Should I buy in Eanes ISD or Lake Travis ISD?
Both are A-rated districts, so the choice usually comes down to geography, the size of the district and the homes around it. Eanes ISD scored 94 and Lake Travis ISD scored 91 in the Texas Education Agency's 2026 accountability ratings, both an overall A. Eanes ISD is the smaller, close-in district west of downtown Austin, around West Lake Hills and Rollingwood. Lake Travis ISD is larger and farther west, around Lakeway, Bee Cave and the south shore of Lake Travis, and it is building a second high school, Highland Lakes, set to open in 2029.
We help buyers weigh this choice often, because the two districts sit side by side on the west side of the Austin area and draw many of the same buyers. This guide compares them on the points that affect a home purchase: ratings, campuses, taxes, transfers, the changes coming in the next few years, and the neighborhoods each one serves. For the district data laid out side by side, see our Eanes ISD vs Lake Travis ISD data comparison.
How do the two districts compare side by side?
| Eanes ISD | Lake Travis ISD | |
|---|---|---|
| TEA overall rating, 2026 | A (94) | A (91) |
| TEA overall rating, 2023 to 2025 | A (94) each year | B (89) in 2023 and 2024; A (90) in 2025 |
| Enrollment (TEA, 2026 accountability) | 7,524 | 10,748 |
| Campuses | 5 elementary, 2 middle, 1 high school, plus an Adult Transition Services program | 7 elementary, 3 middle, 1 high school |
| High school | Westlake High School (2,870 students) | Lake Travis High School (3,421 students) |
| Second high school | None planned | Highland Lakes High School, opening August 2029 |
| Total tax rate, 2025 (per $100 of value) | $0.8322 | $1.0397 |
| Total tax rate, 2026 adopted (per $100), as reported | $0.8254 | $1.0329 |
| Out-of-district transfers | Accepted by application; $250 fee for 2026-27; not all applicants accepted | New for 2026-27; limited to listed campuses |
| Area | West Lake Hills, most of Rollingwood and nearby parts of Austin and unincorporated Travis County | 118.2 square miles from Lake Travis south to the Travis-Hays county line, west to the Pedernales River |
TEA ratings and enrollment are from the agency's 2026 accountability reports. The 2025 tax rates are from the Travis County tax rate worksheets and the Lake Travis ISD 2025-26 budget; the 2026 adopted rates are as reported by Community Impact and local meeting coverage after the August 2026 board votes.
How do the TEA ratings compare?
Eanes ISD has held an overall A with a score of 94 in each of the last four rating years, 2023 through 2026. Lake Travis ISD earned a B (89) in 2023 and 2024, then an A in 2025 (90) and 2026 (91). The 2023 and 2024 ratings were released late, in 2025, after legal challenges delayed them, so recent years arrived close together.
Campus ratings vary inside both districts. In the 2026 ratings, Cedar Creek Elementary was the one Eanes campus rated B (88). In Lake Travis ISD, Lake Travis Elementary was rated B (83) and identified for targeted support, and West Cypress Hills Elementary was rated B (89); the other Lake Travis campuses were rated A. A district rating is a summary, so look up the specific campus your address is zoned to on TXschools.gov before you rely on it.
What schools does each district have?
Eanes ISD
Eanes ISD has one high school, so every student finishes at the same campus.
- Elementary: Barton Creek, Bridge Point, Cedar Creek, Eanes and Forest Trail. The district closed Valley View Elementary and blended it into Barton Creek Elementary, and it placed a moratorium on new out-of-district transfers to Barton Creek Elementary.
- Middle: Hill Country Middle and West Ridge Middle.
- High: Westlake High School.
One naming note: Eanes ISD's Barton Creek Elementary is in 78733 and serves Barton Creek West and nearby Eanes neighborhoods. It does not serve the Barton Creek golf community in 78735, which is in Austin ISD.
Lake Travis ISD
Lake Travis ISD is a single high school district today, with a second high school under construction.
- Elementary: Bee Cave, Lake Pointe, Lake Travis, Lakeway, Rough Hollow, Serene Hills and West Cypress Hills elementary schools.
- Middle: Bee Cave Middle, Hudson Bend Middle and Lake Travis Middle.
- High: Lake Travis High School.
Which neighborhoods are in each district?
District lines follow addresses, not neighborhood names or ZIP codes, so treat these as starting points and verify each property.
Eanes ISD serves the City of West Lake Hills and most of Rollingwood, plus nearby neighborhoods in the City of Austin and unincorporated Travis County. Among the neighborhoods we cover:
- Westlake Hills and Rollingwood (verify Rollingwood addresses, since part of the city is outside Eanes)
- Rob Roy, Lost Creek and Davenport Ranch
- Barton Creek West, in 78733
The Barton Creek golf community in 78735 is in Austin ISD, not Eanes, even though it sits nearby.
Lake Travis ISD covers 118.2 square miles bounded by the shores of Lake Travis on the north, the Travis and Hays county lines on the south, the Pedernales River on the west, and Lake Austin and Barton Creek (the creek) on the east. Among the neighborhoods we cover:
- Lakeway, Rough Hollow, Flintrock Falls and The Hills of Lakeway
- Spanish Oaks, Serene Hills and Bee Cave
How do property taxes compare?
The school district is the largest piece of most property tax bills, so the difference between these two rates matters when you compare monthly costs. For tax year 2025, Eanes ISD's total rate was $0.8322 per $100 of value and Lake Travis ISD's was $1.0397. For 2026, the boards adopted $0.8254 for Eanes and $1.0329 for Lake Travis, as reported in coverage of their August 2026 meetings.
