AUSTIN GUIDES / NEW CONSTRUCTION
Goodnight Ranch Austin: taxes, the park district, HOA fees, schools and builders
Goodnight Ranch is a 695.53-acre master-planned community in southeast Austin, developed by Benchmark Austin on the east side of Old Lockhart Road where East Slaughter Lane crosses it, with 6,308 residential units approved by the City's 2021 PUD amendment. Its lots sit inside the City of Austin's full-purpose limits and inside the Onion Creek Metro Park District, a park-funding district that takes the place of a MUD, so the combined 2025 rate is $2.346485 per $100 of taxable value across six taxing units, computed from the Travis County Tax Office's adopted rates. This guide lays out every unit, the district's rate history, the $120 quarterly master HOA fee, Austin ISD's feeder pattern, the three builders, the affordable homes program and what to do before the first model-home visit.
By David Eimer · Austin Guides · Facts reviewed
The numbers
- Combined 2025 tax rate
- $2.346485 per $100As of 2025 tax year
Six units on the TCAD lookup for 6301 Cowman Way; $2,346 per $100,000 of taxable value before exemptions. David Weekley's page states the same 2.346485%.
Travis County Tax Office: 2025 tax rates by taxing unit (spreadsheet) ↗
- Onion Creek Metro Park District rate
- $0.30 per $100 in 2025; $0.3547 posted for 2026As of Travis County list downloaded October 1, 2026
The district funds parks, trails and ponds, not water or sewer; the 2025 and 2026 rates include $0.0225 of debt service.
Travis County Tax Office: 2026 tax rates by taxing unit (spreadsheet, downloaded October 1, 2026) ↗
- City of Austin status
- Full-purpose city limitsAs of City jurisdictions map, October 1, 2026
The City tax applies: $0.524017 per $100 for 2025 and $0.579948 for 2026. Austin Water and Austin Energy serve the community.
City of Austin: jurisdictions map layer (BOUNDARIES_jurisdictions) ↗
- Master HOA fee
- $120 a quarterAs of 2026 assessment, checked October 1, 2026
Goodnight Residential Master Community, managed by Goodwin & Company; townhome and condominium sections add a sub-association fee.
Goodnight Residential Master Community: association page (Goodwin & Company, TownSq) ↗
- Builders listed by the developer
- 3As of October 1, 2026
Empire Homes, David Weekley Homes and Highland Homes, with starting-price wording from "the $300s" to "the $400s"; the builders' own pages start higher.
- Approved size
- 695.53 acres, 6,308 residential unitsAs of City zoning review sheets, 2021 and 2025
The 2021 amendment raised the unit count from 3,533 and allowed up to 635,000 square feet of commercial, retail and office space.
- Median sale price, City of Austin
- $560,000As of August 2026
Down 4.3% year over year; 4.6 months of inventory; close-to-list 93.3%. Travis County's median was $489,000.
Unlock MLS: August 2026 Central Texas Housing Report, released September 15, 2026 ↗
Where is Goodnight Ranch, and who develops it?
Goodnight Ranch is a 695.53-acre master-planned community in southeast Austin, in Travis County, on the east side of Old Lockhart Road between Nuckols Crossing Road and Capitol View Drive, according to the City of Austin's zoning review sheets for the planned unit development (PUD). East Slaughter Lane runs through the middle of it and continues east to Thaxton Road. The developer's site presents it as "A Community By Benchmark Austin"; the City lists the owner as Austin Goodnight Ranch, L.P. The builders' and association's addresses carry the 78747 ZIP code.
The City Council created the PUD on November 16, 2006, under Ordinance No. 20061116-053, on roughly 703 acres. A second amendment, Ordinance No. 20210930-134, raised the approved residential units from 3,533 to 6,308, allowed up to 635,000 square feet of commercial, retail and office space, enlarged open space from 70 to 129 acres and set aside a 64.687-acre site for a future Austin ISD high school. A third, City-initiated amendment passed on March 26, 2026 as Ordinance No. 20260326-067, extending plan expirations and adding wildfire construction standards.
As of the City's October 2025 staff report, development north of Slaughter Lane includes residential subdivisions, apartments, two schools, an amenity center, parks and detention ponds, while most land south of Slaughter Lane was undeveloped apart from apartments and one subdivision under construction at Capitol View Drive. The name honors Charles Goodnight (1836-1929), the Panhandle rancher who opened the Goodnight-Loving Trail in 1866 and co-founded the JA Ranch in 1877, according to the Handbook of Texas; the developer's story page says the community "honors its namesake."
