Hays County is located on the Edwards Plateau in the United States. For thousands of years, Hays County has been inhabited by Paleo-Indians, with archaeological evidence of native agriculture dating back to 1200 AD. The county's population is diverse, with 24.50% under 18, 20.50% from 18 to 24, 28.20% from 25 to 44, 19.10% from 45 to 64, and 7.70% aged 65 or older. The median age is 28 years, and for every 100 females there are 101.30 males; for every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 99.50 males. When it comes to politics, Democratic voters primarily reside along the I-35 Corridor and the eastern communities, while communities west of the I-35 corridor lean toward Republicans.
San Marcos, home of Texas State University, and the city of Kyle generally vote for Democrats; Buda, Dripping Springs and Wimberley generally vote for Republicans. The natural grasses in Hays County are the large blue stalk and indigenous grass; trees commonly associated with Central Texas, including live oak, cedar, walnut and mesquite, are native to the area. In terms of population-based statutes and regulations, the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts compiles local property tax data reports every year; the Texas Association of Counties has been obtaining copies of that data for quite some time. The last row shows a significant decline relative to the larger counties, even though many of these smaller counties experienced significant growth. The Texas Department of Agriculture considers a rural hospital to be located in a county with a population density of less than 225 people per square mile of land and in a municipality of 15,000 people or less. The Texas Workforce Commission classifies any county with a population of 10,000 or less as “rural”; one of the definitions of a rural county used by the Texas Department of Agriculture is any county with a population of 150,000 or less.
The Texas Medical Board only accepts counties with a population of 5,000 or less as rural areas according to the most recent 10-year census. It is clear that some parts of Texas are becoming more urban as more and more counties grow beyond their rural roots; however, it is important to consider all indicators when determining how much the state has changed in recent years.
