AUSTIN GUIDES / MOVING TO AUSTIN
Suburbs of Austin, TX: 12 cities compared on prices, taxes, commute, schools and utilities
The suburbs of Austin, TX are a ring of 12 cities in Williamson, Travis, Hays and Bastrop counties, from Manor, 14.1 road miles from the Capitol, to Liberty Hill at 32.2 (computed). The Census Bureau's Vintage 2025 estimates show Georgetown added 39,471 residents between April 2020 and July 2025, close to the City of Austin's 44,481, and Liberty Hill nearly quadrupled. Kyle's 78640 had the lowest median list price of the 12, $321,950 in September 2026 on Realtor.com data. This guide compares the 12 on what can be checked: asking prices, 2026 tax rates, growth, Census commute times, school districts and utilities, never on who lives there.
By David Eimer · Austin Guides · Facts reviewed
The numbers
- Lowest median list price among the 12 suburbs
- Kyle (78640), $321,950As of September 2026 (Realtor.com)
Manor's 78653 was $331,990 and Hutto's 78634 $339,445. The Austin metro median was $446,450.
- Fastest-growing suburb of Austin since 2020
- Liberty Hill, +276.6%As of April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2025 (Census Vintage 2025)
3,536 to 13,317 residents (change computed). Dripping Springs was next at +126.5%.
- Most residents added, Austin suburbs
- Georgetown, +39,471As of April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2025 (Census Vintage 2025)
67,436 to 106,907 (computed). The City of Austin added 44,481 over the same period.
- Longest average commute among the 12
- Kyle, 36.4 minutesAs of ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Margin of error ±2.1 minutes. Manor was 35.5 and Liberty Hill 34.1; the City of Austin was 23.7.
- Shortest average commute among the 12
- Round Rock, 24.9 minutesAs of ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Margin of error ±0.8 minutes. Cedar Park was 25.5.
- Highest work-from-home share
- Dripping Springs, 41.5%As of ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Margin of error ±8.2 points on 3,326 workers. Leander (30.6%) and Cedar Park (29.9%) were closest to Austin's 30.7%.
- Appraisal districts that value homes in the 12 suburbs
- 4As of Texas Comptroller county directory, fetched October 5, 2026
Williamson (WCAD), Travis (TCAD), Hays and Bastrop central appraisal districts.
Texas Comptroller: county directory, Williamson County appraisal district ↗
What are the suburbs of Austin, TX?
The suburbs of Austin, TX in this guide are the 12 incorporated cities with their own pages on this site: Georgetown, Liberty Hill, Leander, Cedar Park, Round Rock and Hutto to the north, Pflugerville and Manor to the northeast and east, Bastrop to the east, and Kyle, Buda and Dripping Springs to the south and southwest. Six are in Williamson County, two in Travis, three in Hays and one in Bastrop County. Leander, Cedar Park and Round Rock also reach into Travis County, and Pflugerville into Williamson, according to the Census Bureau's county-part estimates.
Suburbs of Austin, TX at a glance: county, population, growth, distance and main school district
| City | County | Population, July 1, 2025 | Change since April 2020 (computed) | Road miles to the Capitol (computed) | School districts by share of city area (computed) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manor | Travis | 23,070 | +68.7% | 14.1 | Manor ISD 84%, Elgin ISD 16% |
| Pflugerville | Travis (68,121), Williamson (195) | 68,316 | +4.8% | 16.5 | Pflugerville ISD 98%, Round Rock ISD 1%, Manor ISD 1% |
| Buda | Hays | 16,166 | +6.8% | 17.8 | Hays CISD 100% |
| Cedar Park | Williamson (72,327), Travis (6,705) | 79,032 | +1.8% | 19.7 | Leander ISD 94%, Round Rock ISD 6% |
| Round Rock | Williamson (139,317), Travis (1,965) | 141,282 | +18.2% | 20.7 | Round Rock ISD 93%, Hutto ISD 4%, Georgetown ISD 3%, Leander ISD 1% |
| Kyle | Hays | 69,917 | +53.0% | 23.6 | Hays CISD 99%, San Marcos CISD 1% |
| Dripping Springs | Hays | 11,167 | +126.5% | 24.6 | Dripping Springs ISD 100% |
| Leander | Williamson (78,611), Travis (12,521) | 91,132 | +53.8% | 26.3 | Leander ISD 95%, Liberty Hill ISD 5% |
| Hutto | Williamson | 46,048 | +66.9% | 27.2 | Hutto ISD 100% |
| Georgetown | Williamson | 106,907 | +58.5% | 30.0 | Georgetown ISD 91%, Jarrell ISD 8%, Leander ISD 1% |
| Bastrop | Bastrop | 13,383 | +38.2% | 30.8 | Bastrop ISD 100% |
| Liberty Hill | Williamson | 13,317 | +276.6% | 32.2 | Liberty Hill ISD 94%, Leander ISD 6% |
The list is not a ranking. A suburb that suits one household's commute, budget and school plans can be wrong for another's, so the tables put the same checkable facts side by side and leave the choice to the reader. Each row links to a city page with tax rates, prices and a live search, and the moving to Austin guide covers the deadlines and costs of the move itself.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau: Vintage 2025 population estimates, Texas incorporated places and county parts (sub-est2025_48) ↗ · U.S. Census Bureau: 2024 Gazetteer, Texas places (internal points) ↗ · OSRM routing over OpenStreetMap roads (project-osrm.org) ↗ · U.S. Census Bureau: TIGERweb current boundaries, incorporated places and unified school districts ↗
What are the most affordable suburbs of Austin?
