Best Neighborhoods in Austin 2026
Compare Austin's most important neighborhoods by schools, lifestyle, walkability, and price bands - then use the decision paths below to narrow to the right fit before you tour.
All 28 ranked neighborhoods show their guide's record: 12-month median sale price from MLS closed sales. Neighborhood records as of October 27, 2026.
What are the best neighborhoods in Austin?
The best neighborhoods in Austin depend on the buyer profile, but broad-demand starting points include Tarrytown (walkability, $1.8M median); Westlake Hills (schools, $1.93M median); Northwest Hills (schools, $1.18M median); Barton Creek (golf / luxury, $2.85M median); Zilker (lifestyle, $1.4M median). Rankings combine schools, lifestyle fit, commute pattern, median price, price bands, and recent sales-through from each neighborhood guide's record (MLS closed sales, trailing 12 months).
- All 28 ranked neighborhoods show their guide's record: 12-month median sale price from MLS closed sales
- 3,025 trailing-12-month closed sales represented across loaded live snapshots
- Neighborhood records as of October 27, 2026
- Population: each guide's record - single-family homes by default; Downtown Condos counts condominiums only; Mueller and Spanish Oaks also count townhomes and condos; Lake Austin counts waterfront homes, condos and townhomes
- #1 Austin Board of Realtors Team (2024) - 1,000+ transactions, $1B+ career sales
Source: Keenan Group at Compass Real Estate, Austin TX - #1 Austin Board of Realtors Team (2024)
The Keenan Group at Compass is the #1 ranked real estate team by the Austin Board of Realtors (2024), specializing in Austin luxury and move-up neighborhoods. With 25+ years of local expertise, 1,000+ completed transactions, and $1B+ in career sales, we track Austin neighborhoods with live MLS data, school district ratings, and investment analysis. Each neighborhood's 12-month median sale price is read from the same record its guide shows.
What are the best places to live in Austin?
The best place to live in Austin depends on what you optimize for. If you want top-rated schools and larger lots, look at Northwest Hills (parks and play guide), Westlake, or Circle C. If walkability and food matter most, Zilker, Clarksville, and Hyde Park lead. For value close to downtown, Allandale, Crestview, and Brentwood hold the line. And if you are weighing the suburbs, Lakeway, Bee Cave, Cedar Park, and Dripping Springs trade commute time for space and price. Current prices below come from live MLS snapshots where available; rankings also reflect schools, commute, and lifestyle fit.
What are the best suburbs of Austin?
The best suburbs of Austin for most buyers are Lakeway and Bee Cave to the west (lake access, Lake Travis ISD), Cedar Park and Leander to the northwest (value and new construction), Round Rock to the north (established schools and employers), and Dripping Springs to the southwest (Hill Country space with a small-town center). These are separate cities from Austin - compare them against the Austin market rather than city neighborhoods.
“There is no single best neighborhood in Austin - it depends on your schools, commute, lifestyle, and budget. We have sold homes in all 59 of these neighborhoods and can walk you through the tradeoffs in person. The data here is our starting point for every client conversation.”
Start with the right Austin neighborhood decision path
The fastest way to use this page is to start with your real constraint. Some buyers need the strongest school lane. Others need prestige and privacy, or central walkability, or value with long-term upside. Use these entry paths to move from broad rankings into the route family that fits your search.
Buying for schools and long-term fit
Start with school zones, lot patterns, and commute realism before comparing finishes or price per foot.
Buying for prestige, privacy, and luxury positioning
Use this page to separate legacy luxury neighborhoods from golf-club and estate enclaves before you tour.
Buying for walkability and central Austin lifestyle
Compare the neighborhoods that balance downtown access, restaurant density, and long-term resale resilience.
Buying for value and appreciation potential
Use the category and pricing tables below to spot neighborhoods where lifestyle and school access still beat the city median.
Top 10 Austin Neighborhoods for Broad Demand
These ten neighborhoods are the broadest high-demand starting points in Austin right now. Use them as the shortlist, then move to the comparison table below when you need to compare all 28 ranked neighborhoods by district, commute, lifestyle fit, and price range. The full guide directory tracks 59 neighborhoods.
