Gone to Buda: population boom on the horizon

BUDA – Having grown 39 percent since 2010, Buda is the fastest growing Texas city with a population greater than 10,000. One scenario projects the population to balloon by 700 percent from May 2014 until 2040, according to the City of Buda.

Buda’s population currently hovers around 11,000, but if the Sunfield, Meadows at Buda and Stonefield neighborhoods are annexed by 2036, the population is predicted to hit 80,000, according to modified projections based on Texas State Data Center forecasts.

Despite the estimated growth, Buda has little room to expand geographically, which is why its planning documents have deeply explored high-density development, said Mayor Todd Ruge. Once Buda is fully developed, it will likely be a seamless transition from Austin to Buda.

Buda is projected to have a budget surplus of $7 million at the end of the current fiscal year, according to Sidonna Foust, city finance director.