Most of the gap is in the debt-service portion. Both districts' 2026 maintenance and operations rates are about $0.7054 per $100. Lake Travis ISD's interest and sinking rate, which repays its bonds, is about $0.3275, while Eanes ISD's is $0.12.
On a home with a taxable value of $1 million, a difference of about $0.21 per $100 works out to roughly $2,000 a year in school taxes alone, before exemptions. City, county and other taxing units add to both bills. Check the property's tax bill, exemptions and every taxing unit before you compare two specific homes; our Austin property tax rates guide explains how the pieces fit together.
What is changing in each district?
Eanes ISD
- Bonds: voters approved a $131.4 million bond package on May 6, 2023, which the district says does not increase the tax rate. District planning documents dated February 2026 show a bond election planned for May 2027.
- Campus changes: Valley View Elementary closed and was blended into Barton Creek Elementary, and some elementary attendance areas were redrawn in 2025 as part of that change.
Lake Travis ISD
- Second high school: Highland Lakes High School is scheduled to open in August 2029, first serving ninth and tenth graders. The district says attendance rezoning is still ahead, so high school assignments for some addresses will change.
- Bonds: voters approved $609.2 million in two propositions in November 2022 and a $143 million package in November 2023.
- Elementary #8: the district delayed the opening of its eighth elementary school from August 2026 because enrollment did not reach projections.
If high school assignment after 2029 matters to your plans in Lake Travis ISD, ask how the coming rezoning is expected to affect your address, and check the district's announcements before you close.
Can a student transfer into either district?
Both districts now accept some out-of-district students, but neither guarantees a spot.
Eanes ISD accepts out-of-district transfer applications each year. The 2026-27 fee is $250 per student, the district says it does not accept all students who apply, and the 2026-27 application windows are closed. New out-of-district transfers to Barton Creek Elementary are under a moratorium.
Lake Travis ISD began accepting out-of-district transfers for the 2026-27 school year, at a limited list of campuses: Lake Pointe Elementary, Lake Travis Elementary, Lakeway Elementary, West Cypress Hills Elementary, Hudson Bend Middle, and a limited number of spots at Bee Cave Middle and Lake Travis High School.
If a particular district matters to you, buy an address inside it rather than planning around a transfer.
How do I confirm the schools for a specific home?
- Confirm the district. Look up the property on the Travis Central Appraisal District's property search and check which school district is listed among its taxing units.
- Find the campuses. For Eanes ISD, use the district's SchoolSearch tool for the address. For Lake Travis ISD, use the street directory and attendance-zone maps on the district's school attendance zones page.
- Check the campus ratings. Look up each zoned campus on TXschools.gov, not only the district.
- Ask about changes. Lake Travis ISD's high school zones will be redrawn before 2029, and Eanes ISD redrew some elementary zones in 2025.
Lake Travis ISD also states that a student's home must sit completely within district boundaries to establish residency, which matters for properties near the line.
How do home prices compare?
Home prices in the two districts depend far more on the neighborhood than on the district. On the Keenan Luxury Market Index, over the trailing 24 months through Q2 2026, Rollingwood ran $897 per square foot and Westlake Hills $655 on the Eanes side, while Spanish Oaks ran $629 on the Lake Travis side. Lake Travis ISD also includes many master-planned neighborhoods and lake-area communities across a wide range of prices. Compare recent closed sales in the specific neighborhood rather than district averages.
Which district fits you?
Eanes ISD fits buyers who want a smaller district with one high school, a short drive to downtown Austin, and established neighborhoods close to the city.
Lake Travis ISD fits buyers who want more space and newer neighborhoods, the lake and Hill Country setting, and a district adding a second high school, and who are comfortable with a longer drive into Austin and the changes a second high school will bring.
Both are A-rated, so for most buyers the deciding factors are the drive, the type of home and neighborhood, the tax rate and how settled the school assignments are.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which district has the higher TEA rating?
Eanes ISD scored 94 and Lake Travis ISD scored 91 in TEA's 2026 accountability ratings. Both are an overall A.
How many students does each district have?
TEA's 2026 accountability report lists 7,524 students in Eanes ISD and 10,748 in Lake Travis ISD.
Does each district have only one high school?
Eanes ISD has one, Westlake High School. Lake Travis ISD has one today, Lake Travis High School, and is building Highland Lakes High School, scheduled to open in August 2029.
Which district has lower property taxes?
Eanes ISD. Its 2025 total rate was $0.8322 per $100 of value, compared with $1.0397 for Lake Travis ISD. The adopted 2026 rates, as reported, are $0.8254 and $1.0329.
Is Barton Creek in Eanes ISD?
The Barton Creek golf community in 78735 is in Austin ISD. Barton Creek West, in 78733, is in Eanes ISD, and so is Eanes ISD's Barton Creek Elementary.
Is Spanish Oaks in Lake Travis ISD?
Yes. Spanish Oaks is in Lake Travis ISD.
Can my child transfer into Eanes ISD or Lake Travis ISD?
Both accept some out-of-district transfers by application. Eanes ISD charges $250 per student for 2026-27 and does not accept every applicant. Lake Travis ISD began accepting transfers for 2026-27 at a limited list of campuses.
Will school assignments change soon?
In Lake Travis ISD, yes: high school zones will be redrawn before Highland Lakes High School opens in 2029. Eanes ISD redrew some elementary zones in 2025 when Valley View Elementary closed.
How do I find the schools for a specific address?
Confirm the school district on the Travis Central Appraisal District's property search, then use Eanes ISD's SchoolSearch tool or Lake Travis ISD's street directory and zone maps, and check each campus on TXschools.gov.
When you are ready to compare homes in either district, contact the Keenan Group. We can confirm the school district and campuses for any address and pull recent sales in the neighborhoods you are considering.
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