Goodnight Ranch at a glance
| Fact | As stated | Source |
|---|---|---|
| County | Travis County | City zoning review sheet; TCAD lookup |
| Location and ZIP | East side of Old Lockhart Road between Nuckols Crossing Road and Capitol View Drive, bisected by East Slaughter Lane; association office at 9021 Goodnight Ranch Blvd, Suite 1310, Austin, TX 78747 | City zoning review sheet; master association |
| City status | City of Austin full-purpose limits; City tax applies | City jurisdictions map; TCAD lookup |
| Acreage and approved homes | 695.53-acre PUD; 6,308 residential units and up to 635,000 sq ft of commercial, retail and office space approved in 2021 | City zoning review sheets |
| Developer and owner | "A Community By Benchmark Austin"; owner Austin Goodnight Ranch, L.P. | Developer site; City zoning review sheet |
| Special district | Onion Creek Metro Park District, 701.655 acres, Special District Local Laws Code Chapter 3924; no municipal utility district | SB 1872; TCAD lookup |
| School district | Austin ISD: Blazier Elementary, Paredes Middle School, Akins Early College High School | Austin ISD 2026-27 feeder pattern; City attendance-area layers |
| Water and wastewater | Austin Water (Service Extension Request No. 4128) | City Water and Wastewater Commission item, 2018 |
| Electricity | Austin Energy | City zoning review sheet, 2025 |
| Fire and EMS | Austin Fire Station 53, shared with ATCEMS Medic 42, opened February 16, 2024 | Austin Fire Department FY24 Q2 report |
| Transit | CapMetro Rapid Route 800 Pleasant Valley, ending at the Goodnight Ranch Park & Ride | CapMetro |
Sources: City of Austin: zoning change review sheet, C814-04-0187.02.SH, Goodnight Ranch PUD 2nd amendment (2021) ↗ · City of Austin: zoning change review sheet, C814-04-0187.03.SH, Goodnight Ranch PUD Amendment #3 (October 2025) ↗ · City of Austin: Ordinance No. 20061116-053, Goodnight Ranch PUD (November 16, 2006) ↗ · City of Austin: City Council regular meeting, September 30, 2021, Item 134 (Ordinance No. 20210930-134) ↗ · City of Austin: City Council regular meeting, March 26, 2026, Item 67 (Ordinance No. 20260326-067) ↗ · Goodnight Ranch: community site (Benchmark Austin) ↗ · Goodnight Residential Master Community: association page (Goodwin & Company, TownSq) ↗ · Handbook of Texas: Goodnight, Charles (Texas State Historical Association) ↗ · Goodnight Ranch: the Goodnight story ↗
Is Goodnight Ranch in Austin city limits?
Goodnight Ranch is inside the City of Austin's full-purpose limits. The City's jurisdictions map layer returns "AUSTIN FULL PURPOSE" for every point we checked across the PUD, north and south of Slaughter Lane, and the Travis Central Appraisal District's taxing-unit lookup for 6301 Cowman Way, a David Weekley address, lists the City of Austin among the six units that tax it. That differs from Easton Park a few miles east, which sits in the City's limited-purpose limits and pays no City tax.
Full-purpose status means City services and the City tax rate: $0.524017 per $100 for 2025 and $0.579948 for 2026. Austin Water is the retail water and wastewater provider. A 2018 Water and Wastewater Commission item describes Service Extension Request No. 4128 for the roughly 445-acre Phase Two south of Slaughter Lane, which then lay in the City's two-mile extraterritorial jurisdiction, and a City reimbursement of up to $796,950 for oversizing about 3,500 feet of 16-inch main along Old Lockhart Road. The 2026 PUD amendment adds Austin Energy easement rules for residential permits, which names the electric utility.
Fire and EMS come from the City too. Austin Fire Department's Station 53, in the Goodnight Ranch neighborhood in Council District 2, opened on February 16, 2024 as a shared facility with Austin-Travis County EMS Medic 42, according to the department's FY24 second-quarter report to the Public Safety Commission.
Sources: City of Austin: jurisdictions map layer (BOUNDARIES_jurisdictions) ↗ · Travis Central Appraisal District: taxing unit lookup for 6301 Cowman Way (property search back end, JSON) ↗ · City of Austin Water and Wastewater Commission: Service Extension Request No. 4128, Goodnight Ranch (May 9, 2018) ↗ · City of Austin: zoning change review sheet, C814-04-0187.03.SH, Goodnight Ranch PUD Amendment #3 (October 2025) ↗ · Austin Fire Department: FY24 Q2 report to the Public Safety Commission (Fire Station 53) ↗ · Travis County Tax Office: 2025 tax rates by taxing unit (spreadsheet) ↗ · Travis County Tax Office: 2026 tax rates by taxing unit (spreadsheet, downloaded October 1, 2026) ↗
What is the property tax rate in Goodnight Ranch?
