City profile · Texas · Census ACS 2023

Baytown, TX

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Baytown - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

84,538
Residents
$61,699
Median income
$187,900
Median home
$1,573
Median rent (state)

Baytown - the verdict

Baytown ranks in the 38th percentile for household income and the 13th percentile for safety nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

38th
percentile, household income
39th
percentile, home value
62nd
percentile, median rent
13th
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: Baytown, TX

Baytown is a small city in Texas, home to 84,538 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Baytown households earn a median of $61,699 annually, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 15.1%. Baytown's housing stock carries a median value of $187,900, and the median resident age is 33.9 years. About 15.0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 58.5% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 489 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Building Boom), up 57% from five years earlier. Baytown's reported crime rate runs above the national norm: per-100,000 total crime stands at 3241.3 in FBI UCR data, above the national average (a voluntary reporting program, read this as reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). NOAA puts Baytown's yearly average temperature at 68.7°F with 64.7 inches of precipitation per year.

Texas tracks close to the national cost-of-living baseline: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, Texas scores 97.1 (Near Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,573 per month statewide. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Texas run around $223, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 51.8 out of 100 (Low).

Population

84,538 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Texas

Median Household Income

$61,699 /yr

Poverty 15.1%

Cost of Living Index (state)

97.1 (US=100)

Near Average - BEA RPP 2024, Texas average

How does Baytown compare to other US cities?

Here's how Baytown stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 38% higher than other cities
Home value 39% pricier than other cities
Median rent 62% pricier than other cities
Safety 13% 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: Baytown ranks #573 of 624 Texas cities by lowest crime rate, a different read than the national percentile above.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Baytown's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in Texas, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

38thIncome percentile
13thSafety percentile

38th percentile nationally for median household income · 13th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Baytown's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Baytown'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. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 34 Avg. percentile National median
Baytown'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 Baytown's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$187,900 Among the most affordable more affordable than 61% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). This entry sits in this band. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Above this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Above this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Baytown $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

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

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Baytown, TX Baytown, TX's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Baytown, TX-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Baytown, TX median $61,699/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Baytown, TX's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Baytown, TX. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 15.0%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 15.1%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 58.5%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
84,538
Median Income
$61,699
Median Home Value
$187,900
Median Age
33.9
Poverty Rate
15.1%
Labor force participation
58.5%
Bachelor's Degree+
15.0%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
3241.3
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
440.0
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
2801.3
per 100,000 residents

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.

Climate

Avg Temperature
68.7°F
Annual Precipitation
64.7"
Annual Snowfall
0.0"

Schools

Total Schools
30
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
84,000 residents85,000 residents86,000 residents87,000 residents 202020212022202320242025 85,386 residents 86,561 residents ▲ +1.4%
Baytown's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
489
housing units authorized
Single-Family
142
detached homes
Multifamily
347
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
5.8
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 312
2020 283
2021 309
2022 154
2023 140
2024 489

Permit volume increased 57% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
81.9%
Carpool
9.6%
Public Transit
0.6%
Walk
0.9%
Work from Home
4.9%
Other
2.1%

Based on 36,629 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Texas - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$130
avg/month
Natural Gas
$45
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$48
avg/month
Total Utilities
$223
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Texas state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Texas state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Baytown sits in

Cost of Living Index
97.1
Near Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,573/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
51.8 / 100
Low
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Texas

Bryan
86,169 people
Mission
86,234 people
Longview
82,765 people
Temple
86,358 people
Pharr
79,809 people
Georgetown
78,803 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Baytown's 84,538 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Kennewick, WA
84,389 people
Brooklyn Park, MN
84,349 people
Newport Beach, CA
84,304 people
Westland, MI
84,155 people
Auburn, WA
85,455 people
Franklin, TN
85,575 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Baytown's $61,699 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Oolitic, IN
$61,696 median income
Jean Lafitte, LA
$61,703 median income
English Creek, NJ
$61,694 median income
Cheyenne Wells, CO
$61,705 median income
Clifton, KS
$61,705 median income
Inwood, IA
$61,711 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Baytown, TX Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Baytown, TX - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 45.8% 15.8% 19.1% 16.5% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 50.8% White 45.8% Black or African American 15.8% Asian 2.3% American Indian 0.4% Native Hawaiian 0.1% Some other race 19.1% Two or more races 16.5% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Baytown compares to nearby Texas cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Baytown (this city) 84,538 $61,699
Bryan 86,169 $56,861
Mission 86,234 $60,813
Longview 82,765 $62,488
Census ACS 5-year FIPS TX FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Baytown, TX?

What is the population of Baytown, TX? +

Baytown, TX counts 84,538 residents according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Baytown, TX? +

In Baytown, the typical household earns $61,699 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Baytown? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Baytown; the closest available measure is the Texas state average, a cost of living index of 97.1 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Near Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Texas vary by metro area.

Is Baytown, TX safe? +

Baytown has a total crime rate of 3241.3 per 100,000 residents, which is above the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Baytown, TX? +

A typical home in Baytown is worth $187,900, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Baytown? +

Climate normals put Baytown's yearly average temperature at 68.7°F, 64.7 inches of precipitation. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, 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.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.