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.
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, $1.69M median); Westlake Hills (schools, $1.68M median); Northwest Hills (families, $1.32M median); Barton Creek (golf / luxury, $2.9M median); Zilker (lifestyle, $1.43M median). Rankings combine schools, lifestyle fit, commute pattern, median price, price bands, and recent sales-through from Keenan Group's live MLS market dataset.
- 26 neighborhoods on this page are hydrated from Keenan Group's live MLS market dataset
- 1,893 trailing-12-month closed sales represented across loaded live snapshots
- Market methodology: default single-family homes; downtown condo-only; Mueller single-family, townhouse, and condo
- #1 Austin Board of Realtors Team (2024) - 1,000+ transactions, $1B+ career sales
Source: The Keenan Group, #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. Median price, price bands, and sales-through figures are read from Keenan Group's live MLS market dataset.
“There is no single best neighborhood in Austin - it depends on your schools, commute, lifestyle, and budget. We have sold homes in all 58of 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 family 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 full comparison table below when you need to compare all 58 neighborhoods by district, commute, lifestyle fit, and price range.
- Tarrytown - $1.69M median | Austin ISD | 8 min to downtown | Best for: Walkability
- Westlake Hills - $1.68M median | Eanes ISD | 15 min to downtown | Best for: Schools
- Northwest Hills - $1.32M median | Austin ISD | 15 min to downtown | Best for: Families
- Barton Creek - $2.9M median | Eanes ISD | 20 min to downtown | Best for: Golf / Luxury
- Zilker - $1.43M median | Austin ISD | 5 min to downtown | Best for: Lifestyle
- Rollingwood - $2.5M median | Eanes ISD | 12 min to downtown | Best for: Luxury
- Clarksville - $1.35M median | Austin ISD | 5 min to downtown | Best for: Walkability
- Bryker Woods - $1M median | Austin ISD | 7 min to downtown | Best for: Character
- Allandale - $960K median | Austin ISD | 12 min to downtown | Best for: Value
- Mueller - $879K median | Austin ISD | 10 min to downtown | Best for: New Urbanism
| Rank | Neighborhood | Median Price | School District | Commute | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tarrytown | $1.69M | Austin ISD | 8 min | Walkability |
| 2 | Westlake Hills | $1.68M | Eanes ISD | 15 min | Schools |
| 3 | Northwest Hills | $1.32M | Austin ISD | 15 min | Families |
| 4 | Barton Creek | $2.9M | Eanes ISD | 20 min | Golf / Luxury |
| 5 | Zilker | $1.43M | Austin ISD | 5 min | Lifestyle |
| 6 | Rollingwood | $2.5M | Eanes ISD | 12 min | Luxury |
| 7 | Clarksville | $1.35M | Austin ISD | 5 min | Walkability |
| 8 | Bryker Woods | $1M | Austin ISD | 7 min | Character |
| 9 | Allandale | $960K | Austin ISD | 12 min | Value |
| 10 | Mueller | $879K | Austin ISD | 10 min | New Urbanism |
| 11 | Steiner Ranch | $812K | Leander ISD | 25 min | Families |
| 12 | Bouldin Creek | $1.27M | Austin ISD | 5 min | Lifestyle |
| 13 | Travis Heights | $962K | Austin ISD | 5 min | Character |
| 14 | East Austin | $613K | Austin ISD | 8 min | Young Professionals |
| 15 | Hyde Park | $829K | Austin ISD | 10 min | Historic Charm |
| 16 | Lake Austin | $1.22M | Various | 20 min | Luxury |
| 17 | Rob Roy | $2.1M | Eanes ISD | 15 min | Luxury |
| 18 | Spanish Oaks | $3.5M | Lake Travis ISD | 25 min | Golf / Luxury |
| 19 | Cat Mountain | $1.04M | Austin ISD | 15 min | Families |
| 20 | Westover Hills | $985K | Austin ISD | 12 min | Value |
| 21 | Lakeway | $1.06M | Lake Travis ISD | 30 min | Families |
| 22 | Pemberton Heights | $2.7M | Austin ISD | 7 min | Walkability |
| 23 | Lost Creek | $1.26M | Eanes ISD | 15 min | Schools |
| 24 | Davenport Ranch | $2.M | Eanes ISD | 18 min | Schools |
| 25 | Circle C Ranch | Live market | Austin ISD | 20 min | Families |
| 26 | South Lamar | Live market | Austin ISD | 5 min | Young Professionals |
| 27 | Crestview | $695K | Austin ISD | 12 min | Value |
| 28 | Brentwood | $650K | Austin ISD | 10 min | Value |
Austin Neighborhoods Compared
Side-by-side comparison of median price from the live MLS market dataset, school district, downtown commute, and lifestyle fit. Click any neighborhood for the full guide, or explore all 58 neighborhoods.
