Top 6 Best Neighborhoods In Austin for Families
Austin has it all. A booming economy, lively music scene, fantastic parks, fine dining, premier shopping and plenty of things for families to do. The state capitol has a lot of nicknames, but its latest may also be its most important — “Silicon Hills.”
The city is mecca for tech companies, including Dell, Apple, IBM, Cirrus Logic, Oracle and more. In 2022, CompTIA’s Tech Town Index ranked Austin as the best place for tech jobs in the U.S. for the third year in a row. The trade group for the tech industry also ranked it No. 1 for five-year projected job growth in the tech field, predicting that Austin will see another 22,000 tech jobs by the year 2027.
The fastest-growing big metropolitan city in the country has received numerous other accolades. WalletHub ranked it among the Happiest Cities in America in 2024. It’s the No. 1 housing market for millennials, according to Knock. In 2024, Austin was No. 40 on U.S. News & World Report’s Best Places to Live in the U.S. list.
Young professionals flock to Austin reveling in its museums, nightlife and quirky culture. Families searching for homes, peace and great schools head for Austin’s amazing suburbs.
Surrounded by Texas Hill Country, Austin suburbs are a gateway to outdoor and urban adventures. Beautiful homes, great schools and convenient commuting times are three reasons they are the preferred destination for families on the move. We’ve rounded up a list of the 6 best places to live in North Austin. The list is based on home price, property tax rates and how family-friendly they are. Take a look at our Austin neighborhood map and choose the one you like the best!
Leander
Median Home Price: $525,300*
Up-and-coming Leander routinely makes the lists of the top suburbs in the Austin area. In 2021, the fast-growing city was named the No. 5 Best U.S. Suburb to Move To by Homes.com. Niche ranks it in the top 20 percent of the Best Suburbs to Live in America and in the top 10 for best suburbs, best place to raise a family and best public schools in the Austin area in its 2023 compilation.
Leander is becoming increasingly popular with developers. Award-winning Bryson recently won back-to-back Master-Planned Community of the Year awards from the Texas Association of Builders and then the Home Builders Association of Greater Austin for its combination of homes and amenities.
Leander is located 27 miles from Austin. While many residents drive to employment centers in Austin, others catch CapMetro Commuter Rail.
Leander ISD has a lot to boast about. Leander ISD was named one of the top 30 best school districts in the state by Niche in 2024. The website also ranks Leander ISD in the top 1 percent of Texas school districts with the best teachers.
State parks are conveniently located near the city, offering many opportunities to camp, hike and swim at Lake Travis, Inner Space Cavern, Pedernales Falls State Park, Longhorn Caverns State Park, McKinney Falls State Park and Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife.
Shopping and dining are convenient with residents easily accessing boutiques and antiques in historic downtown Leander as well as 1890 Ranch and The Parke. Designer discounts can be found at Round Rock Premium Outlets. The city is hard at work on Northline, a mixed-used destination for shopping, dining and retail.
Favorite dining spots include Mouton’s Southern Bistro, Blue Corn Harvest and Guaco Taco.
Round Rock
Median Home Price: $450,400*
Home to tech giants Apple, Dell Computer Corporation and Samsung Round Rock attracts families by the score. Venerable master-planned communities such as Forest Creek offer luxury homes in a country club atmosphere.
Families spend weekends at Old Settlers Park, a 645-acre complex with 20 baseball fields, five softball fields, five soccer fields, two football fields, a multi-purpose field, disc golf course and more.
Year-round swimming is available at the Kalahari Resort and Rock'n River Family Aquatic Center. Other attractions include Teravista Golf Club, Forest Creek Golf Course and Home Run Dugout.
The commute to Austin is approximately 40 minutes which makes it easy to enjoy the city’s attractions on weekends.
Round Rock ISD was rated one of the top five school districts in the Austin area. A strong commitment to the arts resulted in the district being receiving a Best Communities for Music Education designation from The National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Foundation.
Shopping and dining are never far away. The Round Rock Premium Outlets offers designer duds at discounted prices. La Frontera, Round Rock Crossing Shopping Center and Round Rock Town Center are available for day-to-day shopping. Favorite restaurants include the iconic Round Rock Doughnuts as well as High Country Market & Café and Hoody's Subs.
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Cedar Park
Median Home Price: $533,200*
Located just 17 miles from downtown Austin, Cedar Park is a thriving community with plenty of activities for families.
Cedar Park has the feel of a small town and the amenities of a large city. It is the home of the Austin Spurs and the Texas Stars. Both can be cheered on at the H-E-B Center at Cedar Park. The center also hosts more 150 events, including concerts and family-oriented entertainment. The Splash Shack is an indoor micro waterpark boasting six big slides, two smaller slides, a splash pad and tipping buckets. Brushy Creek Lake Park is where families go to hike, bike, kayak and play.
Nearby, residents can explore numerous state parks including Inner Space Cavern, Pedernales Falls State Park, Longhorn Caverns State Park, McKinney Falls State Park and Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife.
