RANK #5 / 996 · POP 143,029 · TX
PROJECTED GROWTH: +5.3%
Taylor County, Texas, is perhaps best known for Abilene, its county seat, which is 151 miles west of Fort Worth. The county is characterized by its Rolling Plains topography, featuring grasses, mesquite, and live oak trees, and is traversed by the Callahan Divide, a line of hills separating two major river watersheds. Residents and visitors can enjoy outdoor recreation at Lake Abilene, Kirby Lake, Lytle Lake, and Fort Phantom Hill Reservoir, which offer opportunities for water activities. The county also boasts parks like Murphy Park, with a fishing lake and one of North America's largest egret rookeries, and Abilene State Park, providing hiking and biking trails.
Life in Taylor County offers a blend of small-town atmosphere with access to urban amenities, attracting families and young professionals. Commute times to nearby cities like Austin can range from 30 to 45 minutes, depending on traffic. Public education is served by several school districts, including Abilene ISD and Wylie ISD. The economy is experiencing growth, particularly with significant investments in data centers and energy projects. These developments are expected to contribute to the local economy and create jobs in the region.
Above national median
Moderate climate & terrain
Housing looks undervalued at 3.1x — home prices are low relative to local economic output. The typical U.S. county is 4–6x.
Source: Redfin · Census BPS — Browse sales on Redfin →
| PROJECT | AMOUNT | STATUS |
|---|---|---|
|
Stargate AI Data Center Campus (OpenAI & Oracle)
Crusoe, OpenAI, Oracle
|
$3,500M | Under Construction |
|
Microsoft AI Factory Campus Expansion
Crusoe, Microsoft
|
$900M | Planned |
|
KDC Project Comal Data Center
KDC Real Estate Development and Investments
|
$500M | Proposed |
|
Blueprint Projects Data Center
Blueprint Data Centers
|
$225M | Planned |
|
Taylor County Paul Storage (205 MW Battery)
DM-TCP, LLC
|
$205M | Planned |
|
Forts Trail Solar (201 MW Solar)
Undisclosed
|
$201M | Planned |
Source: public records, news, corporate announcements. Amounts are estimates where noted.
Bars show percentile rank among all 996 counties.
Taylor County has a Boom Town Index score of 100/100, ranking #5 among 996 U.S. counties. With job growth at +1.4% and a median household income of $61,806, it's an above-average county on economic indicators.
The median home value in Taylor County is $169,800 with median rent at $1,063/month. The income-to-home-value ratio is 0.364, which is more affordable than the national average.
Population growth: +0.9% year-over-year. Job growth: +1.4%. Home values changed +4.2% in the past 12 months.
Yes — 5.4% of Taylor County's population moved from another state, which is above the national average and indicates strong in-migration.