| Neighborhood | Median Price | School District | Downtown | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tarrytown | $1.69M | Austin ISD | 8 min | Walkability |
| Westlake Hills | $1.68M | Eanes ISD | 15 min | Schools |
| Northwest Hills | $1.32M | Austin ISD | 15 min | Families |
| Barton Creek | $2.9M | Eanes ISD | 20 min | Golf / Luxury |
| Zilker | $1.43M | Austin ISD | 5 min | Lifestyle |
| Rollingwood | $2.5M | Eanes ISD | 12 min | Luxury |
| Clarksville | $1.35M | Austin ISD | 5 min | Walkability |
| Bryker Woods | $1M | Austin ISD | 7 min | Character |
| Allandale | $960K | Austin ISD | 12 min | Value |
| Mueller | $879K | Austin ISD | 10 min | New Urbanism |
| Steiner Ranch | $812K | Leander ISD | 25 min | Families |
| Bouldin Creek | $1.27M | Austin ISD | 5 min | Lifestyle |
| Travis Heights | $962K | Austin ISD | 5 min | Character |
| East Austin | $613K | Austin ISD | 8 min | Young Professionals |
| Hyde Park | $829K | Austin ISD | 10 min | Historic Charm |
| Lake Austin | $1.22M | Various | 20 min | Luxury |
| Rob Roy | $2.1M | Eanes ISD | 15 min | Luxury |
| Spanish Oaks | $3.5M | Lake Travis ISD | 25 min | Golf / Luxury |
| Cat Mountain | $1.04M | Austin ISD | 15 min | Families |
| Westover Hills | $985K | Austin ISD | 12 min | Value |
| Lakeway | $1.06M | Lake Travis ISD | 30 min | Families |
| Pemberton Heights | $2.7M | Austin ISD | 7 min | Walkability |
| Lost Creek | $1.26M | Eanes ISD | 15 min | Schools |
| Davenport Ranch | $2.M | Eanes ISD | 18 min | Schools |
| Circle C Ranch | Live market | Austin ISD | 20 min | Families |
| South Lamar | Live market | Austin ISD | 5 min | Young Professionals |
| Crestview | $695K | Austin ISD | 12 min | Value |
| Brentwood | $650K | Austin ISD | 10 min | Value |
Best for Families
Top-rated school districts, parks, and safe streets. These neighborhoods are where Austin families put down roots.
Northwest Hills
Doss Elementary (rated 8/10), half-acre lots, Anderson High School feeder.
Steiner Ranch
Master-planned with pools, trails, and Lake Travis 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 (Mills Elementary).
Best for Luxury
Estate-level homes, private clubs, and Hill Country views. Austin's highest-end residential enclaves.
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 Tom Fazio golf courses, 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 Young Professionals
Walkable streets, nightlife, restaurants, and quick commutes. Where Austin's 25-40 crowd wants to live.
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.
South Lamar
New condos and mixed-use. The Broken Spoke sits next to craft cocktail bars.
Explore All 58 Austin Neighborhood Guides
Each guide includes live MLS data, school district context, median prices, commute patterns, and local insights from 25+ years of experience.
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 Keenan Group's live MLS market dataset. For price data by area, see our Austin ZIP code guide, or view these neighborhoods on our interactive maps.
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.
Continue Your Research
Austin Real Estate by ZIP
Search homes for sale across 26 Austin ZIP codes with live market data
All 58 Neighborhoods
Complete guides for every Austin neighborhood
Austin School Districts
Eanes ISD, Lake Travis ISD, Austin ISD - homes by school zone
Home Valuation
What is your Austin home worth? Free market analysis
Our Results
1,000+ transactions, $1B+ in career sales - see the track record
Golf Communities
Austin's private golf club communities with membership details
Why Choose the #1 Austin Board Team
Recognized as the #1 team by Austin Board of Realtors in 2024. Over 1,000 successful transactions with Austin expertise.