Stack 1: Before You Buy · 4 min read
Packing notes
- Census medians run from about $286,000 in Taylor to $841,300 in Lakeway.
- Austin’s median, $555,300, sits in the upper middle of the region.
- The school district on the tax bill can change the yearly cost as much as the price.
Austin buyers often start with a neighborhood in mind and then discover what it costs. It works better the other way around: start from the budget and see where in the region it stretches furthest. The U.S. Census Bureau publishes median home values for every city, based on what owners report their homes are worth, and those figures give a clear first map of the market. This guide groups Austin and the cities around it into price bands, then explains why the tax bill can matter as much as the price.
How to read the numbers
The values below are medians of owner-occupied homes for 2020 to 2024 from the Census Bureau’s QuickFacts. Half the homes in each place are worth more and half less. Because they cover several years and every home, including ones bought long ago, they are a guide to relative price, not a quote for today’s listings. Use them to compare places, then check current sale prices with your agent.
Price bands across the region
| Band | Place | Median home value | Owner-occupied rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under $350,000 | Taylor | $285,800 | 74.6% |
| Under $350,000 | San Marcos | $310,400 | 30.8% |
| Under $350,000 | Kyle | $334,600 | 67.1% |
| Under $350,000 | Manor | $347,900 | 75.0% |
| $350,000 to $450,000 | Hutto | $365,700 | 79.6% |
| $350,000 to $450,000 | Pflugerville | $402,400 | 69.9% |
| $350,000 to $450,000 | Round Rock | $418,600 | 55.5% |
| $350,000 to $450,000 | Georgetown | $429,100 | 69.5% |
| $350,000 to $450,000 | Buda | $446,600 | 76.6% |
| $450,000 to $600,000 | Leander | $506,200 | 73.4% |
| $450,000 to $600,000 | Cedar Park | $513,600 | 66.7% |
| $450,000 to $600,000 | Austin | $555,300 | 43.4% |
| Over $750,000 | Bee Cave | $776,400 | 48.8% |
| Over $750,000 | Lakeway | $841,300 | 86.3% |
Two things stand out. First, the spread is wide: the median in Lakeway is almost three times the median in Taylor. Second, the city of Austin itself sits in the upper middle, above every large suburb to the north except Leander and Cedar Park, which are close behind.
Inside the city: the school district matters
Within Austin, prices vary from one part of town to another, but so does something buyers often overlook: the taxing units on the bill. Every Austin home pays city, county, community college and hospital district taxes, but the school district depends on the address, and not every Austin address is in Austin ISD. School tax is usually the largest single line on a Texas tax bill.
Travis County’s published 2025 rates per $100 of taxable value show how much school districts differ:
| School district | 2025 rate per $100 |
|---|---|
| Eanes ISD | 0.8322 |
| Round Rock ISD | 0.8931 |
| Austin ISD | 0.9252 |
| Del Valle ISD | 0.9489 |
| Manor ISD | 1.0814 |
| Leander ISD | 1.0869 |
| Pflugerville ISD | 1.1069 |
On a $400,000 home, the gap between a rate of 0.8931 and 1.1069 is about $855 a year before exemptions. Two houses at the same price can therefore cost noticeably different amounts to own. The Travis Central Appraisal District’s record for any property lists its taxing units, so check that before you make an offer.
What each band tends to mean
- Under $350,000: the outer ring of the region, often newer subdivisions, longer commutes to central Austin, and in some cases municipal utility districts that add their own tax.
- $350,000 to $450,000: the established northern and southern suburbs, where most homes are owner-occupied.
- $450,000 to $600,000: Austin itself and its closest high-demand suburbs.
- Over $750,000: the western Hill Country communities around Lake Travis.
Renters’ share as a clue
The owner-occupied rate says something about the character of a place. In Austin, 43.4 percent of homes are owner-occupied, which means most households rent. San Marcos is even lower at 30.8 percent. In Hutto, Lakeway and Buda the rate is above three quarters. Where most homes are rented, more of the market for buyers tends to be condos and smaller homes; check what the local stock looks like before you plan around a median.
The exemption that changes every band
Whatever band you shop in, the yearly tax depends partly on whether you will live in the home. Under Texas law, school districts must exempt $140,000 of a residence homestead’s appraised value, and any taxing unit may add an exemption of up to 20 percent. For a home in Austin ISD, the $140,000 school exemption alone is worth about $1,295 a year at the 2025 rate. Investors buying a home to rent out do not get it, which is one reason the same house can cost an owner-occupant much less to hold than a landlord. The Texas Homestead Exemption: How Austin Buyers Claim It and What It Saves explains how to apply.
Commute and the true budget
A lower price further out can be eaten up by time and travel. The Census reports a mean travel time to work of 23.7 minutes for Austin residents and 27.4 minutes in Pflugerville. Drive the commute at rush hour before you decide; ten extra minutes each way adds up over a year.
Tip: When two areas are close in price, compare the full monthly cost: mortgage, the local tax rate, any association or utility district dues, insurance and commute. The cheaper house is not always the cheaper home.
Next steps
Once you have a short list, read Round Rock, Cedar Park or Pflugerville? Comparing Austin’s Big Northern Suburbs for the three biggest northern suburbs, Texas Property Tax for Austin Homeowners: Rates, Deadlines and Protests for how to estimate the tax bill, and Flood Zones and Home Buying in Austin: Maps, Atlas 14 and Insurance Timing before you fall for any home near a creek.