The combined 2025 property tax rate in Goodnight Ranch is $2.346485 per $100 of taxable value, computed from the Travis County Tax Office's adopted rates for the six units on the TCAD lookup: Travis County $0.375845, Travis Central Health $0.118023, City of Austin $0.524017, Austin Community College $0.1034, Austin ISD $0.9252 and the Onion Creek Metro Park District $0.30. That is $2,346 a year per $100,000 of taxable value before exemptions. David Weekley's community page states the same 2.346485%.
Exemptions reduce most of it. TCAD's 2026 exemption listing gives a $140,000 homestead exemption at Austin ISD, 20% (minimum $5,000) at Travis County, Central Health and the City, 1% (minimum $5,000) at the college, and none at the park district. On a $500,000 homestead at 2025 rates, the bill falls from $11,732 to $9,414 in our worked example, about $785 a month. The Austin property taxes guide explains the 10% homestead cap and the protest calendar.
The 2026 rates are mostly posted. The county's list downloaded October 1, 2026 shows Travis County at $0.386210, Central Health $0.132863, the City $0.579948, the college $0.103643 and the park district $0.3547, with no adopted Austin ISD rate yet; the school district's taxpayer impact statement proposes $0.9184, down from $0.9252. If every posted figure and the proposed school rate stand, the 2026 total is $2.475764 per $100 (computed), $129 more per $100,000 than 2025.
Taxing units on a Goodnight Ranch lot: 2025 adopted rates and 2026 rates as posted
| Taxing unit | 2025 adopted, per $100 | On $100,000 (2025) | 2026 as posted, per $100 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Travis County | $0.375845 | $376 | $0.386210 |
| Travis Central Health | $0.118023 | $118 | $0.132863 |
| City of Austin | $0.524017 | $524 | $0.579948 |
| Austin Community College | $0.103400 | $103 | $0.103643 |
| Austin ISD | $0.925200 | $925 | Not posted; $0.918400 proposed |
| Onion Creek Metro Park District | $0.300000 | $300 | $0.354700 |
| Total (computed) | $2.346485 | $2,346 | $2.475764 if the proposed school rate is adopted and every posted rate stands |
Worked example: a $500,000 homestead in Goodnight Ranch at 2025 rates
| Taxing unit | Homestead exemption | Taxable value | Tax (computed) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austin ISD | $140,000 | $360,000 | $3,331 |
| City of Austin | 20% | $400,000 | $2,096 |
| Travis County | 20% | $400,000 | $1,503 |
| Travis Central Health | 20% | $400,000 | $472 |
| Austin Community College | 1% ($5,000 minimum) | $495,000 | $512 |
| Onion Creek Metro Park District | None | $500,000 | $1,500 |
| Total | $9,414, against $11,732 with no exemption |
Sources: Travis Central Appraisal District: taxing unit lookup for 6301 Cowman Way (property search back end, JSON) ↗ · Travis County Tax Office: Truth in Taxation summary and tax rates ↗ · Travis County Tax Office: 2025 tax rates by taxing unit (spreadsheet) ↗ · Travis County Tax Office: 2026 tax rates by taxing unit (spreadsheet, downloaded October 1, 2026) ↗ · David Weekley Homes: Goodnight Ranch ↗ · Travis Central Appraisal District: 2026 Exemption Listing (July 19, 2026) ↗ · Austin ISD: Taxpayer Impact Statement, tax year 2026 ↗
What is the Onion Creek Metro Park District, and what does its tax pay for?
The Onion Creek Metro Park District is the special district that takes the place of a MUD in Goodnight Ranch. The Legislature created it as Chapter 3924 of the Special District Local Laws Code through Senate Bill 1872, signed June 14, 2013, covering 701.655 acres. It is a municipal management district under Chapter 375 of the Local Government Code, with a seven-member board, and may impose an operation and maintenance tax only after district voters approve it. The City of Austin, the district and Austin Goodnight Ranch LP signed a consent agreement on June 26, 2014, effective August 13, 2014 by the City's account, and amended it on August 9, 2020.
