Bay City's Demographics

Any discussion of the population of Bay City must recognize the significant long term transient population of construction workers and others in the community. These individuals are not captured in Census data, yet have a significant impact on the community and must be considered in any planning process. With the large number of major projects happening in Bay City, such as the Tenaris construction, outages at STP, etc, this will be a significant issue to address in the planning process.

The population of Bay City and Matagorda County declined slightly between 2000 and 2010, but has shown a rebound since the 2010 Census. The rebound in population is likely due to the resurgence in economic activity and new job opportunities being created in the County.

Population Projection

The population projections below utilize data from two sources, the Texas Water Development Board, and the Texas State Data Center. The Data Center only provides data at the County level; however, population trends within Bay City reflect those of the County overall, so it can be expected that growth within Bay City will mirror that of the County overall. 

The two different methodologies show fairly similar results, with growth expected to be fairly slow and steady over the next few years. It is important to recognize that population projections are based on historic trends, and Bay City's population actually declined between 2000 and 2010. This decline has influenced the projections to show slower growth going forward. Given the economic activity happening in Bay City, it is likely that these projections are not reflective of current conditions and that the population can be expected to grow faster than shown. 

Development

Development pressure will first be visible through the Public Works department, as developers begin submitting plans for new subdivisions, apartments, etc. As these plans come in, City Staff must communicate with the Planning Commission and City Council to update them and ensure proper capital planning is done to address this growth.

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Transition

Bay City is a community in transition. After a period of stagnation, there is significant change happening, with tremendous opportunity for growth. New jobs and new opportunities are being created in the area, and this plan will allow the City to harness that opportunity for the betterment of its residents. The population is changing, and it will be important to address those changes and ensure future community development meets the needs of current and future residents.