Kyle had the lowest asking prices of the 12 suburbs of Austin in September 2026: a median list price of $321,950 in ZIP 78640, according to Realtor.com's monthly ZIP data. Manor's 78653 followed at $331,990 and Hutto's 78634 at $339,445. Dripping Springs' 78620 was the highest at $831,000. The Austin metro median was $446,450, and eight of the 12 ZIPs were below it.
Suburbs of Austin by asking price, with 2026 property tax rates and the tax on a median-priced home
| City | ZIP shown | Median list price | Per square foot | Median days on market | 2026 combined tax rate per $100 (computed) | Tax on the median list price before exemptions (computed) | Combined rate if the Nov. 3, 2026 school election fails (computed) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kyle | 78640 | $321,950 | $167 | 80 | Not confirmed for 2026 | — | — |
| Manor | 78653 | $331,990 | $171 | 80 | $2.645764 | $8,784 | No election; rate stands |
| Hutto | 78634 | $339,445 | $172 | 74 | $2.105958 | $7,149 | — |
| Round Rock | 78664 | $351,250 | $196 | 71 | $1.89659 | $6,662 | $1.83659 |
| Buda | 78610 | $363,620 | $179 | 73 | Not confirmed for 2026 | — | — |
| Georgetown | 78626 | $365,000 | $191 | 74 | $1.895314 | $6,918 | $1.835314 |
| Pflugerville | 78660 (July 2026) | $388,000 | $188 | 58 | $2.266613 | $8,794 | No election; rate stands |
| Bastrop | 78602 | $399,500 | $205 | 84 | $2.0481 | $8,182 | $2.0181 |
| Cedar Park | 78613 | $477,750 | $213 | 67 | $2.02002 | $9,651 | $1.99002 |
| Leander | 78641 | $493,450 | $207 | 82 | $2.059372 | $10,162 | $2.029372 |
| Liberty Hill | 78642 (July 2026) | $554,985 | $205 | 71 | Not confirmed for 2026 | — | — |
| Dripping Springs | 78620 | $831,000 | $300 | 92 | Not confirmed for 2026 | — | — |
| Austin metro, for comparison | All ZIPs | $446,450 | $228 | 80 | — | — | — |
Asking price is only part of the cost. Round Rock's median list price was $19,260 above Manor's, yet at 2026 adopted rates the tax on it comes to $2,122 a year less: $6,662 against $8,784 before exemptions (computed). Georgetown's $1.895314 and Round Rock's $1.89659 per $100 were the lowest of the eight 2026 combined rates we could confirm at their sources, and Manor's $2.645764 the highest.
Five of those eight rates are not final. Georgetown ISD, Leander ISD (which serves most of Leander and Cedar Park), Round Rock ISD and Bastrop ISD each adopted a rate above its voter-approval rate, and voters decide on November 3, 2026. The last column shows each city's total if the election fails: Georgetown ISD would return to $1.0506, Leander ISD to $1.0869, Round Rock ISD to its $0.8884 voter-approval rate on the Travis County list, and Bastrop ISD to $1.0509 (computed from the 64.99-cent operating rate and 40.1-cent debt rate the district states). Pflugerville ISD and Manor ISD adopted rates equal to their voter-approval rates, so no election applies.
Read the table with its limits. These are asking prices on active listings, not sale prices, and a ZIP code is not the same area as a city. The rate is for a home inside city limits in the main school district, with no MUD or PID. Kyle, Buda, Dripping Springs and Liberty Hill have no rate shown because we could not confirm their 2026 rates at the source; each Austin-area city page lists its rates with the tax year.
