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Place dossier plate
SheetTX-BALCONES-HEIGHTS-TX · Balcones Heights, TX 2,724 pop · income 2nd pct
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around Balcones Heights
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Balcones Heights on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Machias · lowest
28,047
Machias · lowest
28,047 median HH income
19.2% of the leader · rank #1
Durant · near
28,050
Durant · near
28,050 median HH income
19.2% of the leader · rank #2
Wheatland · near
28,068
Wheatland · near
28,068 median HH income
19.2% of the leader · rank #3
Balcones Heig… · this city
28,082
Balcones Heig… · this city
28,082 median HH income
19.2% of the leader · rank #4
Meigs · near
28,125
Meigs · near
28,125 median HH income
19.2% of the leader · rank #5
Haslet · highest
146,161
Haslet · highest
146,161 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #6
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Balcones Heights on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 2,724.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Balcones Heights - the verdict
Nationally, Balcones Heights sits in the 2nd percentile for household income and the 0th percentile for safety among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
2nd
percentile, household income
47th
percentile, home value
40th
percentile, median rent
0th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: Balcones Heights, TX
Texas's Balcones Heights is a small town, with 2,724 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. Households in Balcones Heights report a median income of $28,082 per year, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 39.5%. Balcones Heights's housing stock carries a median value of $214,300, and the median resident age is 35.4 years. Educational attainment runs 12.9% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 61.4% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 0 residential units were authorized in 2024 (No Permits), down 100% from five years earlier. Balcones Heights's reported crime rate runs above the national norm: FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 14825.9 incidents per 100,000 residents, above the national average (voluntary agency reporting, reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).
Texas tracks close to the national cost-of-living baseline: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Texas at 97.1 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Near Average). A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,149 per month statewide. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Texas's average monthly utility costs around $223 (state average). The average commute for Balcones Heights workers runs 23.1 minutes, with 58.1% driving alone and 6.4% working from home. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 49.0 out of 100 (Low).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Balcones Heights's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from housing and income to comparison shortlist to work and mobility to reported crime to population change; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Balcones Heights, city-specific coverage includes local building permits, annual population history, commute-mode shares, FBI reported-crime rates.
No matched row is reported here for matched public-school count, within-city Census tract profiles; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.
1. Housing and income
How far does income reach against housing in Balcones Heights?
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Housing value is high relative to the citywide income median. That flags a question for comparison, not a verdict: tenure, household composition, financing costs, and the age of the ACS estimate can all change what a resident actually pays.
The home-value-to-income reference is comparatively stretched: the ACS median home value is 7.6 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 39.5%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
Which cities make useful reference points for Balcones Heights?
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
Within Texas, the closest population matches are Talty (2,727 residents, $136,917 income); Edcouch (2,729 residents, $33,258 income); Refugio (2,729 residents, $56,193 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Island Walk, FL (2,724 residents); Concordia, NJ (2,724 residents); Jay, OK (2,724 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
What does the journey to work look like in Balcones Heights?
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 58.1%. The reported mean trip to work is 23.1 minutes.
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.
What can the FBI record say about safety in Balcones Heights?
The joined FBI UCR record reports 14825.9 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, above the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 550% higher in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Population change
Is Balcones Heights growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Census PEP estimates show the population declined by -17 residents from 2020 to 2025, a -0.6% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 0 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
The recent population line is broadly flat. That makes the composition of change more important than the headline count: housing turnover, household size, and age structure can shift even when the total barely moves.