- Tarrytown - $1.8M median | Austin ISD | 8 min to downtown | Best for: Walkability
- Westlake Hills - $1.93M median | Eanes ISD | 15 min to downtown | Best for: Schools
- Northwest Hills - $1.18M median | Austin ISD | 15 min to downtown | Best for: Schools
- Barton Creek - $2.85M median | Austin ISD | 20 min to downtown | Best for: Golf / Luxury
- Zilker - $1.4M median | Austin ISD | 5 min to downtown | Best for: Lifestyle
- Rollingwood - $3.76M median | Eanes ISD | 12 min to downtown | Best for: Luxury
- Clarksville - $1.38M median | Austin ISD | 5 min to downtown | Best for: Walkability
- Bryker Woods - $1.45M median | Austin ISD | 7 min to downtown | Best for: Character
- Allandale - $951K median | Austin ISD | 12 min to downtown | Best for: Value
- Mueller - $857K median | Austin ISD | 10 min to downtown | Best for: New Urbanism
| Rank | Neighborhood | Median Price | School District | Commute | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tarrytown | $1.8M | Austin ISD | 8 min | Walkability |
| 2 | Westlake Hills | $1.93M | Eanes ISD | 15 min | Schools |
| 3 | Northwest Hills | $1.18M | Austin ISD | 15 min | Schools |
| 4 | Barton Creek | $2.85M | Austin ISD | 20 min | Golf / Luxury |
| 5 | Zilker | $1.4M | Austin ISD | 5 min | Lifestyle |
| 6 | Rollingwood | $3.76M | Eanes ISD | 12 min | Luxury |
| 7 | Clarksville | $1.38M | Austin ISD | 5 min | Walkability |
| 8 | Bryker Woods | $1.45M | Austin ISD | 7 min | Character |
| 9 | Allandale | $951K | Austin ISD | 12 min | Value |
| 10 | Mueller | $857K | Austin ISD | 10 min | New Urbanism |
| 11 | Steiner Ranch | $834K | Leander ISD | 25 min | Schools |
| 12 | Bouldin Creek | $1.15M | Austin ISD | 5 min | Lifestyle |
| 13 | Travis Heights | $989K | Austin ISD | 5 min | Character |
| 14 | East Austin | $590K | Austin ISD | 8 min | Walkability |
| 15 | Hyde Park | $825K | Austin ISD | 10 min | Historic Charm |
| 16 | Lake Austin | $4.96M | Various | 20 min | Luxury |
| 17 | Rob Roy | $2.38M | Eanes ISD | 15 min | Luxury |
| 18 | Spanish Oaks | $3.6M | Lake Travis ISD | 25 min | Golf / Luxury |
| 19 | Cat Mountain | $1.2M | Austin ISD | 15 min | Schools |
| 20 | Westover Hills | $983K | Austin ISD | 12 min | Value |
| 21 | Lakeway | $850K | Lake Travis ISD | 30 min | Schools |
| 22 | Pemberton Heights | $2.58M | Austin ISD | 7 min | Walkability |
| 23 | Lost Creek | $1.41M | Eanes ISD | 15 min | Schools |
| 24 | Davenport Ranch | $2.13M | Eanes ISD | 18 min | Schools |
| 25 | Circle C Ranch | $843K | Austin ISD | 20 min | Schools |
| 26 | Barton Hills | $1.59M | Austin ISD | 10 min | Walkability |
| 27 | Crestview | $713K | Austin ISD | 12 min | Value |
| 28 | Brentwood | $690K | Austin ISD | 10 min | Value |
Austin Neighborhoods Compared
Side-by-side comparison of each guide record's 12-month median sale price, school district, downtown commute, and lifestyle fit. Click any neighborhood for the full guide, or explore all 59 neighborhoods.
| Neighborhood | Median Price | School District | Downtown | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tarrytown | $1.8M | Austin ISD | 8 min | Walkability |
| Westlake Hills | $1.93M | Eanes ISD | 15 min | Schools |
| Northwest Hills | $1.18M | Austin ISD | 15 min | Schools |
| Barton Creek | $2.85M | Austin ISD | 20 min | Golf / Luxury |
| Zilker | $1.4M | Austin ISD | 5 min | Lifestyle |
| Rollingwood | $3.76M | Eanes ISD | 12 min | Luxury |
| Clarksville | $1.38M | Austin ISD | 5 min | Walkability |
| Bryker Woods | $1.45M | Austin ISD | 7 min | Character |
| Allandale | $951K | Austin ISD | 12 min | Value |
| Mueller | $857K | Austin ISD | 10 min | New Urbanism |
| Steiner Ranch | $834K | Leander ISD | 25 min | Schools |
| Bouldin Creek | $1.15M | Austin ISD | 5 min | Lifestyle |
| Travis Heights | $989K | Austin ISD | 5 min | Character |
| East Austin | $590K | Austin ISD | 8 min | Walkability |
| Hyde Park | $825K | Austin ISD | 10 min | Historic Charm |
| Lake Austin | $4.96M | Various | 20 min | Luxury |
| Rob Roy | $2.38M | Eanes ISD | 15 min | Luxury |
| Spanish Oaks | $3.6M | Lake Travis ISD | 25 min | Golf / Luxury |
| Cat Mountain | $1.2M | Austin ISD | 15 min | Schools |
| Westover Hills | $983K | Austin ISD | 12 min | Value |
| Lakeway | $850K | Lake Travis ISD | 30 min | Schools |
| Pemberton Heights | $2.58M | Austin ISD | 7 min | Walkability |
| Lost Creek | $1.41M | Eanes ISD | 15 min | Schools |
| Davenport Ranch | $2.13M | Eanes ISD | 18 min | Schools |
| Circle C Ranch | $843K | Austin ISD | 20 min | Schools |
| Barton Hills | $1.59M | Austin ISD | 10 min | Walkability |
| Crestview | $713K | Austin ISD | 12 min | Value |
| Brentwood | $690K | Austin ISD | 10 min | Value |
Top School Districts
Top-rated school districts, parks, and established residential streets, from Doss Elementary to Eanes ISD.
