Bastrop is a town to the southeast of Austin, about 30 minutes east of Austin Bergstrom International Airport. It has a historical downtown with many restaurants and shops. Bastrop County is known for its landscape: pine forests, river-front properties, and many parks and natural areas. Cedar Creek is a suburb between Austin and Bastrop that is quickly developing. It’s home to the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort And Spa.

The city of Bee Cave is accessed by traveling West of Austin on Bee Caves Rd. There is a lot of new construction here, including developments like Falconhead, Spanish Oaks, Sweetwater and Provence. The area feeds into Lake Travis ISD. There are multiple golf courses, and the Hill Country Galleria provides for plenty of shopping and restaurants. The median price of homes here is well above the Austin area median.

This town is directly south of Austin, along the i-35 corridor. One of the more popular and newer neighborhoods here is Sunfield (east of I-35). Carpenter Hill (west of I-35) is a smaller neighborhood and also popular. Most of the newer homes are on smaller lots (less than an acre). There are older homes that are usually on larger lots. Downtown Buda is charming with local boutiques and shops, restaurants, and the Buda Amphitheater.

Cedar Park is a popular area located about 20-30 minutes north of downtown Austin and is an easy commute to Austin’s tech hubs. Most of the homes in Cedar Park are zoned to Leander ISD. Both the houses and the lots are larger here, and almost all of the homes are in an HOA. Though most of the homes are on the newer side, much of the brand-new development has moved further North.

Del Valle is located southeast of Austin along Hwy 71. A once rural community turned suburban, Del Valle offers established master-planned communities 15-25 minutes from downtown Austin. While Del Valle offers affordable housing near Austin, it does not currently have the infrastructure necessary to fully support its local community. Many residents travel to Austin for groceries, dining, and entertainment.

Dripping Springs is located west of Austin in the Texas Hill Country and features a gorgeous landscape. It has its own highly rated independent school district. The lots are bigger, and you can find some properties on 5+ acres. You will find all different types of homes here, varying in age and price point. Although Drippings Springs still feels much more rural than Austin, it is growing very rapidly and has added numerous shopping/entertainment options with many more in the works. The many breweries, wineries and distilleries in the area are popular weekend destinations.

Elgin is a town Northeast of Austin. It is the site of a lot of new construction and development. Austin is rapidly expanding east as major employers and businesses move that way, including Tesla, Samsung and COTA, and Elgin is rapidly expanding with that trend. Elgin prides itself on being the sausage capital of the world. Its location along Hwy 290 makes East/West travel convenient.

Georgetown is one of the fastest growing suburbs of Austin and is located about 45 minutes north of Austin, straight up I-35. It has a cute downtown, where residents hold farmers markets, concerts, and festivals. There are old historic homes, new developments, and everything in between. There is a small liberal arts college on the east side of town. And Sun City, one of the largest over-55 communities in the state, is located on the west side of town. Berry Creek is a popular golf-course community in Georgetown. Georgetown also has a lake that is popular with residents.

Hutto is northeast of Round Rock. There is a lot of new development here in affordable price ranges, but there are also plenty of older homes. Hutto is known for its hippos! You’ll see many decorative hippos around town and in people’s yards. Hutto has a historic downtown and plenty of new retail and restaurants as well. Hutto's economy has evolved from agriculture to high-tech, manufacturing, and service industries and is minutes away from the city of Taylor which is home to Samsung’s largest semiconductor plant in the country!

Jarrell is a suburb north of Austin (past Georgetown on the I-35 corridor) that is popular with builders. Up until recently, it was a small, rural community, but now there is a lot of development. Sonterra is the largest new neighborhood in the area and is one of the largest developments in the Austin metro. There are many very affordable new homes in Jarrell. Commercial development is still catching up to the residential development in the area.

Kyle is just south of Buda and about 25 minutes to Austin when there is minimal traffic. You have quick access to I-35 and SH-45 for commuting downtown. Some neighborhoods east of I-35 are Southgrove, Bunton Reserve, Crosswinds, Casetta Ranch, and Talavera. Neighborhoods west of I-35 include 6 Creeks, Cypress Forest, Stagecoach Crossing, Paramount, and Anthem. Kyle is quickly developing with many new neighborhoods, along with new restaurants and commercial/retail space.

Lakeway has historically been a popular place for Texans looking for second homes or to retire on Lake Travis. That is changing though as Austin expands and families are drawn to the area for the strong Lake Travis ISD schools, lake amenities, and beautiful landscapes. There are tons of stores, restaurants and things to do. One of the biggest new communities is Rough Hollow. Home prices in Lakeway are above average for the area.

Leander is your town if you like new construction! It is further northwest of Cedar Park so it is a pretty good distance from downtown Austin. But there is so much new construction out here and there are tons of restaurants and stores (like Home Depot, Costco, etc.). The biggest master-planned community in this area that is still building is Santa Rita Ranch. Leander ISD is generally highly regarded, but some homes in Leander will be zoned to other surrounding school districts.

Liberty Hill is to the northwest of Austin. It feels a little bit more rural than other areas but that is rapidly changing. You can find homes on big lots (1+ acre), and there is a ton of new development. The downtown is small, but there is a new HEB superstore and a lot of new commercial growth planned. Depending on location, schools are either Liberty Hill ISD, Leander ISD or Georgetown ISD.

Up until fairly recently, Manor was just a small farm town. But in recent years, it has boomed. There are small pockets of older homes, but most homes are built post 2000. The biggest development in Manor is Shadowglen, which has a golf course. New retail is starting to pop up as well. Manor is east of Austin and is a popular place for people who need easy access to the airport, the Tesla gigafactory or the Samsung plant. Homes in Manor are comparatively affordable.

Pflugerville is a popular place for residents wanting a location close to North Austin with more affordable prices. There are resale homes here, and also new development, especially in far east Pflugerville. There is plenty of already-established commercial development — shopping and restaurants. And there are mixed-use projects in the works, including the Pecan District, East Village ATX, The District, and Pflugerville Downtown East.

Round Rock is one of the biggest and most established suburbs of Austin. Downtown Round Rock is East of I-35 and is seeing a surge of development, with music venues, restaurants, and condo projects coming to the area. As you move out from downtown Round Rock, there is a ton of development built since 2000. Round Rock has some great value in terms of size of home for the price, and Williamson County is rivaling Travis County in terms of appreciation and growth. The area is also known for its strong school district, with schools on the west side of RR tending to be the strongest.

West Lake Hills is one of the most affluent areas in Austin. Some of the most expensive homes in Central Texas are located here on Lake Austin. The schools (Eanes ISD) are nationally recognized. West Lake Hills is its own municipality, but most people consider all neighborhoods that feed into Eanes ISD as being part of wider West Lake area, whether they are a part of the municipality or not.