Rio Texas — North District UMC Halo Briefings

69 churches · 10-mile halos · ACS 5-year (2018→2023)

What's a “halo”? The set of census tracts whose population-weighted centroid sits within 10 miles of a church. It's a way to describe the demographic field at a church's doorstep. Halos overlap — a fast-growing tract between several churches sits in all of their halos. They're descriptive, not exclusive territory.

For every UMC in the North District, we measured the population, growth, and demographics inside its halo — using population-weighted census-tract centroids so the geometry tracks where people actually live, not where roads happen to run. This page is the index. Click a church to see its individual briefing.

65 churches have at least one tract centroid inside their halo. 4 are remote enough that no tract centroid sits within 10 miles — those briefings document the rural reality rather than aggregate stats.

Overview map

All North District UMCs sized by halo 5-year population added; high-growth tracts highlighted. Layers toggleable in the upper-right control. Open in a new tab for full screen.

Largest halos by 5-year population added

Rank	Church	City	Halo pop	5-yr added	Growth rate
1	Pflugerville UMC	Pflugerville	728,117	+95,301	15.1%
2	Leander UMC	Leander	343,561	+74,999	27.9%
3	First UMC Cedar Park	Cedar Park	520,004	+71,383	15.9%
4	Bethany UMC	Austin	760,242	+68,883	10.0%
5	Covenant UMC	Austin	915,285	+59,892	7.0%

Fastest-growing halos by rate

Smaller halos with strong percentage growth — places where a single fast-growing tract significantly changes the field.

Rank	Church	City	Halo pop	5-yr added	Growth rate
1	Cross Tracks Church	Liberty Hill	124,715	+45,433	57.3%
2	Elgin UMC	Elgin	59,743	+18,539	45.0%
3	Lometa UMC	Lometa	3,031	+705	30.3%
4	Bastrop UMC	Bastrop	50,958	+11,625	29.6%
5	Leander UMC	Leander	343,561	+74,999	27.9%

All churches

Filter: Sort by:

