Hays County, TX elected officials: county commissioners, sheriff, school board and cities
Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Hays County: 16 seats on 6 elected bodies. 5 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.
The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 64 local governments in Hays County. This page lists the ones whose offices are elected.
Kind of government
Census count (2022)
Listed on this page
County government
1
1
Cities, towns, villages and townships
11
0
School districts (school boards)
4
0
Special districts (elected boards)
48
1
Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments: Government Units Listing (census.gov).
About these counts
The Census Bureau counts every independent local government once, in the county it assigns it to: the one it mostly serves or where it's based. A city or district that crosses county lines is counted in only one county, so it may be listed on this page but counted elsewhere, or the other way around. Many special districts, such as housing authorities, have appointed boards, and some places have more than one elected body, so the two columns measure different things. School systems run by a county, city or the state aren't counted as separate governments, though their boards may be listed here; in some states the Bureau counts community or state colleges as school districts. The counts are as of 2022.
Who lives in Hays County
268,638people
34.1median ageU.S.: 38.9
$89,097 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
12.1%below the U.S.: 12.5%
43.2%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$399,800median home valueU.S.: $332,700
4.4%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
9.8%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
6.8%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
11.6%U.S.: 8.4%
59.9%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
29.3%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%
Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 39.4% · White 50.5% · Black 3.8% · Asian 2% · Other or more than one race 4.3% (Hispanic or Latino people can be of any race; the other groups are non-Hispanic.)
Census Bureau, 2020–2024 5-year estimates (data.census.gov).
About these figures
The American Community Survey asks about 3.5 million households a year about who lives there, their work, income, schooling and housing. The 5-year estimates pool 2020–2024 answers so that every county and district has enough of them. They're estimates with a (larger for smaller places), and they're different from the once-a-decade census count. "Median" means half are above and half below. Household income is before taxes and includes everyone in the household. The unemployment share here is the survey's five-year average, so it differs from the monthly rate in the BLS jobs report. Race and Hispanic origin are as people describe themselves.
Health insurance means any coverage, private or public (such as Medicaid or Medicare), when people answered; the share is of everyone except people on active military duty and people living in institutions such as prisons and nursing homes. The housing shares are of renting households, and of homeowners with a mortgage, for whom the Census Bureau can compute them (households with no income, or renters who pay no cash rent, are left out). Rent here is gross rent, rent plus utilities; owner costs include the mortgage, property taxes, insurance, utilities and fees.
Jobs in Hays County
3.7%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 3.7%. Texas: 4.3%.
164,325people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
170,553in the September 2026, preliminary.
Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.
Every month, last two years
Month
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
September 2026 (preliminary)
3.7%
6,228
164,325
170,553
August 2026
3.9%
6,656
163,269
169,925
July 2026
4.0%
6,888
163,393
170,281
June 2026
4.1%
7,064
163,192
170,256
May 2026
3.6%
6,062
163,640
169,702
April 2026
3.3%
5,600
163,511
169,111
March 2026
3.4%
5,784
163,054
168,838
February 2026
3.8%
6,355
163,006
169,361
January 2026
3.8%
6,391
162,372
168,763
December 2025
3.2%
5,463
164,129
169,592
November 2025
3.6%
6,032
163,775
169,807
October 2025
not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 2025
3.7%
6,218
163,615
169,833
August 2025
3.8%
6,368
162,503
168,871
July 2025
3.6%
6,108
162,719
168,827
June 2025
3.4%
5,754
162,969
168,723
May 2025
3.3%
5,484
162,602
168,086
April 2025
3.0%
5,091
163,767
168,858
March 2025
3.3%
5,527
162,347
167,874
February 2025
3.6%
5,998
161,555
167,553
January 2025
3.4%
5,759
161,307
167,066
December 2024
3.1%
5,081
161,236
166,317
November 2024
3.4%
5,680
160,814
166,494
October 2024
3.4%
5,651
160,524
166,175
Yearly averages
Year
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
2025 (11 months)
3.4%
5,800
162,844
168,644
2024
3.4%
5,546
159,009
164,555
2023
3.3%
5,169
151,982
157,151
2022
3.1%
4,522
142,625
147,147
2021
4.1%
5,581
129,315
134,896
2020
6.3%
7,778
115,946
123,724
2019
2.8%
3,372
116,827
120,199
2018
3.0%
3,462
112,110
115,572
2017
3.2%
3,507
106,303
109,810
2016
3.4%
3,489
100,202
103,691
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, : BLS publishes county figures only that way, so they rise and fall with the seasons; compare a month with the same month a year earlier rather than with the month before. Texas's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 4.4% in September 2026. The latest month is preliminary and is revised the next month, and BLS revises earlier years each spring. People are counted where they live. October 2025 wasn't collected during the 2025 federal government shutdown, so 2025's yearly average covers 11 months.
