CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

29.49° N · 94.57° W · GEOID 4809250

Bolivar Peninsula

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

TexasBolivar Peninsula, TXBolivar PeninsulaBolivar Peninsula

The short answer

Bolivar Peninsula is home to 2,951 people. Median household income is $75,547 a year and median rent is $1,404 a month, 22.3% 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 $315,500, about 4.2x annual median household income.

Median gross rent
$1,404
3% above the median place
Median household income
$75,547
6% below the median place
Median home value
$315,500
1% below the median place
Unemployment
0.0%
below the median place (median 4.9%)

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 Bolivar Peninsula

  • Between the 2019 and 2024 surveys, rent rose 23.8% a year while household income rose 7.4%, so rent outran pay by more than in 99% of the 2,476 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the 3rd-highest of 415 Texas places.
  • Unemployment averaged 0.0% over the survey period, lower than in 99% of places its size. It is the lowest of 295 Texas places.
  • Households average 1.79 people, smaller than in 98% of places its size. It is the 3rd-lowest of 415 Texas places.
  • Only 0% of renter households spend 30% or more of income on rent, a lower share than in 98% of places its size. It is the lowest of 379 Texas places.
  • 51% of homes stand vacant, more than in 98% of places its size. It is the highest of 339 Texas places.
01

Moving to Bolivar Peninsula

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, 0.0% 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 $1,906 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $315,500.
Getting to work
53 minutes each way on average; 11.7% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Payson, AZ matches it on character. Compare the two
Moved from another state1
0.0%
below the median place (median 2.0%)
Net movers per 1,000 people6
7.2
above the median place (median -0.6)
Income of households moving out6
$78,929
12% above the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureBolivar PeninsulaAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure6.6%16% above
Moved from another state10.0%below (median 2.0%)
Net movers per 1,000 people6County figure7.2above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in6County figure$80,12914% above
Income of households moving out6County figure$78,92912% above
02

What it costs to live here

Renters paying 30%+ is 0.0%, below the median place (median 50.6%).

Bolivar Peninsula22.3%
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
22.3%
9% above the median place
Home price to income
4.2x
10% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
22%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$60,700
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Bolivar Peninsula, $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 Bolivar Peninsula, 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
Wickenburg, AZ17.6% vs 22.3%n/aCompare
Rotonda, FL18.6% vs 22.3%n/aCompare
Winthrop Harbor, IL16.5% vs 22.3%n/aCompare

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

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Bolivar Peninsula? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Renters paying 30%+1
0.0%
below the median place (median 50.6%)
Vacant homes1
51.4%
above the median place (median 7.1%)
Homeownership1
95.4%
44% above the median place
All 15 cost and housing measures
MeasureBolivar PeninsulaAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1County figure$1,4043% above
Rent to income122.3%9% above
Property tax rate11.0%9% above
Home price to income14.2x10% above
Prices vs US average2Metro figure98.62% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,4977% below
Property tax paid (median)1$3,1165% below
Median home value1$315,5001% below
Home prices, 1-year change4County figure1.7%46% below
Home prices, 5-year change4County figure43.0%17% below
Homeownership195.4%44% above
Renters paying 30%+10.0%below (median 50.6%)
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,9062% above
Vacant homes151.4%above (median 7.1%)
Median year built120061% above
03

Work and pay

Unemployment is 0.0%, below the median place (median 4.9%).

Unemployment1
0.0%
below the median place (median 4.9%)
Commutes by transit1
0.0%
below the median place (median 0.8%)
Mean commute1
53 min
111% above the median place
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureBolivar PeninsulaAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$75,5476% below
Income per person1$42,3546% above
Unemployment10.0%below (median 4.9%)
Average annual pay5County figure$63,9013% below
Pay growth, 1 year5County figure2.0%46% below
Jobs5County figure126,45816% below
Poverty rate1County figure11.7%9% above
Mean commute153 min111% above
Works from home1County figure11.7%6% below
Commutes by transit10.0%below (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

Household size is 1.8, 28% below the median place.