Its tax pays for parks, not pipes. The City's park page says the district collects a resident tax for the planning, design, maintenance and operation of in-district improvements and agreed recreational improvements in the 555-acre southern portion of Onion Creek Metropolitan Park, while the City completes the base improvements. The district's own page names the Goodnight Loop Trailway (one mile open, three miles when complete), the Slaughter Trailway, the lighted Vertex pedestrian underpass beneath Slaughter Lane, Remuda Pond Park with pickleball courts, Whitter, Vertex, Blaze, Charles Merle and Alderman parks, and Hillside Park, Mustang Run and Saddle Point as coming soon. Goodwin & Company's Jose Govea is listed as park manager.
The rate has risen as the district took on more. The Travis County list shows $0.20 per $100 in 2021 and 2022, $0.35 in 2023, $0.30 in 2024 and 2025, and $0.3547 for 2026; the 2025 and 2026 rates include a $0.0225 debt-service component. The district's own tax page lists $0.300 for 2023 and $0.350 for 2024, the reverse order, and reports maintenance-and-operations tax revenue of $896,092 for 2025, up from $397,944 in 2022. Its site refers to a notice to purchaser but had not posted one when we checked; ask the seller for it along with the HOA documents.
Onion Creek Metro Park District: tax rates by year
| Tax year | Total rate, county list | M&O | Debt service | District's own page | District M&O tax revenue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Not listed | $0.20 | Not listed | ||
| 2020 | Not listed | $0.20 | Not listed | ||
| 2021 | $0.20 | $0.20 | None | $0.20 | Not listed |
| 2022 | $0.20 | $0.20 | None | $0.200 | $397,944 |
| 2023 | $0.35 | $0.35 | None | $0.300 | $404,000 |
| 2024 | $0.30 | $0.30 | None | $0.350 | $835,533 |
| 2025 | $0.30 | $0.2775 | $0.0225 | $0.300 | $896,092 |
| 2026 | $0.3547 | $0.3322 | $0.0225 | Not yet listed | Not yet listed |
Sources: Texas Legislature Online: S.B. 1872, 83rd Legislature, enrolled text (Special District Local Laws Code Chapter 3924) ↗ · Texas Legislature Online: S.B. 1872 history (signed June 14, 2013) ↗ · City of Austin: zoning change review sheet, C814-04-0187.02.SH, Goodnight Ranch PUD 2nd amendment (2021) ↗ · Onion Creek Metro Park District: about us ↗ · Onion Creek Metro Park District: home ↗ · Austin Parks and Recreation: Onion Creek Metropolitan Park ↗ · Onion Creek Metro Park District: district trails, parks and ponds ↗ · Travis County Tax Office: 2025 tax rates by taxing unit (spreadsheet) ↗ · Travis County Tax Office: 2026 tax rates by taxing unit (spreadsheet, downloaded October 1, 2026) ↗ · Onion Creek Metro Park District: tax and budget information ↗
How much are Goodnight Ranch HOA fees?
The Goodnight Residential Master Community assessment is $120 a quarter for 2026, according to the association's page, which names Goodwin & Company as manager and gives its office as 9021 Goodnight Ranch Blvd, Suite 1310. The page lists related associations: the Goodnight Commercial Master Community, Goodnight Ranch Condominiums, Goodnight Ranch Townhomes, The Ramble, Paseo Residential and The Twilight condominium communities. Townhome and condominium owners pay a sub-association fee on top; the townhomes' FAQ says it is billed monthly and covers exterior maintenance of the units, common-area utilities, landscaping and insurance, but does not state the amount.
David Weekley Homes' community page lists the same $120 a quarter plus one-time charges at closing: a community enhancement fee of 0.3% of the transfer price, a $300 working capital fee, a $340 transfer fee and a $375 resale fee. The townhomes' FAQ also explains who maintains what: the master association maintains the amenity center lot, the park district maintains the other common areas, and each sub-association keeps up its own. Ask for the resale certificate and current budget; Texas Property Code Chapter 209 gives a buyer the right to both.
Goodnight Ranch association fees, as published
| Association or fee | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Goodnight Residential Master Community (all homes) | $120 a quarter for 2026 | Master association page; David Weekley Homes |
| Goodnight Ranch Townhomes sub-association | Monthly, amount not published; covers exterior maintenance of the units, common-area utilities, landscaping and insurance | Townhomes association FAQ |
| One-time fees on a David Weekley purchase | Community enhancement fee of 0.3% of the price, $300 working capital, $340 transfer, $375 resale fee | David Weekley Homes |
| Other sub-associations named | Goodnight Ranch Condominiums, The Ramble, Paseo Residential and The Twilight condominium communities; Goodnight Commercial Master Community | Master association page |
| Who maintains what | Master association: the amenity center lot; park district: trails, parks, ponds and other common areas; each sub-association: its own common areas | Townhomes association FAQ |
Sources: Goodnight Residential Master Community: association page (Goodwin & Company, TownSq) ↗ · Goodnight Ranch Townhomes: association FAQ (Goodwin & Company, TownSq) ↗ · David Weekley Homes: Goodnight Ranch ↗ · Texas Property Code Chapter 209, Texas Residential Property Owners Protection Act ↗
Which builders are selling in Goodnight Ranch, and from what prices?
