Hays County
A strong labor market outperforming the Austin metro average.
Employment Trend
12-month unemployment trajectory
With unemployment at 3.3%, Hays County performs 0.1 percentage points better than the Austin MSA average of 3.4%. Hays accounts for 10.6% of the metro's labor force.
Construction Pipeline
Development activity in the county
Recent Projects
vs Austin MSA
Other Counties
Related Hays County Resources
Data from FRED · Texas TDLR
Updated: 4/6/2026
Hays County economy: frequently asked questions
How is Hays County's economy doing?
Hays 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 Hays County?
Hays 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 Hays County compare to the rest of the Austin metro?
The comparison above shows Hays 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 Hays 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.