This article is part of an ongoing, county-by county, overview of the Rural Capital Area. This article covers household income and the income distribution in Bastrop County. This information helps track how well residents can afford basic needs like housing, food, and healthcare as well as relative prosperity compared to other areas.  Due to delays associated with the October 2025 federal government shutdown, 2024 data for this dataset are expected to be released in February 2026.

Median Household Income

Between 2013 and 2023, the median household income in Bastrop County is either relatively close or is exceeding the national average. Additionally, the County’s median household income was higher than the national average by at least $1,000 in 2015, 2017, 2020, and 2021 (Figure 1). As of 2023, Bastrop County’s median household income was approximately $77,000, close to the U.S. median of $78,000.

Between 2022 and 2023, incomes in Bastrop County continued to rise, experiencing a 5.7% increase, the fourth-highest annual growth rate in the past decade. Commuting patterns likely explain part of Bastrop County’s relatively higher median household income compared with the national average. According to the 2023 Bastrop County Transportation Plan, many residents of Bastrop County commute outside of the County for work, especially to Travis County, home to Austin, Texas’s fifth-most-populous city.^[1] As Bastrop County’s population continues to grow, this commuting pattern is expected to persist. Many residents appear to live in Bastrop County while accessing higher-paying jobs in nearby counties, allowing them to benefit from Austin’s labor market while maintaining a lower cost of living amid rising housing affordability challenges in large metropolitan areas.

Figure 1: Median Household Income, 2013-2023

Source: Points Consulting using Rural Capital Area Data Hub

Figure 2 illustrates the cumulative change in median household income from 2013 to 2023. Bastrop County’s median household income increased during this period of time, though growth occurred unevenly from year to year, resulting in more pronounced short-term fluctuations than those observed for the United States and the Rural Capital Area (RCA) Region. Despite this variability, Bastrop County did not experience a decline in median household income during this period of time. It is important to note that year-to-year changes in official income estimates can appear more volatile in smaller or more rural geographies due to sampling variability and margins of error.  

Figure 2: Cumulative Growth in Median Household Income, 2013-2023

Source: Points Consulting using Rural Capital Area Data Hub

Figure 3 shows that the majority of households in Bastrop County fall within higher income brackets. In 2023, 34.2% of households earned less than $60,000 annually, while 65.8% earned $60,000 or more. What stands out is the concentration in the middle-to-upper tiers. The single largest income group is households earning between $75,000 and $99,999, which aligns with the 2023 median household income illustrated in Figure 1.

The next two largest groups are $60,000–$74,999 and $100,000–$124,999, suggesting that middle- and upper-middle-income households make up the core of the County’s income profile. Middle and higher-income households are less likely to experience housing insecurity which can translate into a more stable workforce with less turnover.

Figure 3: Bastrop County, Household Income Distribution, 2023

Source: Points Consulting using Rural Capital Area Data Hub