Sources: Realtor.com Economic Research: monthly housing inventory by ZIP code, September 2026 (RDC_Inventory_Core_Metrics_Zip.csv) ↗ · Realtor.com Economic Research: ZIP code inventory history, including July 2026 (RDC_Inventory_Core_Metrics_Zip_History.csv) ↗ · Realtor.com Economic Research: metro inventory, Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, September 2026 ↗ · Travis County Tax Office: tax rates by taxing unit, 2026 and prior years (spreadsheet) ↗ · Williamson County Commissioners Court: minutes adopting the 2026 tax rates, September 2026 ↗ · City of Georgetown: City Council minutes, September 8, 2026 (2026 tax rate levied) ↗ · Georgetown ISD: 2026 tax rate and VATRE ↗ · City of Hutto: ordinance adopting the 2026 tax rate ↗ · Hutto ISD: local tax information ↗ · Williamson County ESD No. 3: order levying 2026 taxes, August 27, 2026 ↗ · Bastrop County: order setting the 2026-2027 tax rate, September 14, 2026 ↗ · City of Bastrop: council packet with the minutes adopting Ordinance 2026-36 (2026-27 tax rate) ↗ · Bastrop ISD: resolution to set the 2026 tax rate, August 13, 2026 ↗ · Austin Community College: ACC district and service area ↗ · Community Impact: Higher tax rate to fund operational, public safety staffing passes in Round Rock (September 11, 2026) ↗ · Community Impact: Cedar Park approves $216 million budget, sets higher tax rate (September 2026) ↗ · Leander ISD: Board Calls Nov. 3 School Funding Election ↗ · Community Impact: Round Rock ISD to hold board, tax rate election in November (August 2026) ↗ · Bastrop ISD: Understanding the November 3, 2026 tax rate election ↗
What are the best suburbs of Austin?
The best suburb of Austin depends on which trade-off matters to a household, so this guide answers by criterion rather than with a ranking. By commute, Round Rock (24.9 minutes) and Cedar Park (25.5) had the shortest average trips in the Census Bureau's 2020-2024 survey. By asking price, Kyle, Manor and Hutto had the lowest September 2026 medians. By tax rate, Georgetown and Round Rock had the lowest of the eight confirmed 2026 combined rates.
Other criteria point elsewhere. Dripping Springs reported the highest work-from-home share, 41.5%. Kyle, Buda, Dripping Springs and Bastrop sit in counties where cars need no emissions test before registration. Liberty Hill and Dripping Springs grew fastest since 2020. We do not rank suburbs by school ratings, crime or who lives there; the tables compare places, not people.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year, table S0801 (commuting characteristics), Austin and 12 suburbs ↗ · Realtor.com Economic Research: monthly housing inventory by ZIP code, September 2026 (RDC_Inventory_Core_Metrics_Zip.csv) ↗ · Travis County Tax Office: tax rates by taxing unit, 2026 and prior years (spreadsheet) ↗ · Williamson County Commissioners Court: minutes adopting the 2026 tax rates, September 2026 ↗ · City of Georgetown: City Council minutes, September 8, 2026 (2026 tax rate levied) ↗ · Georgetown ISD: 2026 tax rate and VATRE ↗ · Texas Department of Motor Vehicles: register your vehicle (emissions counties and inspection fees) ↗ · U.S. Census Bureau: Vintage 2025 population estimates, Texas incorporated places and county parts (sub-est2025_48) ↗
Which suburbs of Austin are growing fastest?
Liberty Hill grew fastest of Austin's suburbs, from 3,536 residents in the Census Bureau's April 2020 base to 13,317 on July 1, 2025, up 276.6% (computed). Dripping Springs more than doubled, up 126.5%, and Manor, Hutto, Georgetown, Leander and Kyle each grew more than 50%. Over the same period the City of Austin grew 4.6%, from 958,151 to 1,002,632.
Percentages favor small towns, so look at people added too. Georgetown gained 39,471 residents and Leander 31,897, while Kyle added 24,231 and Round Rock 21,759 (computed). Cedar Park, Buda and Pflugerville grew least, 1.8%, 6.8% and 4.8%. Between July 2024 and July 2025, Buda's estimate was flat at 16,166, against 16,172 a year earlier.
The Census Bureau tabulates every year of its 2025 series inside city boundaries as of January 1, 2025, according to the file's documentation. Growth here means more people within those limits: residents of land a city annexed before 2025 are counted in the 2020 base as well as in 2025.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau: Vintage 2025 population estimates, Texas incorporated places and county parts (sub-est2025_48) ↗ · U.S. Census Bureau: SUB-EST2025 file layout, boundaries as of January 1, 2025 ↗
How long is the commute from Austin's suburbs?
