Hays County, TX
Get paid to care for your family member in Hays County, Texas
About 36,900 people in Hays County are 65 or older — 13% of everyone who lives here. That tracks with Texas as a whole. Roughly 2,690 are 85 or older, the age when daily help usually starts. Hays County is one of the state's biggest population centers, and home-care agencies do work here — but staffing is thin, schedules change, and a stranger in the house is not what every family wants.
Who needs care in Hays
- People 65 and older
- 36,900
- People 85 and older
- 2,690
- Median age
- 34.7
- Rank in Texas
- 23rd
13% of Hays residents
the age daily help usually starts
younger than the country as a whole
of 254 counties, by residents 65+
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Population Estimates (Vintage 2024). Hays County is a large metro county (USDA Rural-Urban Continuum Code 1). Texas as a whole is 14% aged 65 or older.
What Texas pays family caregivers
$15/hr
Your exact pay is set by the program and your care plan. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Source: Texas Medicaid program data · Updated September 2026
Texas's programs at a glance
- Consumer Directed Services (CDS)
- STAR+PLUS HCBS
- CLASS & MDCP Waivers
- Spouse paid?
- Not right now
- Parent paid for a child?
- Not right now
- Waitlist
- Waitlists can be long — apply early.
These rules are set by the state, so they are the same in every county. Read the full Texas guide →
Towns and cities in Hays County
Texas sets eligibility, not your town — so a family in San Marcos and a family at the far edge of the county apply the same way. The largest communities in Hays County:
- San Marcos74,316
- Kyle65,833
- Buda16,090
- Dripping Springs10,165
- Wimberley2,889
- Woodcreek1,886
- Uhland1,227
- Austin1,067
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Subcounty Population Estimates.
How families in Hays apply
You do not need a county office to start. Families in Hays County start with Texas's program:
Call 877-438-5658 to join the CLASS or MDCP interest list, or 800-964-2777 for the STAR+PLUS HCBS interest list; benefits applications go through YourTexasBenefits.com or 2-1-1 Texas.
Or skip the phone tag — our free 2-minute check tells you which Texas program fits your family, then we help with the forms.
See if you qualify →Hays questions, answered honestly
Can I get paid to care for a family member in Hays County?
Yes. Texas runs real Medicaid programs — like Consumer Directed Services (CDS) — that pay family caregivers, and they cover families in Hays County. We help you enroll, and applying costs you nothing.
How much do family caregivers earn in Hays County?
Reported figures in Texas are around $15/hr, but rates vary — the program sets your exact pay. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Where do families in Hays County apply?
Families in Hays County start with the state, not the county. Call 877-438-5658 to join the CLASS or MDCP interest list, or 800-964-2777 for the STAR+PLUS HCBS interest list; benefits applications go through YourTexasBenefits.com or 2-1-1 Texas.
Can I get paid to care for my spouse in Hays County?
Not right now — but other family members often can be. The fine print for Texas: no — spouses cannot be paid attendants in Medicaid CDS programs; reported exception: state-funded CMPAS may allow a spouse
How many people in Hays County might need this?
36,900 residents of Hays County are 65 or older and about 2,690 are 85 or older, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2024 population estimates. Most of them are cared for at home by a relative rather than in a facility. Texas's programs exist to pay for exactly that care.
Which towns in Hays do you cover?
All of Hays County — including San Marcos, Kyle, Buda, Dripping Springs and Wimberley. Eligibility is set by Texas, not by your town, so where you live inside the county does not change whether you qualify.
Program facts come from Texas's published Medicaid program rules · Population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau · Updated September 2026. Rules change — always confirm with the program.
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