Church	City	County	Halo pop	5-yr added	Growth	% Hisp	% <18
Pflugerville UMC	Pflugerville	Travis	728,117	+95,301	15.1%	33.5%	23.6%
Leander UMC	Leander	Williamson	343,561	+74,999	27.9%	19.5%	26.0%
First UMC Cedar Park	Cedar Park	Williamson	520,004	+71,383	15.9%	20.8%	23.1%
Bethany UMC	Austin	Travis	760,242	+68,883	10.0%	26.0%	22.4%
Covenant UMC	Austin	Travis	915,285	+59,892	7.0%	27.8%	20.9%
Manor UMC	Manor	Travis	414,500	+47,442	12.9%	42.9%	24.1%
Cross Tracks Church	Liberty Hill	Williamson	124,715	+45,433	57.3%	22.0%	27.8%
Buda UMC	Buda	Hays	367,257	+41,756	12.8%	38.9%	23.3%
Northwest Hills UMC	Austin	Travis	882,898	+40,019	4.7%	28.1%	18.7%
Kyle UMC	Kyle	Hays	185,754	+39,838	27.3%	47.7%	22.3%
Decker UMC	Austin	Travis	617,336	+36,027	6.2%	37.9%	18.4%
Corinth UMC	Dale	Caldwell	332,211	+34,977	11.8%	43.9%	23.3%
Oak Hill UMC	Austin	Travis	554,124	+32,376	6.2%	26.7%	19.3%
Lake Travis UMC	Austin	Travis	283,428	+31,370	12.4%	15.6%	22.8%
Manchaca UMC	Manchaca	Travis	489,031	+29,082	6.3%	37.1%	21.1%
Violet Crown City Church	Austin	Travis	890,196	+28,449	3.3%	30.1%	18.7%
St. Paul's UMC	Austin	Travis	522,695	+24,770	5.0%	37.9%	17.6%
St. Peter's UMC	Austin	Travis	793,929	+24,548	3.2%	36.1%	18.0%
Rolling Hills Community	Lago Vista	Travis	156,692	+24,089	18.2%	15.5%	24.3%
Berkeley UMC	Austin	Travis	637,727	+23,924	3.9%	31.4%	17.6%
First UMC San Marcos	San Marcos	Hays	134,549	+21,856	19.4%	45.4%	18.3%
Trinity UMC	Austin	Travis	833,586	+18,759	2.3%	33.5%	17.7%
Elgin UMC	Elgin	Bastrop	59,743	+18,539	45.0%	51.1%	29.8%
El Buen Pastor UMC	San Marcos	Hays	115,159	+18,173	18.7%	45.7%	16.8%
Jackson Chapel UMC	San Marcos	Hays	115,159	+18,173	18.7%	45.7%	16.8%
University UMC	Austin	Travis	844,634	+17,226	2.1%	34.2%	17.9%
St. John's UMC	Austin	Travis	872,148	+15,883	1.9%	31.0%	18.2%
Simpson UMC	Austin	Travis	822,979	+15,191	1.9%	35.0%	17.8%
Haynie Chapel	Del Valle	Williamson	291,818	+15,000	5.4%	51.5%	20.9%
Bee Creek UMC	Spicewood	Travis	129,702	+13,928	12.0%	14.6%	24.3%
First UMC Austin	Austin	Travis	834,100	+13,382	1.6%	34.5%	17.7%
Emmanuel UMC	Austin	Travis	800,437	+11,918	1.5%	35.8%	17.7%
Bastrop UMC	Bastrop	Bastrop	50,958	+11,625	29.6%	39.8%	24.7%
Wesley UMC	Austin	Travis	801,043	+11,061	1.4%	35.6%	17.9%
Restore Austin	Austin	Travis	794,722	+9,990	1.3%	34.9%	18.4%
Life in the City UMC	Austin	Travis	784,714	+7,817	1.0%	34.6%	18.4%
Cedar Creek UMC	Cedar Creek	Bastrop	54,725	+7,212	15.2%	61.9%	28.9%
Staples UMC	Staples	Guadalupe	61,135	+7,072	13.1%	48.9%	13.3%
Austin New Church	Austin	Travis	739,779	+5,534	0.8%	32.3%	18.1%
Bertram UMC	Bertram	Burnet	25,820	+2,589	11.1%	22.5%	25.1%
St Marks UMC Lockhart	Lockhart	Caldwell	33,126	+2,204	7.1%	59.3%	24.7%
Tarrytown UMC	Austin	Travis	842,095	+1,719	0.2%	31.9%	18.0%
First UMC Smithville	Smithville	Bastrop	17,308	+1,693	10.8%	22.8%	21.7%
Fredericksburg UMC	Fredericksburg	Gillespie	22,982	+1,350	6.2%	23.8%	19.4%
Highland Lakes UMC	Buchanan Dam	Llano	14,498	+1,292	9.8%	18.5%	15.9%
Fentress UMC	Fentress	Caldwell	11,746	+1,169	11.1%	59.4%	20.1%
Kempner UMC	Kempner	Lampasas	10,727	+848	8.6%	20.2%	22.5%
Lometa UMC	Lometa	Lampasas	3,031	+705	30.3%	11.0%	14.5%
William Taylor UMC	Luling	Caldwell	8,859	+402	4.8%	44.3%	18.6%
First UMC Luling	Luling	Caldwell	8,859	+402	4.8%	44.3%	18.6%
First UMC Columbus	Columbus	Colorado	9,305	+211	2.3%	22.6%	23.0%
St. Paul UMC Columbus	Columbus	Colorado	9,305	+211	2.3%	22.6%	23.0%
Winchester UMC	Winchester	Fayette	12,525	+93	0.8%	15.6%	18.9%
Wesley Chapel UMC	Altair	Colorado	6,597	+2	0.0%	45.4%	28.7%
First UMC	Mason	Mason	3,951	-210	-5.0%	20.9%	23.1%
Eagle Lake UMC	Eagle Lake	Colorado	4,375	-273	-5.9%	55.2%	25.6%
St. James UMC	La Grange	Fayette	11,439	-307	-2.6%	18.3%	18.7%
Cherry Chapel UMC	Industry	Austin	4,220	-356	-7.8%	14.6%	19.2%
Harper UMC	Harper	Gillespie	4,220	-356	-7.8%	14.6%	19.2%
Grace-New Church Start	Brady	McCulloch	7,565	-533	-6.6%	30.7%	21.5%
Weimar UMC	Weimar	Colorado	9,592	-950	-9.0%	23.7%	20.5%
Stevens Chapel UMC	Schulenburg	Fayette	9,592	-950	-9.0%	23.7%	20.5%
Prairie Lea UMC	Prairie Lea	Caldwell	9,291	-2,672	-22.3%	55.9%	15.6%
Westlake UMC	Austin	Travis	814,378	-4,428	-0.5%	31.7%	18.2%
Wimberley UMC	Wimberley	Hays	23,159	-5,717	-19.8%	22.2%	17.1%
Hilda UMC	Hilda	Mason	—	—	—	—	—
Cherokee UMC	Cherokee	San Saba	—	—	—	—	—
Bend UMC	Bend	Lampasas	—	—	—	—	—
Valley Spring UMC	Valley Spring	Llano	—	—	—	—	—

Companion views

The briefings above are the existing-church halo lens. Two other lenses run on the same data:

Plant prospectus (Lens A) — every tract at least 6 miles from any UMC, scored on a four-component opportunity formula and clustered. Both top-of-rank opportunities and bottom-of-rank cautionary cases.
→ View the plant prospectus
Black & Hispanic priority (Lens C + D) — operationalizes the North District mission statement “Prioritize Black and Hispanic Churches & Ministries.” Three tract buckets (Hispanic plants, Hispanic ministry expansion, Black plants) plus a ranked list of existing Anglo UMCs by Hispanic-ministry-siting potential.
→ View the Black & Hispanic priority briefing

How to read these briefings

A church's halo is the set of census tracts whose population-weighted centroid sits within 10 straight-line miles of the church.
Population data comes from the American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates. Growth is measured 2018 → 2023 (same tract definitions, no decennial-boundary crosswalk needed).
A tract can appear in many halos — a fast-growing tract sitting between three churches is opportunity for all three.
The halo is descriptive, not prescriptive. It shows the demographic field around a church; what a church does with that information is for its leadership to decide.