Kyle has the longest average commute of the 12 suburbs, 36.4 minutes each way, according to the Census Bureau's American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Manor follows at 35.5 minutes and Liberty Hill at 34.1. Round Rock is the shortest at 24.9 minutes and Cedar Park next at 25.5, close to the City of Austin's 23.7.
How residents of Austin's suburbs get to work: Census commute times and work-from-home shares
| City | Mean travel time to work | Commutes of 45 minutes or more (computed) | Worked from home | Worked outside their county |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kyle | 36.4 min (±2.1) | 32.1% | 13.2% | 52.1% |
| Manor | 35.5 min (±4.1) | 31.2% | 18.1% | 13.3% |
| Liberty Hill | 34.1 min (±2.9) | 27.1% | 11.4% | 31.3% |
| Bastrop | 30.0 min (±3.8) | 34.4% | 10.9% | 38.6% |
| Hutto | 29.3 min (±1.7) | 20.5% | 17.7% | 35.4% |
| Leander | 29.2 min (±1.3) | 22.4% | 30.6% | 28.9% |
| Buda | 29.0 min (±2.4) | 20.3% | 21.3% | 51.8% |
| Georgetown | 28.2 min (±1.3) | 20.8% | 23.6% | 23.0% |
| Pflugerville | 27.4 min (±1.3) | 12.4% | 23.9% | 17.0% |
| Dripping Springs | 27.4 min (±6.6) | 20.3% | 41.5% | 36.1% |
| Cedar Park | 25.5 min (±1.0) | 14.8% | 29.9% | 30.7% |
| Round Rock | 24.9 min (±0.8) | 13.1% | 24.8% | 36.0% |
| City of Austin, for comparison | 23.7 min (±0.4) | 10.2% | 30.7% | 8.3% |
Distance does not predict the drive. Manor is the closest suburb to the Capitol at 14.1 road miles (computed over OpenStreetMap), yet 31.2% of its commuters spend 45 minutes or more getting to work. Round Rock is 20.7 miles out and only 13.1% of its commuters take that long. The Census average covers every job, not just downtown, and Kyle and Buda both send more than half their workers outside Hays County.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year, table S0801 (commuting characteristics), Austin and 12 suburbs ↗ · OSRM routing over OpenStreetMap roads (project-osrm.org) ↗ · U.S. Census Bureau: 2024 Gazetteer, Texas places (internal points) ↗
Which Austin suburbs have the most people working from home?
Dripping Springs had the highest work-from-home share of the 12 suburbs in the Census Bureau's 2020-2024 survey, 41.5% of workers, though its margin of error is ±8.2 points on 3,326 workers. Leander at 30.6% and Cedar Park at 29.9% were close to the City of Austin's 30.7%. Bastrop (10.9%), Liberty Hill (11.4%) and Kyle (13.2%) had the lowest shares.
For a household with one remote worker and one commuter, the commute column matters more than the remote share. Time the commuter's route from the actual address at the hour they would drive it, and use the Austin route test to try three everyday journeys before you commit to a suburb.
Which school district serves each Austin suburb?
School district lines in Central Texas do not follow city limits, so a suburb's name does not settle the district. Using the Census Bureau's current TIGERweb boundaries, we computed how much of each city's area falls in each unified school district. Hutto, Buda, Bastrop and Dripping Springs lie entirely or almost entirely in one district. Manor is 84% Manor ISD and 16% Elgin ISD, Georgetown is 8% Jarrell ISD, and Cedar Park is 6% Round Rock ISD.
Area is not enrollment, and a district's attendance zones change more often than its outer boundary. Before an offer, enter the street address in the district's own school finder and confirm the elementary, middle and high school campuses for the coming year. This guide does not rate schools.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau: TIGERweb current boundaries, incorporated places and unified school districts ↗
Why does the county matter when you choose an Austin suburb?
The county decides which appraisal district values the house, where you file a homestead exemption and protest a value, and which county tax line appears on the bill. Austin's suburbs use four appraisal districts: Williamson, Travis, Hays and Bastrop central appraisal districts, each listed with its address and phone number in the Texas Comptroller's county directory.
