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Bell County, TX: population growth, jobs and income

Bell County gained 4,809 residents between 2024 and 2025 (+1.2%).

Bell County had an estimated 402,248 residents in 2025, up 8.0% (29,841 more people) since 2020. That is slower than Texas as a whole (+8.5%), and the 52nd fastest growth of 246 counties in Texas.

Data as of 2025 · updated

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In the Bell County report

One-time $99 PDF: everything on this page for Bell County, ranked against Texas and the U.S., plus these figures that are not on the free page:

  • Median gross rent$1,224/mo2020–24
  • Vacant homes, incl. seasonal and second homes8.2%2020–24
  • New homes permitted, last 12 months2,5952025-10/2026-09
  • Rent growth, 5 yearsIn the report
  • Permits in 5+ unit buildingsIn the report
  • IRS income moving in (net AGI)In the report
  • Neighbouring-county comparison tableIn the report

What's inside: 5 pages

  1. 1 Summary, headline numbers and ranks (free preview)
  2. 2 Ranks and the neighbouring-county table
  3. 3 Migration, with IRS mover and income flows
  4. 4 Rent, vacant homes, permits and employers
  5. 5 Every source and the methods
See every page of a sample report

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Headline numbers

What the numbers say

Net domestic migration added 730 people in 2025: more people moved in from other U.S. counties than moved out.

Private employers had 104,607 paid employees in mid-March 2023, +8.4% since 2018 (County Business Patterns).

Unemployment averaged 4.6% in 2025, 0.9 points higher than in 2019 (before the pandemic).

Builders were authorized to start 2,839 new homes in 2025, or 7.1 per 1,000 residents.

Median household income was $68,865 in the 2020–24 American Community Survey, +25.2% since 2016–20.

Across the 3,107 U.S. counties with a comparable estimate, its population growth ranks 305th.

Part of the Killeen-Temple, TX metro area.

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Bell County population by year

Resident population, July 1 estimate (Census Bureau)
YearPopulationChange
2025402,248+4,809
2024397,439+3,766
2023393,673+5,898
2022387,775+7,028
2021380,747+8,340
2020372,407–

Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year.

What drove the change in Bell County

Bell County grew by 29,841 people since 2020; the largest part came from natural change (+15,268).

Components of population change, people (Census Bureau)
Component20252020–25Share
Natural changebirths minus deaths+3,209+15,268
International migrationfrom and to other countries+826+4,557
Domestic migrationfrom and to other U.S. counties+730+10,049
Census adjustmentbalancing residual+44−33
Total change+4,809+29,841

Census Bureau population estimates, components of change, each year July 1 to June 30. The components add up to the change in the estimate; the Census adjustment is the small balancing figure the Bureau publishes.

How it ranks

MeasureIn TexasAmong U.S. counties
Population growth52nd of 246305th of 3,107
Net domestic migration per 1,000 residents119th of 2461,590th of 3,108
Private-sector job growth96th of 245843rd of 3,092
Median household income94th of 2461,262nd of 3,107
Lowest unemployment rate190th of 2462,241st of 3,108
New homes permitted per 1,000 residents31st of 223333rd of 3,005

1st = highest (lowest for unemployment). Counties are ranked only against others with a figure for the same period.

Get the county report — $99

The County Growth and Demographics Report for Bell County, TX as a PDF, from federal data: population and migration, housing and rents, permits, private employers and jobs, unemployment, ranks in the state and the country, and neighbouring counties, with a source next to every number. Pay once, no subscription.

Add 2 neighbouring counties for $50: the Williamson County and McLennan County reports too, $149 for all 3.

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Neighbouring counties

Over 2020–25, Bell County's population change (+8.0%) was ahead of 4 of its 7 neighbouring counties and behind 3.

4 of its 7 neighbouring counties had a higher median household income than Bell County's $68,865 (2020–24).

Bell County, TX and its 7 neighbouring counties: public federal figures
CountyPopulation2025Population change2020–25Net domestic migration per 1,000 residents2025Homes permitted per 1,000 residents2025Median household income2020–24
Bell County, TX This county402,248+8.0%1.87.1$68,865
Williamson County, TX752,827+22.3%19.66.6$111,340
Coryell County, TX85,592+3.0%−0.55.9$71,301
McLennan County, TX272,020+4.1%1.85.3$66,643
Milam County, TX26,258+6.0%0.62.8$66,141
Falls County, TX17,869+5.5%7.10.3$57,247
Burnet County, TX57,015+15.2%16.712.9$78,732
Lampasas County, TX23,657+9.0%5.60.7$81,736

Census Bureau population estimates and building permits, American Community Survey 5-year income. Rates per 1,000 residents. – means no figure, or a base too small for a change or rate (it would swing on a few people). A figure from another period shows its year and is left out of the comparison.

All 254 Texas counties · Every state

Questions

Is Bell County growing?

Yes. Its population grew 8.0% between 2020 and 2025, about 29,841 more people (Census Bureau population estimates). Texas as a whole changed +8.5% over the same years. That ranks 52nd of 246 counties in Texas for population growth.

How many people moved to Bell County?

On net, about 730 people in 2025: that many more moved in from other U.S. counties than moved out (Census Bureau net domestic migration estimate).

What is the unemployment rate in Bell County?

It averaged 4.6% in 2025 (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual average).

What is the population of Bell County?

About 402,248 people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's population estimate for July 1, 2025.

How many jobs are in Bell County?

Private employers there had 104,607 paid employees in mid-March 2023, +8.4% since 2018 (Census Bureau County Business Patterns; government jobs and the self-employed are not counted).

What Beacon CRE covers in Texas

Map, parcel and listing layers cover North and South Carolina only for now. This page and the other Texas county pages carry the public federal growth figures.

Bell County data alerts

Email me when Bell County gets new Census numbers: population, building permits, jobs and income. About 4 emails a year, one click to stop.

We use your address only to email you when new data for Bell County is out: what changed, with a link to that county's report. No newsletter, no other sales emails. Delete it any time with the link in every email. We'll email you a link to confirm first; nothing starts until you click it. Privacy notice.

Sources and method

Each number shows its own period. Changes compare the latest period with five years earlier (or the earliest period available). Beacon CRE last refreshed these figures on 2026-11-05. Figures come from public federal statistics and are informational only, not investment advice. Check the source before relying on a number. Methodology: how we compute every number. More on every layer: data sources and licences.

Jobs outside North and South Carolina use County Business Patterns (paid private-sector employees in mid-March); wages and government jobs are not included.