HOMES FOR SALE / HAYS COUNTY
Dripping Springs, TX homes for sale: city limits, MUDs and taxes
Dripping Springs, TX homes for sale mostly sit outside the City of Dripping Springs: the city covers only about 4.6% of the land in ZIP 78620, according to the Census Bureau's 2020 ZIP-to-place file (computed). Inside city limits, a homestead paid six taxing units in 2025 for about $1.86204 per $100 of value (computed from the Hays County list), but many homes outside the city pay a MUD, WCID or development district rate of up to $1.00 instead of the city's $0.2267. There is no single Dripping Springs tax rate, and this page shows how to find the right one for an address.
By David Eimer · Facts reviewed · Market figures for August 2026
Search every Dripping Springs listing
Opens David’s live Ascend IDX search, filtered to Dripping Springs, TX.
The numbers
- Median list price, ZIP 78620
- $849,450As of July 2026
Realtor.com Economic Research, monthly housing inventory data (August 2026) ↗
- Active listings, ZIP 78620
- 220As of July 2026
Realtor.com Economic Research, monthly housing inventory data (August 2026) ↗
- Median days on market, ZIP 78620
- 70As of July 2026
Realtor.com Economic Research, monthly housing inventory data (August 2026) ↗
- Road distance to the Texas Capitol
- 24.6 milesAs of 2026-09-27
Computed from the Census Bureau's point for the city over OpenStreetMap roads. Drive time depends on traffic.
- Population, City of Dripping Springs
- 11,167As of July 1, 2025 estimate
Census Bureau Vintage 2025; the April 1, 2020 estimates base was 4,931, about 126% growth (computed).
U.S. Census Bureau: City and town population estimates, Texas, Vintage 2025 (sub-est2025_48) ↗
- Share of ZIP 78620's land inside city limits
- 4.6%As of 2020 Census geography
Computed; 91.0% of the city's own land is in 78620, the rest in 78619 and 78737.
- County
- Hays CountyAs of 2026-09-27
Hays County Tax Assessor-Collector: 2025 adopted tax rates and exemptions ↗
- School district
- Dripping Springs ISDAs of 2025 tax year
2025 rate $1.1052 per $100; not part of the Austin Community College taxing district.
Hays County Tax Assessor-Collector: 2025 adopted tax rates and exemptions ↗
- Combined tax rate inside city limits
- $1.86204 per $100As of 2025 tax year
Computed from six units: county, special road, city, DSISD and two ESDs. Outside the city, a MUD or other district rate often replaces the city line.
Hays County Tax Assessor-Collector: 2025 adopted tax rates and exemptions ↗
- First International Dark Sky Community in Texas
- 2014As of 2026-09-27
The City says it has had an outdoor lighting ordinance since 2000.
City of Dripping Springs: Lighting and Our Lighting Ordinance ↗
Dripping Springs listing market by ZIP code, August 2026
| ZIP | Median list price | Change vs. a year ago | Active listings | Median days on market | Price per sq ft | Share with a price cut |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 78620 (Dripping Springs), July 2026 | $849,450 | −4.8% | 220 | 70 | $305 | 28% |
| Austin metro | $450,000 | −9.8% | 12,517 | 73 | $231 | 28% |
Asking prices on active listings, not sale prices. The Austin metro row is the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos area for the same month. Realtor.com flagged the August 2026 figures for ZIP 78620 as outside their typical range, so the row shows the latest month it did not flag.