Which county and appraisal district cover each Austin suburb
| County | Suburbs in this guide | Appraisal district | Office | Emissions test before registration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Williamson | Georgetown, Liberty Hill, Leander, Cedar Park, Round Rock, Hutto | Williamson Central Appraisal District (wcad.org) | 625 FM 1460, Georgetown; 512-930-3787 | Yes |
| Travis | Pflugerville, Manor, and parts of Leander, Cedar Park and Round Rock | Travis Central Appraisal District (traviscad.org) | 850 E. Anderson Ln., Austin; 512-834-9317 | Yes |
| Hays | Kyle, Buda, Dripping Springs | Hays Central Appraisal District (hayscad.com) | 21001 N. IH 35, Kyle; 512-268-2522 | No |
| Bastrop | Bastrop | Bastrop Central Appraisal District (bastropcad.org) | 212 Jackson St., Bastrop; 512-303-1930 | No |
A city that crosses a county line splits its homes between appraisal districts. The Census Bureau's 2025 county-part estimates put 12,521 Leander residents and 6,705 Cedar Park residents in Travis County, so two homes in the same city can carry different county tax rates. Pull the parcel on the right appraisal district site and read every taxing unit before comparing houses; the Austin property tax guide explains each line.
The county also decides whether a car needs an emissions test. The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles lists 17 counties where non-commercial vehicles must pass one before registration, and Travis and Williamson are on it; Hays and Bastrop are not. Texas ended the annual safety inspection for non-commercial vehicles on January 1, 2025, under House Bill 3297, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety, but every owner still pays a $7.50 inspection program replacement fee at registration.
Sources: Texas Comptroller: county directory, Williamson County appraisal district ↗ · Texas Comptroller: county directory, Travis County appraisal district ↗ · Texas Comptroller: county directory, Hays County appraisal district ↗ · Texas Comptroller: county directory, Bastrop County appraisal district ↗ · U.S. Census Bureau: Vintage 2025 population estimates, Texas incorporated places and county parts (sub-est2025_48) ↗ · Texas Department of Motor Vehicles: register your vehicle (emissions counties and inspection fees) ↗ · Texas Commission on Environmental Quality: vehicle inspection and maintenance (I/M) program ↗ · Texas Department of Public Safety: vehicle safety inspection program changes now in effect, January 3, 2025 ↗
Who provides electricity and water in the suburbs of Austin?
Electricity in Austin's suburbs comes from a mix of cooperatives, city utilities and the competitive market. Leander, Cedar Park, Liberty Hill and Dripping Springs list Pedernales Electric Cooperative, Georgetown has its own community-owned electric utility, and Bastrop Power & Light serves about 2,735 customers in its territory. Round Rock's page says Oncor delivers the power and residents choose which retail provider bills them. Manor lists Bluebonnet Electric, Oncor and Austin Energy without saying which areas each serves.
Who supplies electricity and water in Austin's suburbs, as each city lists it
| City | Electricity | Water and wastewater |
|---|---|---|
| Georgetown | City of Georgetown's community-owned electric utility | City of Georgetown; its water service area covers about 440 square miles |
| Liberty Hill | Pedernales Electric Cooperative | City of Liberty Hill, though some addresses have City of Georgetown or City of Leander water |
| Leander | Pedernales Electric Cooperative | City of Leander Utilities |
| Cedar Park | Pedernales Electric Cooperative | Billed by City of Cedar Park Utility Billing |
| Round Rock | Oncor delivers; residents choose a retail electric provider | City of Round Rock, with drainage, garbage and recycling |
| Hutto | Not named on the City pages checked | City of Hutto, except Manville WSC water in Lakeside Estates, Park at Brushy Creek and Riverwalk, and Jonah SUD in Hutto Park, Hutto Highlands and Mustang Creek |
| Manor | Bluebonnet Electric, Oncor and Austin Energy all listed | City of Manor bills water, sewer, garbage and stormwater in its service area; Manville is also listed |
| Bastrop | Bastrop Power & Light in its service territory, about 2,735 customers | City of Bastrop |
| Kyle | Not named on the City pages checked | City of Kyle, County Line SUD, Texas Water Utilities or Goforth SUD, by address |
| Buda | Not named on the City pages checked | City of Buda water and wastewater rates; Texas Disposal Systems collects trash |
| Dripping Springs | Pedernales Electric Cooperative | Dripping Springs Water Supply Corporation for water; City of Dripping Springs for wastewater |
Water follows the address more than the city name. Kyle names four water providers, Liberty Hill says some of its addresses get Georgetown or Leander water, and Hutto lists subdivisions served by Manville WSC and Jonah SUD. Hutto, Kyle, Buda and Pflugerville did not name an electric provider on the City pages we checked. Ask the seller for a recent bill from each utility, or call the provider with the street address before you budget.
