Buying Land in Hays County, Texas

One of the Fastest-Growing Counties in the Country

Case-by-case / verify locally

Hays County's population reached an estimated 314,441 in 2026, up roughly 25.6% between 2019 and 2023 alone -- consistently ranked among the fastest-growing US counties with over 100,000 residents. That growth is concentrated along the I-35 corridor (San Marcos, Kyle, Buda) but radiates outward, meaning ETJ boundaries, subdivision rules, and infrastructure capacity in even the county's more rural western half can change faster here than in a typical rural Texas county. Confirm current city ETJ boundaries and county development regulations directly rather than relying on how a specific area was zoned or platted even a few years ago.

Two Separate Districts Split Groundwater at Roughly the Same Line That Splits Suburb from Hill Country

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The Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District (BSEACD) manages Edwards Aquifer wells on Hays County's eastern side, while the separate Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District manages Trinity Aquifer wells to the west, where the Edwards has eroded away and the Trinity sits near the surface. Which district -- and which aquifer -- governs a specific well depends on exactly where the parcel sits. See the standalone well-water page for the details, including the Trinity Aquifer's documented recent stress.

The County Legally Cannot Regulate Short-Term Rentals Countywide -- and Never Can Under Current Law

Generally favorable

Texas Local Government Code Section 240.102 only lets a county regulate short-term rentals in its unincorporated area if that county has 585,000+ residents and is adjacent to a county of 4,000,000+ -- Hays County fails both prongs today, and (unlike a county that might eventually cross a population threshold) Hays isn't adjacent to any Texas county anywhere near 4 million residents, so this isn't a temporary gap that growth alone will close. See the standalone short-term-rentals page for what that means in practice, and what still applies without a county ordinance.

Flooding on the Blanco and San Marcos Rivers Is Documented History, Not a Theoretical Risk

Case-by-case / verify locally

The Memorial Day weekend flood of May 2015 sent the Blanco River to a record 44 feet near Wimberley, killing 13 people and destroying roughly 400 homes -- one of the deadliest flash floods in Texas Hill Country history, in a region researchers have called the most flash-flood-prone in North America. Development along both the Blanco and San Marcos River corridors in Hays County requires a floodplain development permit through Hays County Development Services; check FEMA flood-zone status and the county's current floodplain rules directly before buying anywhere near either river.