Household size1
1.8
28% below the median place
Median age1
62.5
60% above the median place
High school or higher1
97.8%
6% above the median place
All 8 people measures
MeasureBolivar PeninsulaAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population12,9516646th largest
Median age162.560% above
Bachelor's or higher113.9%57% below
High school or higher197.8%6% above
Household size11.828% below
Born abroad1County figure10.2%15% above
No health insurance1County figure13.6%112% above
Homes with broadband190.3%2% below
05

Life in Bolivar Peninsula

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 residents13.6 +33%
Playgrounds per 10k3.4 −64%
Grocery stores per 10k3.4 +60%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k40.7 3.6×
Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%
Named paths and bike trails1 km −75%
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 students10
61,488
above the median place (median 4,897)
Public schools10
88
above the median place (median 9)
Child care centers per 10k7
1.8
22% below the median place
All 16 schools and local life measures
MeasureBolivar PeninsulaAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools10County figure88above (median 9)
Public school students10County figure61,488above (median 4,897)
Students per teacher10County figure15.83% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k7County figure21.74% above
Shops per 10k7County figure27.79% below
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k7County figure3.320% below
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k7County figure15.125% below
Child care centers per 10k7County figure1.822% below
Parks per 10k813.633% above
Playgrounds per 10k83.464% below
Grocery stores per 10k83.460% above
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k840.7265% above
Libraries per 10k80.0below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails80.575% below
Transit stops per sq mi80.0below (median 0.2)
National Register listings9County figure84above (median 13)
06

Safety, weather and risk

January average low is 46°F, 83% 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 Bolivar Peninsula. Larger places are fetched first.

January average low11
46°F
83% above the median place
Average temperature11
70°F
28% above the median place
Hurricane risk12
97.0
37% above the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureBolivar PeninsulaAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high11County figure90°F4% above
January average low11County figure46°F83% above
Average temperature11County figure70°F28% above
Annual precipitation11County figure53.7 in23% above
Natural hazard risk12County figure95.43% above
Hurricane risk12County figure97.037% above
Tornado risk12County figure97.019% above
Wildfire risk12County figure84.939% above
Heat wave risk12County figure93.54% above
Median air quality index13County figure455% above
Good air days13County figure59.7%13% below
08

Bolivar Peninsula in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 28% of the median income in 2030, up from 26% 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$1,648/mo (2024)$2,270/mo$1,860 to $2,770/mo+5.5%
Median household income$75,547 (2024)$96,500$81,500 to $114,500+4.2%
Median home value$315,500 (2024)$463,000$336,000 to $638,000+6.6%

The median home would be worth 4.8 years of the median income in 2030, against 4.2 now.

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

09

Places like Bolivar Peninsula

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

PlaceRentIncome
Payson, AZ$1,345$67,710Compare
Mesquite, NV$1,181$75,227Compare
Fortuna Foothills, AZ$1,141$60,474Compare
Little River, SC$1,528$65,786Compare
Little River, SCFortuna Foothills, AZMesquite, NVPayson, AZBolivar Peninsula, TXBolivar PeninsulaPaysonMesquiteFortuna FoothillsLittle RiverBolivar PeninsulaPaysonMesquiteFortuna FoothillsLittle River

Common questions

Is Bolivar Peninsula a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Between the 2019 and 2024 surveys, rent rose 23.8% a year while household income rose 7.4%, so rent outran pay by more than in 99% of the 2,476 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the 3rd-highest of 415 Texas places. Unemployment averaged 0.0% over the survey period, lower than in 99% of places its size. It is the lowest of 295 Texas places. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Bolivar Peninsula expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 22.3% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a heavier load here than usual. The median home is valued at $315,500.

What salary do you need to live in Bolivar Peninsula?

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.

What places are similar to Bolivar Peninsula?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Payson, AZ, Mesquite, NV, Fortuna Foothills, AZ and Little River, SC.

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 Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  10. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  11. 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
  12. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  13. 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 Bolivar Peninsula with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Bolivar Peninsula itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/bolivar-peninsula-texas

Citytistics. “Bolivar Peninsula, Texas.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/bolivar-peninsula-texas/

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