Hays County urban

Mission-field Study · ministry priority: Hispanic/Latino + Black · Download filing PDF ↓

1 · Demographic Profile of the Mission Field

Population

256,429

46 census tracts

5-yr growth

26%

+52,440 people · proj. 18%

Hispanic

39%

53,011 Spanish-speakers (5+)

Black

non-Anglo total 43%

Under 18

23%

Median income

$96,452

population-weighted

Fastest-growing neighborhoods

Tracts with fewer than 1,000 residents five years ago are excluded here so a handful of new residents can't read as a four-figure growth rate.

Place	5-yr growth	People added	Hispanic
Buda	557%	6,950	25%
Kyle	321%	4,031	52%
San Marcos	278%	3,567	58%
Hays County (rural)	242%	6,286	58%
Kyle	169%	7,936	58%

2 · Feasibility — mission, plants & ministries

6 Rio Texas North District UMCs serve this county — 2 of them reach non-Anglo communities (1 Hispanic-led, 0 Anglo+Hispanic ministry, 1 Black-led).

That is roughly 1 church per 42,738 residents against a mission field that is 43% non-Anglo.

12 tracts (64,888 people) have no UMC within a 15-minute drive; the average tract is 3.5 mi from the nearest UMC.

Highest-opportunity neighborhoods

Composite of growth (35%), church-saturation gap (30%), demographic fit (20%), and density (15%), 0–100, scored across every tract in the county. ◆ marks tracts that also clear Lens A's 6-mile-from-any-UMC plant filter.

Place	Opportunity	5-yr growth	Pop	mi to UMC
Hays County (rural)	89	242%	8,879	3.4
Kyle	89	169%	12,631	1.6
Kyle	86	321%	5,286	2.0
Kyle	85	60%	10,786	1.6
Hays County (rural)	83	14%	8,916	2.7
Buda	82	557%	8,198	1.2

Existing North District UMCs in Hays

Church	City	Serves
Buda UMC	Buda	Anglo
Kyle UMC	Kyle	Anglo
El Buen Pastor UMC	San Marcos	Hispanic-led
First UMC San Marcos	San Marcos	Anglo
Jackson Chapel UMC	San Marcos	Black-led
Wimberley UMC	Wimberley	Anglo

3 · Proposed Restrictions & Priority for Proceeds

At 39% Hispanic and growing, the field warrants a strong Hispanic/Latino ministry priority alongside cross-cultural work in existing congregations. The Black population (4% of the field, +1540% over five years) supports a Black-ministry priority — note the Plan's caution that the legacy footprint of historic Black UMCs does not track where the Black population is growing today.

20% of net → Conference Trustees' Property Administration Fund (capped at $400k).

75% of the remainder → North District Strategy Team (≈ 60% of net), restricted to: Hispanic/Latino + Black ministry in the Hays County urban mission field.

25% of the remainder → Conference Office of Congregational Vitality & Development (≈ 20% of net), restricted to urban ministry conference-wide.

Proposed restriction language for the District Strategy Team to adopt or amend: "These funds derive from the sale of urban church property in Hays County and are restricted to vital urban ministry that reaches the diverse people of that mission field, with highest priority to hispanic/latino + black ministry, new church starts, and missions — per the Rio Texas Urban Ministry Strategic Plan." If the property was a former Rio Grande Annual Conference congregation, add the Latino/Hispanic highest-priority restriction the Plan requires.