The developer's homes page listed three builders on October 1, 2026, each "Now Selling": Empire Homes on 30-foot lots at 1,905 to 2,443 square feet "Starting from the $300s", David Weekley Homes on 40-foot lots at 1,684 to 2,223 square feet, also from the $300s, and Highland Homes on 60-foot lots at 1,949 to 3,455 square feet "Starting from the $400s". The same page links four rental communities: Bridge, Commons, Moonlight and Nightingale.
The builders' own pages said something different on the same day. David Weekley listed homes "From the $409s" at 1,723 to 2,809 square feet on 40-foot alley-loaded homesites, with quick move-ins ready between November 2026 and January 2027; Empire listed "Starting from the High $400's" at 2,106 to 2,443 square feet in its Ramble and Paseo Court collections; Highland's nine quick move-in homes started at $526,644. For context, Unlock MLS reported a $560,000 median sale price in the City of Austin in August 2026, down 4.3% from a year earlier, with 4.6 months of inventory; a citywide median says nothing about a lot premium or an incentive.
A tenth of the community is reserved as affordable. The developer's page says the Goodnight Ranch Affordable Homes Program covers 10% of for-sale and for-rent residences, fulfilling SMART Housing commitments in the City's entitlements, and that Austin Habitat for Humanity is building 57 homes for sale through 2026-2027, with applications through HomeBase Texas and incomes referenced at 30% to 80% of median family income. Community Impact reported on April 23, 2026 that True North Homes and Habitat's HomeBase arm will build 47 affordable homes along Rotunda View in the Trailside section from spring 2026 to the end of 2027.
Builders listed by the developer, with its wording and the builders' own pages
| Builder | Developer's wording | Lots and square feet listed by the developer | Builder's own page, October 1, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empire Homes | Starting from the $300s | 30-foot lots; 1,905 to 2,443 | "Starting from the High $400's"; 2,106 to 2,443 sq ft; The Ramble and Paseo Court collections; model at 6512 Stockman Dr |
| David Weekley Homes | Starting from the $300s | 40-foot lots; 1,684 to 2,223 | "From the $409s"; 1,723 to 2,809 sq ft; 40-foot alley-loaded homesites; 6301 Cowman Way |
| Highland Homes | Starting from the $400s | 60-foot lots; 1,949 to 3,455 | Nine quick move-in homes from $526,644; plans of 1,949 to 3,215 sq ft; model at 6121 McMurtry Street |
| Austin Habitat for Humanity (affordable program) | 57 new homes, construction and sales throughout 2026-2027 | Not stated | Applications through HomeBase Texas |
Sources: Goodnight Ranch: homes and builders ↗ · David Weekley Homes: Goodnight Ranch ↗ · Empire Homes: Goodnight Ranch ↗ · Highland Homes: Goodnight Ranch ↗ · Unlock MLS: August 2026 Central Texas Housing Report, released September 15, 2026 ↗ · Goodnight Ranch: affordable homes ↗ · Community Impact: True North Homes partners with Habitat for Humanity on Goodnight Ranch-area project (April 23, 2026) ↗
What schools serve Goodnight Ranch?
Goodnight Ranch is in Austin ISD. Blazier Elementary School's primary site at 8601 Vertex Boulevard serves kindergarten through second grade and its intermediate site at 8801 Vertex Boulevard serves grades 3 through 5, according to the school's district page; both sit inside the community. Austin ISD's 2026-27 feeder pattern chart, dated February 2026, sends Blazier Elementary to Paredes Middle School and Paredes to Akins Early College High School, and the City's attendance-area map layers return the same three campuses for the points we checked. This guide does not rate schools.
Builders' pages mostly agree, with one exception: David Weekley's page lists Bailey Middle School for grades 7 and 8, which the district's chart does not show for Blazier. Confirm a specific address in Austin ISD's school finder before relying on any assignment. Longer term, the 2021 PUD amendment set aside a 64.687-acre Austin ISD site at the southeast corner of the property on Old Lockhart Road, intended for a high school, and Empire's page lists a "Future AISD High School." An on-site early education center, Amazing Explorers Academy, occupies 12,000 square feet of the commercial space.