Sources: City of Georgetown: utilities ↗ · City of Liberty Hill: new utility customers (Internet Archive copy, February 16, 2026) ↗ · City of Leander: utilities (Internet Archive copy, February 18, 2026) ↗ · City of Cedar Park: external contacts, utilities (Internet Archive copy, October 29, 2025) ↗ · City of Cedar Park: Utility Billing, about us (Internet Archive copy, March 31, 2026) ↗ · City of Round Rock: connect utility service ↗ · City of Hutto: residential utility service (Internet Archive copy, January 6, 2026) ↗ · City of Manor: welcome packet (PDF) ↗ · City of Manor: utility billing ↗ · City of Bastrop: Bastrop Power & Light ↗ · City of Bastrop: utility connections and rates ↗ · City of Kyle: establish new utility service ↗ · City of Buda: utilities ↗ · City of Dripping Springs: local businesses and services ↗
Is an address in an Austin suburb always inside city limits?
No. A suburb's name on the mailing address does not put a home inside city limits; it may sit in the city's extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ). Texas Local Government Code §42.021 defines the ETJ as the unincorporated area next to a city's boundary, reaching from half a mile for towns under 5,000 people to five miles for cities of 100,000 or more. The appraisal district record shows which side of the line a parcel is on: a home inside the city carries a city tax line.
Since September 1, 2023, residents or majority landowners in an ETJ can petition to leave it under §42.102, added by Senate Bill 2038, and §42.105 says the city must release the area once the petition has the required signatures. Do not assume a suburb's published tax rate applies to a parcel outside the city. Read the parcel's taxing units, and if one is a municipal utility district (MUD), expect the seller's MUD notice that the new construction guide explains.
Sources: Texas Local Government Code chapter 42, extraterritorial jurisdiction (§§42.021, 42.102, 42.105) ↗
How was this comparison of Austin suburbs built?
Every figure on this page comes from a public source we downloaded or read on October 5, 2026, and each table names its sources. Population is the Census Bureau's Vintage 2025 estimate, released in May 2026. Commuting comes from the American Community Survey's 2020-2024 5-year estimates, which pool five years of responses; for small cities such as Dripping Springs, the published margins of error are wide. Asking prices are Realtor.com's monthly ZIP figures. Where Realtor.com flagged a month as unusual, we use the most recent unflagged month instead.
Some columns are our own calculations, marked "computed". Road miles run from each city's Census internal point to the Texas Capitol over OpenStreetMap roads. School district shares are each city's land area by district on Census TIGERweb boundaries, not enrollment. Tax on the median list price multiplies that price by the combined rate and ignores exemptions. Tax rates appear only where we read the 2026 adoption at its source. We re-check the page every 90 days and when new Census or tax-rate data comes out.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau: Vintage 2025 population estimates, Texas incorporated places and county parts (sub-est2025_48) ↗ · U.S. Census Bureau: SUB-EST2025 file layout, boundaries as of January 1, 2025 ↗ · U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year, table S0801 (commuting characteristics), Austin and 12 suburbs ↗ · Realtor.com Economic Research: monthly housing inventory by ZIP code, September 2026 (RDC_Inventory_Core_Metrics_Zip.csv) ↗ · OSRM routing over OpenStreetMap roads (project-osrm.org) ↗ · U.S. Census Bureau: 2024 Gazetteer, Texas places (internal points) ↗ · U.S. Census Bureau: TIGERweb current boundaries, incorporated places and unified school districts ↗
How should you compare suburbs of Austin before buying?
Start from the facts that change the monthly cost and the daily routine: the taxing units on the parcel, the commute at rush hour, the school district for the address, and who supplies water and power. Each of the 12 Austin-area city pages lists its adopted tax rates and current listing figures, and the Austin homestead exemption guide covers the filing that lowers the bill once you live in the home. The table below links each step to the official tool for any street address.
Official tools to check a specific address in each Austin suburb
| City | School zones for the address | Property record and taxing units | Other address lookups |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgetown | Georgetown ISD SchoolSearch | WCAD property search | — |
| Liberty Hill | Liberty Hill ISD Find My Campus (SchoolSearch) | WCAD property search | — |
| Leander | Leander ISD School Zone Finder | WCAD property search; TCAD for the Travis County part | — |
| Cedar Park | Leander ISD School Zone Finder; Round Rock ISD school boundaries for the rest | WCAD property search; TCAD for the Travis County part | — |
| Round Rock | Round Rock ISD school boundaries and maps | WCAD property search | — |
| Hutto | Hutto ISD SchoolSearch | WCAD property search | — |
| Pflugerville | Pflugerville ISD Find My School map | TCAD property search | — |
| Manor | Manor ISD attendance zones (the district lists its elementary map as coming soon); Elgin ISD attendance zones map | TCAD property search | — |
| Bastrop | Bastrop ISD school boundaries and maps | Bastrop CAD property search | — |
| Kyle | Hays CISD attendance zones, searchable by home address | Hays CAD, hayscad.com | City of Kyle Jurisdiction Finder for the water provider |
| Buda | Hays CISD attendance zones, searchable by home address | Hays CAD, hayscad.com | — |
| Dripping Springs | Dripping Springs ISD attendance zones | Hays CAD, hayscad.com | — |
Bring in your own agent before the first showing or model-home visit. Since January 1, 2026, Texas Occupations Code §1101.563 has required a license holder to sign a written agreement with a buyer before showing a home, stating the services, the term and the compensation, which the agreement must say is not set by law and is fully negotiable, according to the Texas Real Estate Commission. Signing first also means someone is pulling the records for every suburb on your list.
