Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Buda grades C+ overall, 253rd among Texas's 640 graded towns, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. The median household earns $124K and CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 84% of the country. On the other side, the typical home is worth about $350K, 3.5 years of the Austin metro’s $100K median household income. 50% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Buda, above both Texas’ towns (23%) and U.S. towns (29%). Only 94 of Texas’ 1,000 towns score higher on the outdoors. Buda has 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Downtown Buda Historic District and Bunton Branch Bridge.
Where Buda beats most towns.
7,295 counted in 2010 and 15,108 in 2020; an estimated 16,166 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 6.8% since 2020, after 107.1% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Texas), ordered by how far Buda is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 483 in 1950, 15,108 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 4 maps from 1958 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Buda. Close and well known come first.
Big draw16 mi Stadium & arenaDarrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium
17 mi CaveJacob's Well (Texas)
16 mi Stadium & arenaMoody Center
15 mi LakeLady Bird Lake
13 mi Park & preserveCOTALAND
16 mi LakeLake AustinDarrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium: Brint03, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Jacob's Well (Texas): Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0 · Moody Center: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0 · Lady Bird Lake: Arvindn on en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · COTALAND: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0 · Lake Austin: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Buda, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Buda.
Buda has more 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns, has less tooth loss than most of Texas and has home values still below their peak.
Its widest gap with Texas is tooth loss: 7% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 12.5% statewide. Against the 5,199 U.S. towns with household incomes like Buda’s, it is healthier than 59%, a smaller edge than it has nationally: part of it comes with its incomes.
11% of Buda adults report frequent physical distress. Buda beats the Texas average on 18 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 19% of Buda adults binge drink.
| Buda | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 15% | 14% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 16% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 30% | 25% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 39% | 36% |
| What stands out | Buda | TX |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 7% | 12.5% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 12% | 19.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by Hays CISD. Three of its 7 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eric Dahlstrom MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 804 | A− |
| Moe and Gene Johnson H SLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 2,870 | A− |
| Elm Grove ElTop results in townGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 678 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TX on state tests and graduation
3.9 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves. The biggest place to walk is Historic Stagecoach Park, 50 acres with 1.5 miles of trail.
| Buda | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 5.2% | 1.9% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Historic Stagecoach Park | 1.5 mi | 50 |
| 2. City Park | 0.6 mi | 19 |
| 3. Green Meadows Park | 0.2 mi | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The San Marcos weather station, 14 miles away, records that about 117 days a year reach 90°, more than in 98% of U.S. towns. July afternoons average 95.5°, hotter than in 97% of U.S. towns; January nights average 39.3°.
Buda has mild winters and hot summers. The July high in Buda is 96°F. Snow is almost unheard of.
| Buda | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 96°F | 95°F | 85°F |
| January low | 39°F | 37°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The typical value, about $350K, is 27% below its June 2022 peak. At about $350K, home values are down 13% in five years, against a rise of 10% across Texas.
Buda’s median rent is $1,852 a month. The typical Buda home is worth about $350,000, down 3.8% in a year, 18% above the Texas typical home.
| Buda | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,852 a month | $1,206 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 77% | 69% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Jobs based here grew from 4,157 in 2013 to 10,320.
Most working residents leave Buda for work: only 5% work in town. 21% of workers work from home in Buda. Since 2013, Buda has added 6,163 jobs, to 10,320 in 2023.
| Buda | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 21% | 9.6% | 11% |
| Median household income | $124,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 6% | 12% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 29 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Reported crimes fell from 351 to 276 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 55% of U.S. communities. Since 2013, 22 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Buda.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
4 within 15 miles of the center of Buda
About 4 of every 100 Buda residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Texas.
3 places in Buda on the National Register of Historic Places.
3 notable people were born in Buda.
City in Texas, United States
Buda ( BYOO-də) is a city in Hays County, Texas, United States. The population was 15,108 in 2020, an increase over the figure of 7,295 tabulated in 2010. Buda is part of the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos metropolitan statistical area and is one of Austin's fastest growing suburbs.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Buda.
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Buda grades C+ overall, better than 39% of U.S. towns and #253 of 640 in Texas. It grades A− for health, C+ for safety and B− for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.
3 notable people were born here, including Samuel Ealy Johnson Jr. and Tex Hughson.