Sources: Austin ISD: Blazier Elementary School ↗ · Austin ISD: 2026-2027 district feeder patterns (February 2026) ↗ · City of Austin: Austin ISD elementary school attendance areas (map layer) ↗ · City of Austin: Austin ISD middle school attendance areas (map layer) ↗ · City of Austin: Austin ISD high school attendance areas (map layer) ↗ · David Weekley Homes: Goodnight Ranch ↗ · Austin ISD: school finder ↗ · City of Austin: zoning change review sheet, C814-04-0187.02.SH, Goodnight Ranch PUD 2nd amendment (2021) ↗ · Empire Homes: Goodnight Ranch ↗ · Goodnight Ranch: commercial ↗
What amenities, shops, transit and roads are in Goodnight Ranch?
The developer's amenities page lists community pools, pocket parks, an in-district trail system, three wet ponds, the Vertex pedestrian underpass and Hillside Park "coming soon" with a terraced playscape, an indoor clubhouse and a resort-style pool; its community map adds an amenity center with a future expansion. The parks, trails and ponds are run through the park district rather than the HOA. The Educational Impact Fund, established by residents in 2022, aims to grant up to $50,000 a year, with applications open August 1 to September 30.
Shops sit at East Slaughter Lane and Goodnight Ranch Boulevard. The commercial page describes The Ramble, a 31,000-square-foot center with an Austin Regional Clinic of 18 exam rooms, two dental practices, a veterinary clinic, a med spa, physical therapy, a blow-dry bar, a boba shop, a liquor store and a breakfast restaurant, and Viewpoint West, two buildings of about 28,000 square feet with up to 13 residential units. Beyond the PUD, Onion Creek Metropolitan Park's 517 acres begin at 8652 Nuckols Crossing Road, where Phase 1's 50 acres of playfields and nature trails opened in 2019.
Transit is unusual for a new community. CapMetro Rapid Route 800 Pleasant Valley runs from Berkman/Mueller to the Goodnight Ranch Park & Ride; service began February 23, 2025, and full frequency, every 10 to 15 minutes on weekdays from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., arrived with the park-and-ride's opening on June 7, 2026, according to CapMetro. Drive Slaughter Lane, South Pleasant Valley Road, Old Lockhart Road and I-35 at the hours you would; this guide makes no claims about commute times.
Sources: Goodnight Ranch: amenities ↗ · Goodnight Ranch: community map ↗ · Goodnight Ranch: Educational Impact Fund ↗ · Goodnight Ranch: commercial ↗ · Austin Parks and Recreation: Onion Creek Metropolitan Park ↗ · CapMetro: Rapid Route 800 Pleasant Valley and Route 837 Expo Center ↗
Is Goodnight Ranch in a flood zone?
Flood risk in Goodnight Ranch is set lot by lot, not by the community name. The City's 2025 zoning sheet places most of the PUD in the Onion Creek watershed and the southeast corner in the Marble Creek watershed, and the Council agenda for the 2026 amendment lists both. Onion Creek itself runs north of the community through the Metropolitan Park, whose 100-acre northern section exists because the City bought out and removed most homes in the Onion Creek Forest and Yarrabee Bend neighborhoods after a 2006 Army Corps of Engineers watershed evaluation.
The 2026 PUD amendment adopts a hydrologic and hydraulic analysis of the property under the Atlas 14 rainfall update, dated May 31, 2024, as the standard for its drainage plans. Open the lot in the City's ATXFloodPro tool and the FEMA Flood Map Service Center before you sign; the flood map, not the subdivision plat, is what a lender and an insurer read. Our Austin flood map post explains each zone, and /research lists the public records to check for an address.
Sources: City of Austin: zoning change review sheet, C814-04-0187.03.SH, Goodnight Ranch PUD Amendment #3 (October 2025) ↗ · City of Austin: City Council regular meeting, March 26, 2026, Item 67 (Ordinance No. 20260326-067) ↗ · Austin Parks and Recreation: Onion Creek Metropolitan Park ↗ · City of Austin: ATXFloodPro ↗ · FEMA Flood Map Service Center ↗
What should you do before the first Goodnight Ranch model-home visit?
Sign a written buyer agreement with your own agent before registering at any Goodnight Ranch sales office. Texas has required the agreement before a showing since January 1, 2026, under Occupations Code §1101.563, which also requires it to state that broker compensation is not set by law and is fully negotiable, and many builders recognize an agent only if named at first contact. Then ask the builder for the park district's notice to purchaser, the master and sub-association budgets and resale certificates, and the builder's own contract, which is usually not the TREC form.