Taxing units on a Dripping Springs homestead inside city limits: 2025 tax rates per $100 of value
| Taxing unit | Type | 2025 rate per $100 | Homestead exemption on the county list |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hays County | County | $0.3573 | 1% or $5,000 |
| Hays County Special Road | County road levy | $0.0426 | $3,000 |
| City of Dripping Springs | City | $0.2267 | 1% or $10,000 |
| Dripping Springs ISD | School district | $1.1052 | $140,000 (state) |
| Hays County ESD #6 (North Hays County Fire/Rescue) | Emergency services district | $0.08024 | None listed |
| North Hays County ESD #1 (North Hays EMS) | Emergency services district | $0.0500 | None listed |
| Combined (computed) | $1.86204 |
Examples of special districts on the Hays County 2025 rate list: rate per $100 of value
| District | Type | 2025 rate per $100 |
|---|---|---|
| Dripping Springs MUD 1 | Municipal utility district | $0.7600 |
| Headwaters MUD | Municipal utility district | $0.9000 |
| Hays County Development District No. 1 | Development district | $0.9000 |
| Driftwood Conservation District | Conservation district | $1.0000 |
| Reunion Ranch WCID | Water control and improvement district | $0.6230 |
| Hays County WCID No. 1 | Water control and improvement district | $0.6249 |
| Hays County WCID No. 2 | Water control and improvement district | $0.7206 |
| North Hays County MUD #1 | Municipal utility district | $0.4600 |
| North Hays County MUD #2 | Municipal utility district | $0.2000 |
New-construction and master-planned communities in Dripping Springs: builders and special districts
| Community | Builders (per community site) | Special district (MUD/PID/WCID) | District tax rate per $100 (year) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caliterra (including The Ranch at Caliterra) | David Weekley Homes, Drees Custom Homes, Scott Felder Homes; custom builders LTB Design + Build, Atlas Custom Homes, Alkire Construction | Hays County Development District No. 1 | $0.90 (2025) |
| Headwaters | David Weekley Homes, Coventry Homes | Headwaters MUD | $0.90 (2025) |
| Heritage | Tri Pointe Homes | Heritage Public Improvement District (City of Dripping Springs) | PID assessment, not a per-$100 rate: $3,446.83 to $3,746.56 per lot in Improvement Area #1, due Jan. 31, 2027 (2026 update) |
| Village Grove | Taylor Morrison | Not found in public records checked | Not found in public records checked |
| Cannon Ranch | Ashton Woods | Not found in public records checked | Not found in public records checked |
Combined rate in the table above: $1.86204 per $100 of taxable value, before exemptions. Use the property tax estimator to run it on a price.
What should you know before looking at homes for sale in Dripping Springs, TX?
Start with the map, not the ZIP. The City of Dripping Springs covers only about 4.6% of the land in ZIP 78620, according to the Census Bureau's 2020 ZIP-to-place relationship file (computed), so most homes with a Dripping Springs address are outside city limits. Those homes may be in the city's extraterritorial jurisdiction, in a municipal utility district or water district, or in unincorporated Hays County, and each one changes the tax bill.
The city itself is growing fast from a small base. The Census Bureau's Vintage 2025 estimates put Dripping Springs at 11,167 residents on July 1, 2025, compared with an April 2020 estimates base of 4,931, an increase of about 126% (computed). The market table on this page covers all of ZIP 78620, which includes the city and the much larger area around it.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau: 2020 ZCTA to place relationship file ↗ · U.S. Census Bureau: City and town population estimates, Texas, Vintage 2025 (sub-est2025_48) ↗
What is the property tax rate in Dripping Springs, TX?
It depends on where the home is. Inside city limits, the Hays County Tax Assessor-Collector's 2025 list shows Hays County at $0.3573 per $100 of value, the county's Special Road levy at $0.0426, the City of Dripping Springs at $0.2267 and Dripping Springs ISD at $1.1052. The fire and EMS districts that name Dripping Springs as their service area, Hays County ESD #6 and North Hays County ESD #1, levied $0.08024 and $0.05. Together that is $1.86204 per $100 before exemptions (computed).
Dripping Springs ISD is not in the Austin Community College taxing district, which Austin Community College's district page confirms, so ACC's rate does not appear on a DSISD bill the way it does in Kyle or Buda. The city's own rate is low, but outside city limits a special district often takes its place at a much higher rate, as the next section shows.
Sources: Hays County Tax Assessor-Collector: 2025 adopted tax rates and exemptions ↗ · North Hays County Fire/Rescue, Hays County ESD #6 ↗ · North Hays EMS, North Hays County ESD #1 ↗ · Austin Community College: ACC District and Service Area ↗
Why doesn't one tax rate fit Dripping Springs?
Much of the building around Dripping Springs was financed by special districts that levy their own tax. The Hays County 2025 list includes Dripping Springs MUD 1 at $0.76 per $100, Headwaters MUD at $0.90, Hays County Development District No. 1 at $0.90, the Driftwood Conservation District at $1.00, Reunion Ranch WCID at $0.623, and Hays County WCID No. 1 and No. 2 at $0.6249 and $0.7206. Any one of those is several times the City of Dripping Springs' $0.2267.
A home in one of these districts may also sit outside the city, so it pays the district rate instead of the city rate, not both. The only reliable way to price a bill is to list every taxing unit on the parcel's Hays Central Appraisal District record and add them. Texas Water Code §49.452 requires the seller to give a written MUD notice with the district's rate before a binding contract.
