Aerial view over Austin's tree canopy toward the downtown skyline at dusk

Neighborhood guides

Where to live, and why.

A quick snapshot for those looking to make a move — the trade-offs nobody explains on a listing site. Commute, schools, restaurants, shopping, daily life, and what your dollar gets you in every pocket. The Woodlands, HTX is also covered here.

For an in-depth breakdown, scroll to the bottom of the page and request the full brief.

Downtown, Rainey & Seaholm

78701 / 78703 · $650K – $8M+ · High-rise & condo

The lock-and-leave market. Full-service towers with staff, amenities, and a five-minute walk to everything — which is exactly why it suits second-home buyers and executives on a two-year Austin assignment. HOA dues, rental rules, and view protection vary wildly building to building; that research is most of the work here.

Lock and leave Read the HOA No yard, no upkeep

Bouldin Creek & Travis Heights

78704 · $900K – $4M · Becker / Travis Heights

South of the river and walkable to downtown without living in it. Original bungalows sit next to architecturally significant new builds on the same block, and lot values often carry the price. Steep, narrow streets — driveway grade and access are worth checking.

Walk downtown Mixed housing stock Strong appreciation

Barton Hills & Zilker

78704 · $1.1M – $4M · Barton Hills Elementary

The Austin people picture before they arrive: greenbelt at the end of the street, Barton Springs on a Tuesday, South Lamar for dinner. Housing runs from 1960s ranch to new modern builds, sometimes side by side. Some love it, some hate it. That's just the truth.

Most walkable Check flood plain Strong resale

Tarrytown

78703 · $1.6M – $6M+ · Casis / O. Henry / Austin High

The closest thing Austin has to old money: pecan canopy, 1940s bones, and a five-minute drive downtown. Buyers come for the schools and the lot sizes and stay because nothing else this central feels this quiet. Many sales here are land value with a house on top.

Best for families Land-value pricing 10 min downtown

Westlake / Rollingwood

78746 · $1.4M – $10M+ · Eanes ISD

Where most relocating executives land, and usually for one reason: Eanes. Hill terrain means dramatic architecture and long driveways — and that two houses on the same street can be very different propositions. Rollingwood trades the views for a flatter, walkable pocket minutes from Zilker.

Top-rated schools Relocation favorite Low inventory

Barton Creek

78735 · $1.5M – $8M · Eanes / Austin ISD

Gated sections wrapped around the country club and the greenbelt, fifteen minutes from downtown but feeling an hour out. Bigger lots, established trees, and a resale market that moves more slowly and more predictably than central Austin.

Gated sections Golf & club access Acreage lots

Spanish Oaks

78738 · $2.5M – $15M+ · Lake Travis ISD

Austin’s deepest concentration of true luxury inventory — gated, golf-anchored, and built for buyers who want privacy and a guard gate rather than a walk to coffee. This is where new construction at the top of the market actually happens.

Gated & private New construction 25 min downtown

Lakeway & Lake Travis

78734 / 78738 · $700K – $4M · Lake Travis ISD

The best square-footage value on this list, and the trade is the commute. Strong schools, boat access, and a genuine community feel. Water levels fluctuate — where a property sits relative to the shoreline matters more than the listing photos suggest.

Value per sq ft Lake access Longer commute

Lake Austin

$3M – $25M+ · Waterfront, constant-level

One of the greatest real estate assets in all of Texas. 710 lots, constant-level water, private docks, and the highest price-per-foot in the region. Deals here turn on shoreline type, dock permits, LCRA rules, and how the lot actually meets the water. Never buy this one on a listing description.

True waterfront Dock & permit review Trophy market

The Woodlands, HTX

77380 / 77382 · $700K – $7M+ · Conroe ISD · Select deals

Kyler's second market, north of Houston. A master-planned forest city with gated villages, Carlton Woods at the top end, and a corporate base that keeps demand steady through Austin's swings. Buyers moving between the two cities get the same advisor on both ends of the trade — and an honest read on which market their money does more in.

Second market Gated villages Austin ↔ Houston moves

Relocating from out of state.

A relocation brief, built around the specifics: commute mapped to the office, school comparisons, and a realistic price band for each area. No obligation, no drip campaign.

Request a relocation brief