Run the TCAD taxing-unit lookup on the address to confirm the six units, check the lot in ATXFloodPro, and ride Rapid 800 or drive Slaughter Lane and I-35 at your commute hours. Compare the builder's lender incentive against an outside quote at Freddie Mac's 7.03% average 30-year rate for the week of September 24, 2026. If you want the numbers run for a specific lot and builder, bring the address and the builder's sheet to David; he can pull the parcel's taxing units, the district's rate history and a payment scenario before you register.
Sources: Texas Occupations Code §1101.563, Written Agreement Required ↗ · Travis Central Appraisal District: taxing unit lookup for 6301 Cowman Way (property search back end, JSON) ↗ · City of Austin: ATXFloodPro ↗ · Freddie Mac: Primary Mortgage Market Survey, week of September 24, 2026 ↗ · CapMetro: Rapid Route 800 Pleasant Valley and Route 837 Expo Center ↗
Common questions
Is Goodnight Ranch in the City of Austin?
Yes. Goodnight Ranch is inside the City of Austin's full-purpose limits: the City's jurisdictions map returns "AUSTIN FULL PURPOSE" for the points we checked north and south of Slaughter Lane, and the Travis Central Appraisal District's taxing-unit lookup lists the City of Austin on a Goodnight Ranch address. The City's rate is $0.524017 per $100 for 2025 and $0.579948 for 2026, and Austin Water, Austin Energy and Austin Fire Station 53 serve the community.
What is the property tax rate in Goodnight Ranch?
The combined 2025 rate in Goodnight Ranch is $2.346485 per $100 of taxable value, computed from the Travis County Tax Office's adopted rates for Travis County, Travis Central Health, the City of Austin, Austin Community College, Austin ISD and the Onion Creek Metro Park District. That is $2,346 per $100,000 before exemptions. For 2026, every unit except Austin ISD had posted a rate by October 1, 2026, and the park district's rose to $0.3547.
What are the HOA fees in Goodnight Ranch?
The Goodnight Residential Master Community assessment is $120 a quarter for 2026, managed by Goodwin & Company, according to the association's page and David Weekley's community page. Townhome and condominium sections pay a sub-association fee on top, billed monthly for the townhomes. David Weekley also lists one-time closing charges: a 0.3% community enhancement fee, $300 working capital, a $340 transfer fee and a $375 resale fee.
Is there a MUD in Goodnight Ranch?
No. Goodnight Ranch has no municipal utility district; Austin Water provides water and wastewater. Instead, every lot is in the Onion Creek Metro Park District, a municipal management district the Legislature created in 2013 as Chapter 3924 of the Special District Local Laws Code. Its tax funds parks, trails, ponds and streetscapes inside the community and improvements in Onion Creek Metropolitan Park; the rate was $0.30 per $100 in 2025 and is posted at $0.3547 for 2026.
What school district is Goodnight Ranch in?
Goodnight Ranch is in Austin ISD. Blazier Elementary School's two sites on Vertex Boulevard, inside the community, serve kindergarten through grade 5, and the district's 2026-27 feeder pattern sends Blazier to Paredes Middle School and then Akins Early College High School. The City's attendance-area layers return the same campuses; check a specific address in Austin ISD's school finder.
Who builds homes in Goodnight Ranch?
The developer listed three builders on October 1, 2026: Empire Homes, David Weekley Homes and Highland Homes, with starting-price wording from "the $300s" to "the $400s". The builders' own pages started higher the same day, from "the $409s" at David Weekley to $526,644 for Highland's quick move-ins. Austin Habitat for Humanity is building 57 affordable homes for sale through 2026-2027 under the community's affordable homes program.
Does CapMetro serve Goodnight Ranch?
Yes. CapMetro Rapid Route 800 Pleasant Valley runs from Berkman/Mueller to the Goodnight Ranch Park & Ride, with stops including Mueller, ACC Eastview, Dove Springs and Easton Park. Service began February 23, 2025, and full frequency, every 10 to 15 minutes on weekdays from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., began with the park-and-ride's opening on June 7, 2026, according to CapMetro.
Who develops Goodnight Ranch, and how big is it?
The developer's site presents Goodnight Ranch as a community by Benchmark Austin, and the City of Austin lists the owner as Austin Goodnight Ranch, L.P. The planned unit development covers 695.53 acres on the east side of Old Lockhart Road, and the City's 2021 amendment approved 6,308 residential units and up to 635,000 square feet of commercial, retail and office space, up from 3,533 units in the 2006 ordinance.
