Buda, Texas

Geography

Buda is located at 30°05′03″N 97°50′21″W (30.084229, −97.839081). This is 13 miles (21 km) southwest of Austin and 60 miles (97 km) northeast of San Antonio on Interstate 35.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.4 square miles (6.2 km²), of which, 2.4 square miles (6.2 km²) of it is land and 0.41% is water.

Education

Buda is served by the Hays Consolidated Independent School District. Buda Elementary, originally built in 1885 sits just outside Main Street and currently serves 500 students from the Buda area. Buda students attend Jack C. Hays High School.

Economy

Buda is home to numerous fast-growing small- to medium-sized businesses.

Culture

Because of its proximity to Austin, Texas, Buda is a suburb and commuter town for commuters to Austin. Commercial development along the I-35 corridor, such as the Cabela's sporting good store, has increased city sales tax revenue, and city leaders hope that further revitalization of downtown Buda will attract tourists and residents to the Main Street area.

Buda attracts national attention for its light-hearted wiener dog races, which is organized every April by the Buda Lions Club. Rooster Teeth Productions, the creators of the machinima series Red vs. Blue and The Strangerhood, had its office in Buda until moving back to Austin.

In 2009, the Buda City Council approved the city to become a member of the Film Friendly Texas Program, an organization which trains community leaders about the film production process and how to effectively facilitate filming requests.

Government

Buda is a home rule city with a council-manager form of government. Other governmental entities include the Buda Planning and Zoning Commission, the Historical Commission, the Parks Commission, the Board of Adjustments and the Economic Development Corporation. Citizen Groups active in local politics include the Buda Area Chamber of Commerce and the Buda Downtown Merchants Association.

In November 2007, Buda citizens adopted a home rule charter by a margin of 77.85 percent, allowing the city to transition from general law to home rule.

City council

City employees

Fire department

Police department

History

The town of Buda sprang up along the route of the International-Great Northern Railroad, which was extended from Austin to San Antonio in 1880. Buda bore the name of “Du Pre” from its birth in 1881 until the autumn of 1887, when postal officials became aware that another Texas town was also named Du Pre. Cornelia Trimble platted the town of Du Pre on April 1, 1881, establishing streets and a 150-foot (46 m) wide “Reservation” between the lots and the railroad right of way, which allowed the railroad to place buildings on the parkland, including the depot that would become the lifeblood of the town over the next few decades. Several businesses sprang up, including the Carrington Hotel, which served meals to railroad travelers. By the time Du Pre found a new name for itself, the Carrington hotel was being referenced as “the Buda House.” In the “Dupre Notes” column of the Sept. 25, 1886 edition of the Hays County Times and Farmer’s Journal, the author notes that “The Buda House is one of the best hotels in the state. The polite and entertaining hostess, Mrs. Carrington, meets all with a courteous welcome.” According to the town’s oral tradition, the name of Buda is a corruption of the Spanish word “viuda,” or “widow,” referencing the widows who supposedly worked as cooks at the Carrington Hotel. Others suggest that like the town of Buda, Illinois, the town name is a nod to the exiles of the failed Hungarian Revolution of 1848 who settled in the area.

Buda was incorporated in 1948. By the mid-1980s Buda had attracted a cement plant and some craft industry.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 2,404 people, 866 households, and 685 families residing in the city. Based on utility hook-ups, the city estimated its 2008 population to be in excess of 5,000 residents. The population density was 998.5 people per square mile (385.1/km²). There were 910 housing units at an average density of 378.0 per square mile (145.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 81.95% White, 1.58% African American, 0.54% Native American, 0.87% Asian, 12.02% from other races, and 3.04% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 26.83% of the population.

There were 866 households out of which 44.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.5% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.8% were non-families. 17.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78 and the average family size was 3.13.

In the city, the population was spread out with 29.7% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 36.7% from 25 to 44, 19.7% from 45 to 64, and 7.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 92.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $54,135, and the median income for a family was $57,321. Males had a median income of $37,398 versus $30,064 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,167. About 3.3% of families and 3.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.0% of those under age 18 and 14.7% of those age 65 or over.

As of 2007, Buda recorded $384 million of assessed property value within city limits. Based on a February 2007 survey of 14 central Texas cities, Buda had the highest per capita assessed property value at $85,431 per resident. The city recorded more than $3 million in sales tax collection in 2006, for a per capita sales tax collection of $675.