Sources: Texas Real Estate Commission: what changes in 2026 about buyer/tenant representation in Texas ↗
Common questions
What are the main suburbs of Austin, TX?
The main suburbs of Austin, TX are Round Rock, Georgetown, Leander, Cedar Park, Hutto and Liberty Hill in Williamson County, Pflugerville and Manor in Travis County, Kyle, Buda and Dripping Springs in Hays County, and Bastrop. Their Census Bureau populations on July 1, 2025 ran from 11,167 in Dripping Springs to 141,282 in Round Rock.
What is the most affordable suburb of Austin?
By asking price, Kyle: ZIP 78640 had a median list price of $321,950 in September 2026, according to Realtor.com, followed by Manor's 78653 at $331,990 and Hutto's 78634 at $339,445. Taxes change the order, though. Round Rock's median was $351,250, but its 2026 combined rate of $1.89659 per $100, or $1.83659 if its school election fails, is far below Manor's $2.645764.
What are the best suburbs of Austin?
It depends on the criterion. Round Rock and Cedar Park had the shortest average commutes of 12 Austin suburbs in the Census Bureau's 2020-2024 survey. Kyle, Manor and Hutto had the lowest September 2026 asking prices, and Georgetown and Round Rock the lowest confirmed 2026 tax rates. This guide does not rank suburbs by school ratings, crime or residents.
What is the fastest-growing suburb of Austin?
Liberty Hill, by percentage: the Census Bureau's Vintage 2025 estimates show it grew from 3,536 residents in April 2020 to 13,317 in July 2025, up 276.6% (computed). Georgetown added the most people, 39,471, close to the 44,481 the City of Austin added over the same period.
Which Austin suburb has the shortest commute?
Round Rock, at an average of 24.9 minutes each way in the Census Bureau's 2020-2024 American Community Survey, followed by Cedar Park at 25.5. Kyle had the longest average of the 12 suburbs at 36.4 minutes. The averages cover trips to every job, not just downtown Austin, so time your own route from the address.
What cities are near Austin, TX?
By road from each city's Census point to the Texas Capitol, computed over OpenStreetMap, Manor is 14.1 miles from Austin, Pflugerville 16.5, Buda 17.8 and Cedar Park 19.7. Round Rock is 20.7 miles, Kyle 23.6, Leander 26.3, Georgetown 30.0 and Liberty Hill 32.2. Road miles are not drive time: Manor's commuters average 35.5 minutes to work.
What small towns are near Austin?
Among the 12 cities in this guide, the smallest are Dripping Springs (11,167 residents), Liberty Hill (13,317) and Bastrop (13,383), on the Census Bureau's July 1, 2025 estimates. They are 24.6, 32.2 and 30.8 road miles from the Texas Capitol (computed). Liberty Hill and Dripping Springs are also the fastest growing, so check what is planned near any address.
Which Austin suburbs don't require an emissions test?
Kyle, Buda, Dripping Springs and Bastrop. They are in Hays and Bastrop counties, which are not among the 17 counties where the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles requires a passing emissions inspection before registration. Travis and Williamson counties are on that list, so Round Rock, Georgetown, Leander, Cedar Park, Hutto, Liberty Hill, Pflugerville and Manor require one.
Take this to your next conversation
- Shortlist suburbs by the trips you make every week, then time each one from the actual address at rush hour.
- Pull the parcel on the right appraisal district site and list every taxing unit, including any MUD, PID or ESD.
- Check whether the address is inside city limits or in the extraterritorial jurisdiction.
- Confirm the school district and campuses with the district's own school finder for the address.
- Ask who supplies electricity and water at the address, and get a recent bill from each, before you budget the monthly cost.
- Sign a written buyer agreement with your own agent before the first showing or model-home visit.
Sources and review date
Every figure on this page was checked against these sources on . Rates, rules and fees change; confirm them for a specific property before relying on them.
