better than 77% of the places we rate and 57th of 407 in Texas. Half the homes were built after 2012, newer housing than in 98% of the 2,479 places under 10,000 people we track. The median household earns $219,727 a year, more than in 98% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Belterra expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 15.5% 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 $773,400.

What salary do you need to live in Belterra?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $113,800 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Belterra?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Moorefield, VA, South Riding, VA, Lowes Island, VA and Bridgewater Center, NJ.

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. 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.
  7. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  8. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  9. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  10. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  11. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  12. 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
  13. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  14. 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); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

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

Citytistics. “Belterra, Texas.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/belterra-texas/

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