Both Bastrop and Elgin, each with population growth around 40% between 2020 and 2025, are communities primed for business expansion. Smithville, located in a still-rural section of eastern Bastrop County, was the first Film Friendly Community designated by the Texas Film Commission.
The hometown hospitality of three historic cities – Bastrop, Elgin, and Smithville – beautiful recreation areas and incredible entertainment venues combine with a business-friendly culture, reliable infrastructure, a community college, a talented workforce and dedicated partners – all in a beautiful setting. Bastrop County boasts an expanding industrial park in Bastrop, located on a four-lane highway between Austin and Houston, proximity to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, and an Austin Community College campus in Elgin. Bastrop County ranks 14th among large U.S. counties (100,000+ population) for growth between 2020 and 2023. The county has several key components of the region’s biosciences industry, including a unit of the M.D. Anderson Cancer Research Center — the Keeling Center for Comparative Medicine and Research — as well as life sciences companies such as Agilent Technologies and Caligor Coghlan.
BASTROP COUNTY | AUSTIN MSA | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Population 2025 | 118,908 | 2,620,945 | |
| Population growth 2015-2025 | 44.2% | 31.7% | |
| Land area (sq. mi.) 2020 | 888.2 | 4,219.5 | |
| Median age 2026 | 39.4 | 36.1 | |
| Households 2026 | 40,634 | 1,071,655 | |
| Home ownership rate 2026 | 77.5% | 56.6% | |
| Median household income 2026 | $89,249 | $107,481 | |
| Per capita income 2026 | $42,880 | $61,010 | |
| High school grads 2026 | 84.5% | 93.5% | |
| College grads 2026 | 27.7% | 53.9% | |
| Labor force 2025 | 58,065 | 1,555,142 | |
| Unemployment rate 2025 | 3.7% | 3.5% | |
| Public school enrollment 2025-2026 | 21,928 | 403,226 | |
| High school graduates 2025 | 1,636 | 26,886 | |
| Retail sales 2025 | $2,022 mil. | $52,913 mil. | |
| Business 2025 | Establishments | 1,858 | 76,604 |
| Employment | 27,708 | 1,392,465 | |
| Average salary | $53,029 | $89,172 | |
| Mfg.business 2025 | Establishments | 103 | 2,267 |
| Employment | 1,778 | 85,332 | |
| Average salary | $71,788 | $130,831 | |
Source: Texas Comptroller for retail sales; Texas Workforce Commission for labor force and unemployment; Chmura Economics for businesses, employees, and salaries; Texas Education Agency for public school enrollment and graduates; ESRI for 2026 demographic estimates; and U.S. Census Bureau for all other data.
| LARGEST CITIES IN THE COUNTY | LARGEST SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN THE COUNTY |
|---|---|
Bastrop County in the news - Community Profiles
Direct insights into local talent, diverse neighborhoods, and regional growth. Read our Opportunity Austin Community Profiles to see what makes our region thrive.