- U.S. Census Bureau: Vintage 2025 population estimates, Texas incorporated places and county parts (sub-est2025_48) ↗
- U.S. Census Bureau: SUB-EST2025 file layout, boundaries as of January 1, 2025 ↗
- U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year, table S0801 (commuting characteristics), Austin and 12 suburbs ↗
- U.S. Census Bureau: TIGERweb current boundaries, incorporated places and unified school districts ↗
- U.S. Census Bureau: 2024 Gazetteer, Texas places (internal points) ↗
- OSRM routing over OpenStreetMap roads (project-osrm.org) ↗
- Texas Comptroller: county directory, Williamson County appraisal district ↗
- Texas Comptroller: county directory, Travis County appraisal district ↗
- Texas Comptroller: county directory, Hays County appraisal district ↗
- Texas Comptroller: county directory, Bastrop County appraisal district ↗
- Texas Local Government Code chapter 42, extraterritorial jurisdiction (§§42.021, 42.102, 42.105) ↗
- Texas Department of Motor Vehicles: register your vehicle (emissions counties and inspection fees) ↗
- Texas Commission on Environmental Quality: vehicle inspection and maintenance (I/M) program ↗
- Texas Department of Public Safety: vehicle safety inspection program changes now in effect, January 3, 2025 ↗
- City of Georgetown: utilities ↗
- City of Liberty Hill: new utility customers (Internet Archive copy, February 16, 2026) ↗
- City of Leander: utilities (Internet Archive copy, February 18, 2026) ↗
- City of Cedar Park: external contacts, utilities (Internet Archive copy, October 29, 2025) ↗
- City of Cedar Park: Utility Billing, about us (Internet Archive copy, March 31, 2026) ↗
- City of Round Rock: connect utility service ↗
- City of Hutto: residential utility service (Internet Archive copy, January 6, 2026) ↗
- City of Manor: welcome packet (PDF) ↗
- City of Manor: utility billing ↗
- City of Bastrop: Bastrop Power & Light ↗
- City of Bastrop: utility connections and rates ↗
- City of Kyle: establish new utility service ↗
- City of Buda: utilities ↗
- City of Buda: solid waste information ↗
- City of Dripping Springs: local businesses and services ↗
- Realtor.com Economic Research: monthly housing inventory by ZIP code, September 2026 (RDC_Inventory_Core_Metrics_Zip.csv) ↗
- Realtor.com Economic Research: ZIP code inventory history, including July 2026 (RDC_Inventory_Core_Metrics_Zip_History.csv) ↗
- Realtor.com Economic Research: metro inventory, Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, September 2026 ↗
- Travis County Tax Office: tax rates by taxing unit, 2026 and prior years (spreadsheet) ↗
- Williamson County Commissioners Court: minutes adopting the 2026 tax rates, September 2026 ↗
- City of Georgetown: City Council minutes, September 8, 2026 (2026 tax rate levied) ↗
- Georgetown ISD: 2026 tax rate and VATRE ↗
- City of Hutto: ordinance adopting the 2026 tax rate ↗
- Hutto ISD: local tax information ↗
- Williamson County ESD No. 3: order levying 2026 taxes, August 27, 2026 ↗
- Bastrop County: order setting the 2026-2027 tax rate, September 14, 2026 ↗
- City of Bastrop: council packet with the minutes adopting Ordinance 2026-36 (2026-27 tax rate) ↗
- Bastrop ISD: resolution to set the 2026 tax rate, August 13, 2026 ↗
- Community Impact: Higher tax rate to fund operational, public safety staffing passes in Round Rock (September 11, 2026) ↗
- Community Impact: Cedar Park approves $216 million budget, sets higher tax rate (September 2026) ↗
- Leander ISD: Board Calls Nov. 3 School Funding Election ↗
- Community Impact: Round Rock ISD to hold board, tax rate election in November (August 2026) ↗
- Bastrop ISD: Understanding the November 3, 2026 tax rate election ↗
- Austin Community College: ACC district and service area ↗
- Georgetown ISD: attendance zones and SchoolSearch ↗
- Liberty Hill ISD: Find My Campus ↗
- Leander ISD: School Zone Finder ↗
- Round Rock ISD: school boundaries and maps ↗
- Hutto ISD: school zones and boundaries ↗
- Pflugerville ISD: Find My School map ↗
- Manor ISD: attendance zones ↗
- Elgin ISD: elementary attendance zones ↗
- Bastrop ISD: school boundaries and maps ↗
- Hays CISD: attendance zones (When and Where?) ↗
- Dripping Springs ISD: attendance zones ↗
- Williamson Central Appraisal District: property search ↗
- Travis Central Appraisal District: property search ↗
- Bastrop Central Appraisal District: property search ↗
- Texas Real Estate Commission: what changes in 2026 about buyer/tenant representation in Texas ↗