Crime reported in Hays County
368.9 per 100,0002025. Texas: 344.9.
2,592.4 per 100,0002025. Texas: 1,786.0.
55murders2025, 4,809 violent crimes in all.
Earlier years
Year
Violent
Rate
Property
Rate
2025
4,809
368.9
33,798
2,592.4
2024
5,307
414.4
35,762
2,792.6
2023
5,739
455.1
36,137
2,865.5
2022
6,172
500.4
38,712
3,138.7
2021
5,881
464.5
37,658
2,974.5
2020
5,378
433.9
39,555
3,191.3
2019
4,559
374.6
39,847
3,274.3
2018
4,233
353.7
36,572
3,056.0
2017
4,495
379.3
34,176
2,883.7
2016
4,377
377.6
37,346
3,221.4
By police agency (5)
Agency
Year
Violent
Property
People served
Austin Police Department
2025
4,185
30,677
1,000,639
Hays County Sheriff's Office
2025
197
824
138,997
San Marcos Police Department
2025
313
1,464
75,924
Kyle Police Department
2025
97
574
71,858
Buda Police Department
2025
17
259
16,300
Crimes to the county's city and county police agencies (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, Return A), per 100,000 people they serve. Years with incomplete reporting are left out. Crime in Texas · the U.S.
Police staffing
1.45 per 1,000 residents2025, 5 agencies serving 1,303,718 people.
1,892sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
1,115civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (5), 2025
Agency
Officers
Civilians
People served
Austin Police Department
1,487
711
1,000,639
Hays County Sheriff's Office
175
290
138,997
San Marcos Police Department
125
59
75,924
Kyle Police Department
80
50
71,858
Buda Police Department
25
5
16,300
Earlier years
Year
Officers
Per 1,000
Civilians
Agencies
2025
1,892
1.45
1,115
5
2024
1,895
1.48
1,012
5
2023
1,860
1.47
957
5
2022
1,891
1.53
957
5
2021
1,968
1.55
773
5
2020
2,101
1.70
848
5
2018
2,183
1.82
818
5
2016
2,106
1.82
778
5
Full-time employees of the county's city police departments and sheriff's office, as each reported them to the FBI (Uniform Crime Reporting, Law Enforcement Employees), per 1,000 people in the areas those agencies serve (the FBI's population figures). A year is shown only when every one of these agencies sent a count; a count under half or over double the agency's own counts in nearby years is treated as not sent. Towns policed under contract by another agency are counted through that agency. State police, campus and other agencies aren't included. Sheriffs' offices often also run the county jail and courthouse security, so their staff counts include those jobs.
Quick answers
Who is the Hays County County Clerk?
Elaine Cardenas is the County Clerk of Hays County, Texas. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Hays County District Attorney?
Kelly Higgins is the District Attorney of Hays County, Texas.
Who is the Hays County District Clerk?
Amanda K. Calvert is the District Clerk of Hays County, Texas. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Hays County Tax Assessor-Collector?
Jennifer Escobar is the Tax Assessor-Collector of Hays County, Texas.
Who are the Hays County commissioners?
Ruben Becerra (County Judge); Debbie Ingalsbe (Precinct 1); Michelle Cohen (Precinct 2); Morgan Hammer (Precinct 3); Walt Smith (Precinct 4).
What is the population of Hays County?
About 268,638 people, with a median age of 34.1; the median household income is $89,097 and 12.1% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Hays County?
3.7% in September 2026 (preliminary): 6,228 people unemployed in a labor force of 170,553, against 3.7% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Hays County?
64 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 11 municipal, 4 school district and 48 special district governments.
Officeholders as of November 6, 2026, from the Office of Court Administration's directory of trial courts by county (May 2026), the Texas Secretary of State's county officer lists, the Comptroller's county directory and each county's own website (commissioners); officials appointed since those lists were updated may differ; each name links to its source. Officials change between elections (appointments, resignations), and the body's own website is the authority. Party is shown only for offices elected on a partisan ballot.
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