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Cost of living, pay and housing

30.04° N · 97.89° W · GEOID 4849600

Mountain City

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

Limited data population under 5,000

TexasMountain City, TXMountain CityMountain City

The short answer

Mountain City is home to 787 people. Median household income is $128,929 a year and median rent is $2,625 a month, 24.4% 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 $494,800, about 3.8x annual median household income.

Median gross rent
$2,625
92% above the median place
Median household income
$128,929
61% above the median place
Median home value
$494,800
55% 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 Mountain City

  • 0.0% of residents live below the poverty line, fewer than in 99% of the 2,082 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 373 Texas places.
  • 100% of homes are owner-occupied, more than in 99% of places its size. It is the highest of 415 Texas places.
  • Between the 2019 and 2022 surveys, rent rose 9.5% a year while household income rose 1.2%, so rent outran pay by more than in 96% of places its size.
  • Owning with a mortgage costs about $30 a month less than the median rent, which is rarer than in 94% of places its size.
  • Median rent is $2,625 a month, higher than in 94% of places its size.

People are moving in and rent is pulling away from pay. The population grew faster than in 80% of places since 2020, and rent outran income more than in 98% of them.

01

Moving to Mountain City

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, 0.0% 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
$105,000 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $2,625 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $2,595 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $494,800.
Getting to work
30 minutes each way on average; 25.8% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Bohemia, NY 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 people7
31.9
above the median place (median -0.6)
Moved here in the past year1
12.0%
109% above the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureMountain CityAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure12.0%109% above
Moved from another state10.0%below (median 2.0%)
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure31.9above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure$90,33728% above
Income of households moving out7County figure$74,8006% above
02

What it costs to live here

Homeownership is 100.0%, 51% above the median place.

Mountain City24.4%
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
$105,000
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
24.4%
20% above the median place
Home price to income
3.8x
1% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
24%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$104,300
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Mountain City, $2,625 a month, and local prices for everything else (93.5 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

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

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Mountain City? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Homeownership1
100.0%
51% above the median place
Property tax paid (median)1
$7,621
133% above the median place
Property tax rate1
1.5%
69% above the median place
All 15 cost and housing measures
MeasureMountain CityAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$2,62592% above
Rent to income124.4%20% above
Property tax rate11.5%69% above
Home price to income13.8x1% above
Prices vs US average2Metro figure98.13% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,81713% above
Property tax paid (median)1$7,621133% above
Median home value1$494,80055% above
Home prices, 1-year change4County figure-0.1%below (median 3.2%)
Home prices, 5-year change4County figure44.3%14% below
Homeownership1100.0%51% above
Renters paying 30%+1County figure59.9%18% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$2,59539% above
Vacant homes1County figure4.6%35% below
Median year built119860% above
03

Work and pay

Poverty rate is 0.0%, below the median place (median 10.8%).

Poverty rate1
0.0%
below the median place (median 10.8%)
Commutes by transit1
0.0%
below the median place (median 0.8%)
Works from home1
25.8%
108% above the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Median household income$128,929 +61%
Income per person$56,225 +40%
Mean commute30 min +19%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureMountain CityAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$128,92961% above
Income per person1$56,22540% 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 rate10.0%below (median 10.8%)
Mean commute130 min19% above
Works from home125.8%108% above
Commutes by transit10.0%below (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

Homes with broadband is 100.0%, 8% above the median place.

Homes with broadband1
100.0%
8% above the median place
High school or higher1
99.1%
7% above the median place
Population change since 20206
7.3%
above the median place (median 1.1%)

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Median age42.3 +8%
Household size2.7 +8%
Bachelor's or higher39.3% +23%
All 9 people measures
MeasureMountain CityAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population17876646th largest
Population change since 202067.3%above (median 1.1%)
Median age142.38% above
Bachelor's or higher139.3%23% above
High school or higher199.1%7% above
Household size12.78% above
Born abroad1County figure9.8%11% above
No health insurance1County figure11.6%81% above
Homes with broadband1100.0%8% above
05

Life in Mountain City

59 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places.

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.

Public school students10
46,885
above the median place (median 4,897)
Public schools10
60
above the median place (median 9)
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8
15.4
24% below the median place
All 9 schools and local life measures
MeasureMountain CityAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools10County figure60above (median 9)
Public school students10County figure46,885above (median 4,897)
Students per teacher10County figure15.40% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure19.75% below
Shops per 10k8County figure27.410% below
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure4.920% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure15.424% below
Child care centers per 10k8County figure1.917% below
National Register listings9County 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 Mountain City. Larger places are fetched first.

July average high11
95°F
9% above the median place
Average temperature11
68°F
24% above the median place
Median air quality index13
53
23% above the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureMountain CityAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high11County figure95°F9% above
January average low11County figure39°F55% above
Average temperature11County figure68°F24% above
Annual precipitation11County figure35.1 in20% below
Natural hazard risk12County figure90.52% below
Hurricane risk12County figure63.910% below
Tornado risk12County figure96.118% above
Wildfire risk12County figure88.044% above
Heat wave risk12County figure92.12% above
Median air quality index13Metro figure5323% above
Good air days13Metro figure43.6%36% below
08

Mountain City in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 27% of the median income in 2030, up from 24% 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$2,625/mo (2022)$3,670/mo$2,920 to $4,610/mo+4.3%
Median household income$128,929 (2024)$161,500$136,500 to $191,000+3.8%
Median home value$494,800 (2024)$725,000$527,000 to $999,000+6.6%
Population675 (2025)700670 to 730+0.7%

The median home would be worth 4.5 years of the median income in 2030, against 3.8 now.

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

09

Places like Mountain City

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

PlaceRentIncome
Bohemia, NY$2,582$125,781Compare
Union Beach, NJ$2,567$119,250Compare
Country Walk, FL$2,732$124,540Compare
Port Jefferson Station, NY$2,411$120,734Compare
Port Jefferson Station, NYCountry Walk, FLUnion Beach, NJBohemia, NYMountain City, TXMountain CityBohemiaUnion BeachCountry WalkMountain CityBohemiaUnion BeachCountry Walk

Common questions

Is Mountain City a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. 0.0% of residents live below the poverty line, fewer than in 99% of the 2,082 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 373 Texas places. 100% of homes are owner-occupied, more than in 99% of places its size. It is the highest of 415 Texas places. On cost, space and class size it scores 85 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Mountain City expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 24.4% 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 $494,800.

What salary do you need to live in Mountain City?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $105,000 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Mountain City?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Bohemia, NY, Union Beach, NJ, Country Walk, FL and Port Jefferson Station, NY.

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. 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 Mountain City with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Mountain City itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/mountain-city-texas

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

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