Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The typical home is worth about $698K, 10.3 years of the county’s $68K median household income. Overall it grades C+, 226th among Texas's 640 graded towns. Crime is low: it reports less per resident than 75% of U.S. towns. 9.9% of residents are under 18 in Horseshoe Bay, where Texas’ towns sit at 26% and U.S. towns at 22%. On history, just 5 of Texas’ 1,000 towns do worse. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 81% of U.S. towns.
Where Horseshoe Bay beats most towns.
| Widest gap | Horseshoe Bay | TX |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 6.5% | 16.4% |
3,418 counted in 2010 and 4,257 in 2020; an estimated 5,339 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 25.5% since 2020, after 24.5% 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 Horseshoe Bay is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,546 in 1990, 4,257 in 2020. The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 3 maps from 1929 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Horseshoe Bay, 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 Horseshoe Bay.
Horseshoe Bay is a second-home town, fares better on crime within Texas than nationally and has more 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns.
At 10.3 years of the county’s $68K median household income, the typical home (about $698K) costs more against local pay than in 98% of Texas towns; that ratio is one input to its D− for cost of living. The typical value, about $698K, is 13% below its July 2022 peak.
Horseshoe Bay’s median rent is $1,536 a month. The typical Horseshoe Bay home is worth about $698,000, down 3.4% in a year, more than twice the Texas typical home.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
At 9.8 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 89% of Texas’s graded towns. Violent crime is rare: 4 reported in 2025, 0.7 per 1,000 residents.
The violent crime rate in Horseshoe Bay is 0.7 per 1,000 residents.
| Horseshoe Bay | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.7 per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 6.4 per 1,000 residents | 10.7 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
| Horseshoe Bay | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.1% | 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. Horseshoe Bay Nature Park | 0.5 mi | 10 |
| 2. Martin Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
12% of Horseshoe Bay adults report frequent mental distress. Horseshoe Bay beats the Texas average on 18 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 7. 17% of Horseshoe Bay adults say their health is fair or poor.
| Horseshoe Bay | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 18% | 17% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 45% | 35% | 35% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 84% | 74% | 79% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 17% | 16% |
| What stands out | Horseshoe Bay | TX |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 6.5% | 16.4% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8% | 19.3% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 15.1% | 6.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 68% of U.S. communities. Since 2015, 72 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Horseshoe Bay.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The Johnson City 2n weather station, 17 miles away, records that about 111 days a year reach 90°, more than in 95% of U.S. towns. July afternoons average 95.9°, hotter than in 97% of U.S. towns; January nights average 36.8°.
Horseshoe Bay has mild winters and hot summers. Snow is almost unheard of.
| Horseshoe Bay | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 96°F | 95°F | 85°F |
| January low | 37°F | 37°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Horseshoe Bay has about as many jobs (1,524) as working residents, but only 209 people both live and work here.
Most working residents leave Horseshoe Bay for work: only 12% work in town. 4.3% of residents live below the poverty line in Horseshoe Bay. Jobs based in Horseshoe Bay grew to 1,524 in 2023, 290 more than in 2013.
| Horseshoe Bay | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 4.3% | 12% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $97,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 12% | 8.3% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
None within 15 miles of Horseshoe Bay; the nearest are
About 1 of every 100 Horseshoe Bay residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Texas.
City in Texas, United States
Horseshoe Bay is a city in Llano and Burnet counties in the U.S. state of Texas. Situated on Lake Lyndon B. Johnson and the south branch of the Colorado River, it is known in the region for its golf courses, hotel and resort, and water sports. Prior to its incorporation in September 2005, it was a census-designated place (CDP). The CDP population was 3,337 at the 2000 census. The 2010 census put the population at 3,418. The 2020 Decennial Census reported population was 4,257.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Horseshoe Bay.
| Town | TX rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Horseshoe Bay | #226 | C+ | D− | A− | B | B+ |
| Granite Shoals | #456 | D | C | — | C+ | C |
| Sunrise Beach Village | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Cottonwood Shores | — | — | C | — | C+ | C+ |
Cottonwood Shores has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Granite Shoals and Cottonwood Shores report no FBI crime data of their own. Sunrise Beach Village isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Horseshoe Bay with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Horseshoe Bay grades C+ overall, better than 44% of U.S. towns and #226 of 640 in Texas. It grades B+ for health, A− 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−.