Northwest Hills
Doss Elementary, half-acre lots, Anderson High School feeder.
Steiner Ranch
Master-planned with pools, trails, and Lake Austin access. Leander ISD.
Westlake Hills
Eanes ISD - consistently top 5 in Central Texas. Westlake High School.
Circle C Ranch
Swim center, sports fields, community events. Austin ISD (Kiker and Clayton Elementary).
Best for Luxury
Estate-level homes, private clubs, and Hill Country views. Austin's highest-end residential enclaves.
Want the pure price ranking? See the most expensive neighborhoods in Austin, ranked by $/sqft.
Tarrytown
Lake Austin access, walkable to downtown, 1930s-era charm on large lots.
Westlake Hills
2-5 acre estates, Eanes ISD, Hill Country panoramas.
Barton Creek
Four golf courses (Fazio Foothills, Fazio Canyons, Coore Crenshaw, Palmer Lakeside), Omni Resort, and gated estate neighborhoods.
Rollingwood
Independent city within Austin. Eanes ISD, large lots, mature oaks.
Spanish Oaks
Bobby Weed golf course, 400-home cap, private equity membership.
Best Value
Strong appreciation, good schools, and prices below the Austin luxury median. Where your dollar goes furthest.
Allandale
Central location, mid-century homes, Burnet Road restaurant corridor.
Mueller
New-build community on former airport site. Walkable, mixed-use, energy-efficient.
Crestview
Brentwood Elementary feeder, growing food scene, MetroRail access.
Brentwood
Adjacent to Allandale with smaller lots and central Austin access.
Best for Walkable City Living
Walkable streets, nightlife, restaurants, and quick commutes to downtown.
East Austin
Fastest-growing food and bar scene in the city. Bikeable to downtown.
Zilker
Barton Springs, trail access, South Lamar dining. 5 minutes to downtown.
Bouldin Creek
SoCo strip, local coffee shops, bungalow-style homes with character.
Barton Hills
Walk or bike to the Greenbelt, Barton Springs Pool and Zilker Park. 5-10 minutes to downtown.
Explore All 59 Austin Neighborhood Guides
Each guide includes school district context, commute patterns, and local insights from 25+ years of experience. Ranked neighborhoods show each guide's 12-month median sale price from MLS closed sales.
How We Ranked These Neighborhoods
These rankings come from 25+ years of selling homes across Austin, not a formula pulled from census data. We weigh four factors: school quality (district ratings, individual campus scores, feeder patterns), home value trends (5-year appreciation, price stability, inventory turnover), lifestyle fit (walkability, dining, parks, commute times), and investment potential (land supply constraints, development pipeline, demand drivers).
Every neighborhood on this list has something specific going for it. Westlake Hills has the best school district in Central Texas. Tarrytown has the best location for people who want urban convenience without sacrificing lot size. Mueller is the best new-build value inside the city limits. There is no single "best" neighborhood - it depends entirely on your priorities.
We update these rankings as neighborhood context changes, while pricing and sales-through are read from each Keenan Group neighborhood guide's record. For price data by area, see our Austin ZIP code guide, or view these neighborhoods on our interactive maps.
Current pricing comes from live MLS data, not scraped lists. Keenan Group has sold 1,000+ Austin homes across 25 years, closed more than $1B in career sales, and was the #1 team at the Austin Board of Realtors in 2024. When we call a neighborhood one of Austin's best, it is because we have sold homes there and know how they resell.
Neighborhood Fit Plan
Narrow Austin by schools, commute, lifestyle, and inventory
Use the neighborhood guide as the map, then choose the plan that turns preferences into a short list of areas and homes.
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All 59 Neighborhoods
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Why Choose the #1 Austin Board Team
Recognized as the #1 team by Austin Board of Realtors in 2024. 1,000+ homes sold and $1B+ in career sales over 25+ years in Austin.