Sources: Hays County Tax Assessor-Collector: 2025 adopted tax rates and exemptions ↗ · Hays County WCID No. 2: Tax information ↗ · Hays Central Appraisal District: 2025 tax rates and exemption amounts, all jurisdictions ↗ · Texas Water Code §49.452, Notice to Purchasers ↗
How do MUDs and PIDs work in Dripping Springs?
The City of Dripping Springs' MUD fact sheet describes a municipal utility district as an independent, limited government that helps finance road, utility, drainage and related infrastructure, run by a board elected by property owners in the district. Its bonds are not an obligation of the City and are repaid by owners in the MUD, usually through a property tax. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has final authority over most MUD bonds, and bonds backed by taxes must be approved by the district's voters. The community table on this page shows which district covers Caliterra, Headwaters and Heritage, and where no district was found.
The City can consent or decline to consent to a MUD in its limits or ETJ, and its policy asks each MUD to deliver community benefits such as parks, trails or road improvements. The City also posts service and assessment plans for the Heritage Public Improvement District, which levies assessments on lots there. Under Texas Property Code §5.014, the seller must give a PID notice before the contract.
Sources: City of Dripping Springs: Municipal Utility Districts (MUDs) fact sheet ↗ · City of Dripping Springs: Public Improvement District Service and Assessment Plans ↗ · Texas Property Code §§5.014, 5.0141 (PID notice) ↗
What sets Dripping Springs apart for a buyer?
Outdoor lighting rules are one concrete difference. The City of Dripping Springs says it has been a dark sky community since first adopting its Outdoor Lighting Ordinance in 2000, and that in 2014 it became the first city in Texas designated an International Dark Sky Community. If you plan exterior lighting changes, read the ordinance on the City's lighting page before you buy.
The other difference is the tax and service mix described above: a low city rate inside the limits, and special-district rates that reach $1.00 per $100 on the Hays County list for homes in a district. Emergency services are provided by districts rather than the city. North Hays County Fire/Rescue, Hays County ESD #6, says it covers 281 square miles of northern Hays County, and North Hays EMS serves the Dripping Springs, Driftwood and Henly areas.
Sources: City of Dripping Springs: Lighting and Our Lighting Ordinance ↗ · Hays County Tax Assessor-Collector: 2025 adopted tax rates and exemptions ↗ · North Hays County Fire/Rescue, Hays County ESD #6 ↗ · North Hays EMS, North Hays County ESD #1 ↗
How do you check school district, flood risk and records on a Dripping Springs address?
Dripping Springs ISD's 2025 rate of $1.1052 per $100 is the largest line on a bill inside the city. The district publishes its attendance zones on its website; check the exact street address rather than the subdivision name, and confirm the school district on the parcel's appraisal record.
The FEMA Flood Map Service Center shows the effective flood map panel and zone for an address, which your lender and insurer will also check. Look up any MUD, WCID or conservation district by name in the TCEQ Water Utility Database to confirm its type and bond status. Our research desk walks through the same public records for any address.
Sources: Hays County Tax Assessor-Collector: 2025 adopted tax rates and exemptions ↗ · Dripping Springs ISD: Attendance Zones ↗ · FEMA Flood Map Service Center ↗ · TCEQ Water Utility Database (water districts) ↗
Why have your own agent before you visit a Dripping Springs builder model?
The builder's sales consultant represents the builder. Since January 1, 2026, a Texas license holder must sign a written agreement with a buyer before showing a home, and it must state in conspicuous language that broker compensation is not set by law and is fully negotiable, according to the Texas Real Estate Commission. Builders set their own rules for recognizing a buyer's agent, usually tied to the first visit.
KB Home's published broker policy, for example, requires the agent to accompany the client at the first visit and to submit a signed buyer agreement that predates the purchase contract. Ask each sales office for its written policy before you register. The new construction buyer's guide covers contracts, MUD notices, inspections and warranties, and the Austin property tax guide covers exemptions and protests.
Sources: TREC: What changes in 2026 about buyer/tenant representation in Texas ↗ · KB Home: For Real Estate Agents (broker cooperation policy) ↗
Common questions
What is the property tax rate in Dripping Springs, TX?
Inside city limits, a homestead paid about $1.86204 per $100 of value in 2025 across six units (computed from the Hays County list): the City of Dripping Springs at $0.2267, Dripping Springs ISD at $1.1052, Hays County at $0.3573 plus a $0.0426 road levy, and two ESDs. Outside the city, a MUD or water district rate of up to $1.00 on the 2025 county list can apply instead of the city rate.
Is my Dripping Springs address inside city limits?
