#3 of 5 Counties
✓ Below MSA Average

Bastrop County

A strong labor market outperforming the Austin metro average.

Unemployment Rate
3.3%↓
-0.1% vs MSA
Labor Force
57K
+1.5% YoY
Active Projects
242
+31 in 6mo
Project Value
$2.88B
Avg: $11.9M

Employment Trend

12-month unemployment trajectory

Unemployment Rate
2024-12-012025-12-01
✅
Bastrop outperforms the metro

With unemployment at 3.3%, Bastrop County performs 0.1 percentage points better than the Austin MSA average of 3.4%. Bastrop accounts for 3.7% of the metro's labor force.

Construction Pipeline

Development activity in the county

242
Total Projects
150
New Construction
92
Renovations
+31
Recent (6mo)
View All Bastrop Projects

Recent Projects

Hwy 71 Retail Center
2627 W SH 71, Cedar Creek, TX 78612
$1.2M
🏗️ New
WB at 401 State Hwy 71
401 W SH 71, Bastrop, TX 78602
$2.5M
🏗️ New
The Colony - 1F5 - Dog Park
Republic Drive at Section 1-F5, Bastrop, TX 78602
$230K
🏗️ New
The Colony - Oaklands Park
Section D-1, Gaston Drive, Bastrop, TX 78602
$250K
🔧 Reno
New Facility
1811 Jasper St, Bastrop, TX 78602
$2.5M
🏗️ New

vs Austin MSA

MSA Unemployment
3.4%
MSA Labor Force
1.6M
County Share
3.7%

Top Cities

Cedar Creek
3
$1.40B
Bastrop
6
$5.9M
Smithville
1
$890K

Other Counties

🏆Williamson
3.3%
Hays
3.3%
Travis
3.4%
Caldwell
3.4%

Related Bastrop County Resources

🏢
Contractor Directory
Search verified construction companies
→🏗️
Construction Projects
Active TDLR development projects
→📋
Building Permits
County-level permit activity and trends
→📢
Government Bids
Government solicitations and contract opportunities
→

Data from FRED · Texas TDLR

Updated: 4/6/2026

Bastrop County economy: frequently asked questions

How is Bastrop County's economy doing?

Bastrop County is part of the Austin–Round Rock–Georgetown metro, one of the fastest-growing regional economies in the United States. The unemployment, labor force, and construction figures above show how the county is performing and how it has trended over the past year.

What is the unemployment rate in Bastrop County?

Bastrop County's current unemployment rate is shown above, along with its year-over-year change and trend. The figure comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Local Area Unemployment Statistics program and updates monthly.

How does Bastrop County compare to the rest of the Austin metro?

The comparison above shows Bastrop County's unemployment rate against the Austin MSA average and its share of the metro labor force. Suburban counties often post lower unemployment and faster labor-force growth than the metro as a whole.

Where does Bastrop County economic data come from?

Employment and labor-force data come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics via the Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED) service. Construction activity is drawn from Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) project filings.