Two shopping centers entice Cedar Park residents. The Parke is anchored by Whole Foods. 1890 Ranch has a Cinemark theater as well as a bookstore, Target and Petsmart. Lakeline Mall boasts favorite retailers.
There are many dining spots in Cedar Park. The original Smoky Mo's BBQ can be found here. Whitestone Brewery crafts delicious pilsners, IPAs and stouts that can accompany food truck fare. A healthy meal at home can be prepared with ingredients purchased at the Texas Farmer's Market.
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Liberty Hill
Median Home Price: $644,500*
Liberty Hill is a hidden gem full of small-town charm and plenty of wide-open spaces. Commuting to downtown Austin for work or pleasure is a convenient 35-minute drive.
Outdoor activities predominate. Liberty Hills residents enjoy spending weekends taking advantage of recreational opportunities on Lake Buchanan. Lions Foundation Park offers a pavilion with picnic areas, a soccer-football practice field, a 0.8-mile walking track, two ball fields, a volleyball court and library. Thirsty Mule Winery is the perfect spot tasting your favorite vintages.
Liberty Hill’s proximity to Georgetown offers many adventures, including Sweet Eats farm and petting zoo, antique shopping, Georgetown Palace Theatre and the celebrated Red Poppy Festival.
Liberty Hill ISD is ranked among the top 15 percent of school districts in Texas, according to Niche. It also took the No. 6 spot for best teachers in the Austin area. Students score above average on state-mandated tests.
Liberty Hill is convenient to the Round Rock Premium Outlets. Wolf Ranch Town Center in Georgetown features a Target, Best Buy and PetSmart. A Whole Foods 365 is located in Liberty Hill. When they want to eat out, the locals head to Dahlia Café, Fratelli Pizza and Major’s Burger Company.
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Georgetown
Median Home Price: $499,000*
Nestled between the Middle and North forks of the San Gabriel River, Georgetown is the perfect home for nature lovers. Georgetown is located along the Interstate 35 corridor providing easy access to Austin tech employers Dell, Apple and National Instruments. The commute is less than 45 minutes.
By far the biggest attraction in Georgetown is Inner Space Cavern. One of the best-preserved caves in Texas, it features beautiful formations, large rooms and prehistoric animal bones. During the summer, Georgetown residents cool off at Blue Hole Park, a lagoon bordered by limestone bluffs along the South Fork of the river. Lake Georgetown provides opportunities for camping, fishing, boating and skiing.
Georgetown radiates small-town vibes but packs a punch with big-city amenities. The Downtown Square is considered the most beautiful in Texas. Lined with wineries, art galleries, restaurants and boutiques, the historic square rivals those found in bigger cities. Georgetown festivals are famous, with the annual Red Poppy Festival attracting approximately 30,000 visitors each year.
Georgetown ISD is well-known and well-regarded. The district boasts 13 athletic programs, 16 fine arts programs and five GISD schools that offer dual language programs. The district is rated in the top 30 percent on Niche’s list of the Best School Districts in Texas.
Day-to-day shopping is available at Wolf Ranch Town Center. Republic Square Shopping Center offers an eclectic mix of shopping and dining spots. More unique shops can be found in historic downtown Georgetown. Fine dining is available at Union Merchant and City Post. Other favorites include Catfish Parlour, Firo Fire Kissed Pizza and Jimmy Vega’s Smokehouse.
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Hutto
Median Home Price: $399,000*
Hutton is a unique Texas town where homebuyers can find great homes, family-friendly activities and plenty of hippos.
According to legend, a hippo escaped from the circus in 1915 and found sanctuary in a nearby creek. Today, the town boasts more than 3,000 hippo statues, including Henrietta, a 14,000-pound concrete statue that stands in Hutto’s Old Town.
Hutto’s merits extend beyond water-loving beasts. Master-planned communities have begun to spring up promising an advantageous lifestyle for residents.
Hutto is 30 minutes from Austin and even closer to Round Rock, Georgetown, and Pflugerville. Day trips include summer visits to Typhoon Texas Waterpark, talking to the animals at Wild Things Zoofari, enjoying the indoor pool at Kalahari Resorts & Conventions and all Austin attractions.
Quirky Hutto offers self-guided tours of their hippo statues, but by far the best place to hang out is Old Town. Hutto Lake Park features 39 acres of picnic spots, sports courts, walking trails and a lake.
Hutto ISD teachers strive to prepare students for the 21st century. District high schools offer Advanced Placement and honors courses, dual credit programs and a Career and Technical Education program featuring numerous certifications. Hutton ISD has won national recognition for its art and music programs.
For hungry tummies, the award-winning Texas Café and Pie Shop offers a pie “happy hour.” Southside Market & Barbecue has been serving up Texas barbecue for nearly 140 years. The Downtown Hall of Fame is where the locals go to watch the big game, hear live music and chow down on a juicy burger.
Hutto is two minutes from SH 130 so it’s easy for fashionistas to head to the Round Rock Premium Outlets. In nearby Pflugerville, Stone Hill Town Center offers several big box stores such as Home Depot, Target and DICK’s Sporting Goods.
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*Median home prices vary between communities and are based on 2024 data.