Probably not, statistically: the city covers only about 4.6% of ZIP 78620's land in the Census Bureau's 2020 ZIP-to-place file (computed). Check the parcel's Hays Central Appraisal District record; if the City of Dripping Springs is not listed as a taxing unit, the home is outside city limits.
What MUDs are in the Dripping Springs area?
The Hays County 2025 rate list includes Dripping Springs MUD 1 at $0.76 per $100, Headwaters MUD at $0.90, Hays County Development District No. 1 at $0.90 and several WCIDs from $0.623 to $0.7206. Whether one applies depends on the parcel, and the seller must give a MUD notice before you sign.
Does Dripping Springs ISD pay Austin Community College taxes?
No. Austin Community College's district page lists its taxing district as Austin, Del Valle, Elgin, Hays CISD, Leander, Lockhart, Manor and Round Rock ISDs and parts of Eanes and Pflugerville ISDs in Austin. Dripping Springs ISD is in ACC's service area but not its taxing district.
What county is Dripping Springs, TX in?
The City of Dripping Springs is in Hays County. Hays County's 2025 rate was $0.3573 per $100 plus a $0.0426 Special Road levy, and the Hays Central Appraisal District sets values for every unit on a Dripping Springs bill.
Is Dripping Springs a dark sky community?
Yes. The City of Dripping Springs says it became the first city in Texas designated an International Dark Sky Community in 2014, and that it has had an Outdoor Lighting Ordinance since 2000. Read the ordinance before planning exterior lighting on a home inside city limits.
Before you tour in Dripping Springs
- Check the Hays CAD record to see whether the City of Dripping Springs taxes the parcel.
- List every taxing unit on the account, including any MUD, WCID or development district, and add them.
- Get the MUD or PID notice with the district's rate before signing a contract.
- Confirm the school district and attendance zone for the exact address.
- Look up the flood zone on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center.
- Sign a buyer agreement and get the builder's written agent policy before the first model visit.
Sources and review date
Facts on this page were checked against these sources on ; market figures are Realtor.com’s August 2026 release. Tax rates, district lines and fees change; confirm them for a specific address before relying on them.
- Realtor.com Economic Research, monthly housing inventory data (August 2026) ↗
- U.S. Census Bureau: City and town population estimates, Texas, Vintage 2025 (sub-est2025_48) ↗
- U.S. Census Bureau: 2020 ZCTA to place relationship file ↗
- Hays County Tax Assessor-Collector: 2025 adopted tax rates and exemptions ↗
- Hays Central Appraisal District: 2025 tax rates and exemption amounts, all jurisdictions ↗
- Hays County WCID No. 2: Tax information ↗
- City of Dripping Springs: Municipal Utility Districts (MUDs) fact sheet ↗
- City of Dripping Springs: Public Improvement District Service and Assessment Plans ↗
- City of Dripping Springs: Lighting and Our Lighting Ordinance ↗
- North Hays County Fire/Rescue, Hays County ESD #6 ↗
- North Hays EMS, North Hays County ESD #1 ↗
- Austin Community College: ACC District and Service Area ↗
- Dripping Springs Independent School District ↗
- Dripping Springs ISD: Attendance Zones ↗
- FEMA Flood Map Service Center ↗
- TCEQ Water Utility Database (water districts) ↗
- Texas Water Code §49.452, Notice to Purchasers ↗
- Texas Property Code §§5.014, 5.0141 (PID notice) ↗
- TREC: What changes in 2026 about buyer/tenant representation in Texas ↗
- KB Home: For Real Estate Agents (broker cooperation policy) ↗
- Caliterra: Builders ↗
- Caliterra: The Ranch at Caliterra ↗
- Hays County Development District No. 1 ↗
- Hays County Development District No. 1: Order Setting Rate and Levying Tax for 2025 ↗
- Headwaters: New construction homes ↗
- David Weekley Homes: Headwaters 50' Executive Series (tax rate breakdown) ↗
- TCEQ Water Districts Database: Headwaters MUD ↗
- Heritage Public Improvement District: 2026 annual service plan update ↗
- Tri Pointe Homes: Heritage, Dripping Springs ↗
- Taylor Morrison: Village Grove 50s, Dripping Springs ↗
- Taylor Morrison: Dripping Springs communities ↗
- Ashton Woods: Cannon Ranch ↗
- U.S. Census Bureau: 2024 Gazetteer, Texas places (internal points) ↗
- Wikidata: Texas State Capitol (Q2078042), coordinates ↗
- OSRM routing over OpenStreetMap roads (project-osrm.org) ↗