2020 estimate
2,745
2025 estimate
2,728
Period change
-0.6%
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
Lowest-decile income · poverty 39.5% (Highest-decile poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
97.1 (US=100)
Near national cost · BEA RPP 2024, Texas average
F
City profile score · Balcones Heights, TX
13/100
5 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Cost of living C-
97.1 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Bachelor's+ share F
12.9%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Household income F
$28,082
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Poverty rate F
39.5%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Violent crime F
1,722 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Balcones Heights profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Cost of living: 53/100 (C-) · 97.1 index
Bachelor's+ share: 14/100 (F) · 12.9%
Household income: 0/100 (F) · $28,082
Poverty rate: 0/100 (F) · 39.5%
Violent crime: 0/100 (F) · 1,722 /100k
Where Balcones Heights sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Balcones Heights's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - Balcones Heights highlighted among 25 peers.Read the chart values
Balcones Heights, TX (this city): home $214,300, crime 14,826/100k
Jay, OK : home $105,400, crime 4,735/100k
Edcouch, TX : home $72,500, crime 414/100k
Refugio, TX : home $85,000, crime 1,047/100k
Hallettsville, TX : home $154,300, crime 1,446/100k
New York, NY : home $751,700, crime 3,039/100k
Los Angeles, CA : home $879,500, crime 2,212/100k
Chicago, IL : home $315,200, crime 4,012/100k
Houston, TX : home $253,400, crime 5,442/100k
Phoenix, AZ : home $381,900, crime 3,125/100k
Philadelphia, PA : home $232,400, crime 5,457/100k
San Antonio, TX : home $219,700, crime 5,218/100k
San Diego, CA : home $848,500, crime 2,082/100k
Dallas, TX : home $295,300, crime 4,010/100k
San Jose, CA : home $1,187,800, crime 3,195/100k
Austin, TX : home $512,700, crime 3,709/100k
Fort Worth, TX : home $277,300, crime 3,158/100k
Columbus, OH : home $234,500, crime 3,088/100k
Indianapolis, IN : home $207,000, crime 4,214/100k
San Francisco, CA : home $1,380,500, crime 4,526/100k
Seattle, WA : home $912,100, crime 5,783/100k
Denver, CO : home $586,700, crime 5,755/100k
Oklahoma City, OK : home $215,100, crime 3,570/100k
El Paso, TX : home $171,700, crime 1,772/100k
Washington, DC : home $724,600, crime 4,514/100k
How does Balcones Heights compare to other US cities?
Here's how Balcones Heights stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income2% higher than other cities
Home value47% pricier than other cities
Median rent40% pricier than other cities
Safety0% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
Zoom in to just Texas and the picture shifts: Balcones Heights ranks #624 of 624 Texas cities by lowest crime rate, a different read than the national percentile above.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Balcones Heights against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Texas only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Texas-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Balcones Heights near the bottom of Texas's cities
Among the 1,663 Texas cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Balcones Heights ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Balcones Heights only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#1,491 of 1,520
2nd percentile in Texas
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 1,663
0th percentile in Texas
Median Home Value
#509 of 1,505
66th percentile in Texas
Poverty Rate
#64 of 1,663
96th percentile in Texas
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#1,085 of 1,663
34th percentile in Texas
How in-state ranks are ordered
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Texas only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
2nd percentile nationally for median household income · 0th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Balcones Heights's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Balcones Heights's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.
How Balcones Heights's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$214,300Among the most affordablemore affordable than 53% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
pressured
> 5.0×
National rank
#14,912 of 15,516
More affordable than 4% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#10,945 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)
At 7.6×, Balcones Heights sits in the pressured band:
national rank #14,912 of 15,516 and #10,945 of 11,323micro cities (under 10,000).
Housing value is high relative to the citywide income median, a comparison flag, not a verdict on any household.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$28,082Balcones Heights, TX median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Balcones Heights, TX median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Balcones Heights, TX.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)12.9%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)39.5%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)61.4%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
2,724
Median Income
$28,082
Median Home Value
$214,300
Median Age
35.4
Poverty Rate
39.5%
Labor force participation
61.4%
Bachelor's Degree+
12.9%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
14825.9
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
1722.2
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
13103.7
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Balcones Heights's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
2,745 residents
2021
2,731 residents
2022
2,725 residents
2023
2,716 residents
2024
2,729 residents
2025
2,728 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
Total Permits (2024)
0
housing units authorized
Single-Family
0
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
1
1
0
$0.2M
2020
0
0
0
-
2021
0
0
0
-
2022
0
0
0
-
2023
0
0
0
-
2024
0
0
0
-
Permit volume decreased 100% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Average Commute Time
23.1 minutes
Drive Alone
58.1%
Carpool
16.1%
Public Transit
7.4%
Walk
3.6%
Work from Home
6.4%
Other
8.4%
Based on 1,438 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
Texas statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $223
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Texas at $223 (electricity about $130 , water and sewer about $48 ).
These are Texas statewide averages, not a meter reading for Balcones Heights. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Texas's BEA cost-of-living index is 97.1 (Near Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Balcones Heights is $1,149/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Texas statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 49.0 / 100 (Low).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a Texas statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Balcones Heights sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Balcones Heights compares to similar-size Texas cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.