Take this to your next conversation
- Run the TCAD taxing-unit lookup on the address and confirm the six units, including the Onion Creek Metro Park District.
- Ask the builder for the district's notice to purchaser, the master and sub-association resale certificates and its own contract.
- Sign a written buyer agreement with your own agent before registering at a sales office.
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.
- Goodnight Ranch: community site (Benchmark Austin) ↗
- Goodnight Ranch: homes and builders ↗
- Goodnight Ranch: affordable homes ↗
- Goodnight Ranch: community map ↗
- Goodnight Ranch: amenities ↗
- Goodnight Ranch: commercial ↗
- Goodnight Ranch: the Goodnight story ↗
- Goodnight Ranch: Educational Impact Fund ↗
- City of Austin: Ordinance No. 20061116-053, Goodnight Ranch PUD (November 16, 2006) ↗
- City of Austin: zoning change review sheet, C814-04-0187.02.SH, Goodnight Ranch PUD 2nd amendment (2021) ↗
- City of Austin: City Council regular meeting, September 30, 2021, Item 134 (Ordinance No. 20210930-134) ↗
- City of Austin: zoning change review sheet, C814-04-0187.03.SH, Goodnight Ranch PUD Amendment #3 (October 2025) ↗
- City of Austin: City Council regular meeting, March 26, 2026, Item 67 (Ordinance No. 20260326-067) ↗
- City of Austin Water and Wastewater Commission: Service Extension Request No. 4128, Goodnight Ranch (May 9, 2018) ↗
- Austin Fire Department: FY24 Q2 report to the Public Safety Commission (Fire Station 53) ↗
- City of Austin: jurisdictions map layer (BOUNDARIES_jurisdictions) ↗
- Austin Parks and Recreation: Onion Creek Metropolitan Park ↗
- Austin Parks and Recreation: Onion Creek Metropolitan Park District proposed consent agreement (May 27, 2014) ↗
- City of Austin: Austin ISD elementary school attendance areas (map layer) ↗
- City of Austin: Austin ISD middle school attendance areas (map layer) ↗
- City of Austin: Austin ISD high school attendance areas (map layer) ↗
- Travis County Tax Office: Truth in Taxation summary and tax rates ↗
- Travis County Tax Office: 2025 tax rates by taxing unit (spreadsheet) ↗
- Travis County Tax Office: 2026 tax rates by taxing unit (spreadsheet, downloaded October 1, 2026) ↗
- Travis Central Appraisal District: taxing unit lookup for 6301 Cowman Way (property search back end, JSON) ↗
- Travis Central Appraisal District: property search ↗
- Travis Central Appraisal District: 2026 Exemption Listing (July 19, 2026) ↗
- Austin ISD: Taxpayer Impact Statement, tax year 2026 ↗
- Texas Legislature Online: S.B. 1872, 83rd Legislature, enrolled text (Special District Local Laws Code Chapter 3924) ↗
- Texas Legislature Online: S.B. 1872 history (signed June 14, 2013) ↗
- Onion Creek Metro Park District: home ↗
- Onion Creek Metro Park District: about us ↗
- Onion Creek Metro Park District: tax and budget information ↗
- Onion Creek Metro Park District: district trails, parks and ponds ↗
- Goodnight Residential Master Community: association page (Goodwin & Company, TownSq) ↗
- Goodnight Ranch Townhomes: association FAQ (Goodwin & Company, TownSq) ↗
- David Weekley Homes: Goodnight Ranch ↗
- Empire Homes: Goodnight Ranch ↗
- Highland Homes: Goodnight Ranch ↗
- Community Impact: True North Homes partners with Habitat for Humanity on Goodnight Ranch-area project (April 23, 2026) ↗
- Austin ISD: Blazier Elementary School ↗
- Austin ISD: 2026-2027 district feeder patterns (February 2026) ↗
- Austin ISD: school finder ↗
- CapMetro: Rapid Route 800 Pleasant Valley and Route 837 Expo Center ↗
- Handbook of Texas: Goodnight, Charles (Texas State Historical Association) ↗
- Unlock MLS: August 2026 Central Texas Housing Report, released September 15, 2026 ↗
- Freddie Mac: Primary Mortgage Market Survey, week of September 24, 2026 ↗
- Texas Occupations Code §1101.563, Written Agreement Required ↗
- Texas Property Code Chapter 209, Texas Residential Property Owners Protection Act ↗
- City of Austin: ATXFloodPro ↗
- FEMA Flood Map Service Center ↗