Is Round Rock a Good Place to Live? My Honest Guide

At a glance

Location

North of Austin along I-35, SH 45 and Hwy 79

Population

Almost 120,000 (as of May 2024)

Price range

New construction from the mid-to-high $300s; established and acreage homes $1 million and up (2024-2025 tours)

Schools

Mostly Round Rock ISD; some Round Rock addresses (like Siena) are Hutto ISD

Tax rate

About 1.7% to 2.3% in the neighborhoods I toured in 2024-2025

HOA

From $75 a quarter to $218 a month, depending on the neighborhood (2025)

What it's like to live in Round Rock

Round Rock was one of the fastest-growing suburbs in the country for a few years. As of my May 2024 tour, the population was almost 120,000, and almost two-thirds of households had three or more people. A lot of families, drawn by the schools and an easy location.

The parks are one of the biggest reasons my clients choose Round Rock. Old Settlers Park has trails, fields, a lake and Music in the Park, and as of late 2025 it was getting a new amphitheater and a remodeled water park. Play for All Park is a hidden gem for kids, with a scooter racetrack and a little town. The Brushy Creek Trail runs from the Twin Lakes YMCA in Cedar Park to near downtown Round Rock, past fishing lakes and Brushy Creek Lake Park.

Round Rock was established in the 1800s, and historic downtown has real character: Main Street, live music, 600 Degrees Pizza, Lamppost Coffee, the Ruby Hotel and the new public library. East of I-35 you also have Dell Diamond and the Kalahari indoor water park. It's not overhyped. It's pretty rad.

How Round Rock is laid out

I think of Round Rock as a west side, a downtown core and an east side, with I-35 running through the middle.

• West Round Rock (Brushy Creek area): west of I-35 and north of SH 45. Mature trees, rolling hills and trails, and the easier side to commute from via SH 45 to MoPac. The Domain was about 12 minutes away in May 2024. That's why there's a price premium. Cat Hollow, Avery Ranch, Hidden Ridge and Saul's Ranch are here.
• Downtown: historic Main Street, plus newer walkable townhomes like the Depot Townhomes and Monarch on Main.
• East Round Rock: Hwy 79 is the main east-west road, with Old Settlers Park, Dell Diamond and the Kalahari. Paloma Lake, Avery Centre and Homestead at Old Settlers are out here. As of April 2025, the Kenney Fort extension through Old Settlers Park had just opened and will run south to SH 45.
• South end, near I-35 and SH 45: Double Creek Crossing and Cielo sit near Dell's campus, about 12 to 14 minutes from the Domain (November 2025).

Traffic. I-35 is the biggest gripe. The 620 extension and flyovers that opened in 2024 helped a lot. Being honest, as of December 2023 the drive to downtown Austin was about 30 to 35 minutes without traffic and 45 to 50 at rush hour.

School districts. Most of Round Rock is Round Rock ISD. Schools I've mentioned include Round Rock High, Cedar Ridge High, Stony Point High, Hernandez Middle, Gattis Elementary and Harrington Elementary. But a Round Rock address doesn't guarantee Round Rock ISD: Siena is Hutto ISD, while Cielo has a Pflugerville address and is Round Rock ISD. Always check the specific address.

Costs and taxes in Round Rock

Tax rates vary a lot by neighborhood, depending on city limits and MUDs. Here's what I saw on my tours. They change every year, so treat them as a snapshot.

• Saul's Ranch: 1.7% (November 2024), versus 2.6% to 2.8% in similar neighborhoods. On a $1 million home, that's about $10,000 a year.
• Avery Centre and Monarch on Main: 1.77% (April and August 2025)
• Paloma Lake: 1.9% (April 2025)
• Cielo: about 2% (November 2025)
• Siena: 2.3% (May 2025)

HOAs range just as widely. As of 2025: $75 a quarter in Siena, about $60 a month for detached homes in Avery Centre, $90 in gated Cielo, $195 at Monarch on Main and $218 at Double Creek Crossing, including landscaping.

New construction started in the mid-to-high $300s at Cielo as of November 2025. At the top end, Saul's Ranch ran from the very high $600,000s to over $1 million (November 2024), and Hidden Ridge acreage homes were about $1 million to $2 million (May 2024).

Neighborhoods I've toured

• Paloma Lake is an established east-side neighborhood with a 47-acre lake, Harrington Elementary on site and a 1.9% tax rate as of April 2025.
• Siena is a large master-planned community on the far east edge with a $75-a-quarter HOA, bigger homes and lots, and Hutto ISD schools.
• Avery Centre is east-side new construction with a 1.77% tax rate, townhomes from the mid-$300s and detached homes up to about $500k as of April 2025.
• Double Creek Crossing is a David Weekley Homes community on the south end, detached homes that are legally condos, from the very high $300s to the mid-$500s as of November 2025.
• Cielo is a gated Masonwood community on the Round Rock/Pflugerville line with a $90 HOA and Round Rock ISD schools.
• Monarch on Main is a walkable Pulte townhome development on Main Street, with a first inventory home at $375,000 in August 2025.
• Depot Townhomes are In Town Homes townhomes in the heart of historic downtown, from the $440s to about the $700s as of May 2024.
• Saul's Ranch is Coventry and M Signature new construction in Brushy Creek with direct Brushy Creek Trail access.
• Cat Hollow is one of the most amenity-rich mature communities in Brushy Creek, built from the late '90s and early 2000s.
• Homestead at Old Settlers is about 560 Meritage and TriPoint homes right next to Old Settlers Park.
• Clear Creek is a Brohn Homes community between 183 and I-35 that I toured in 2023, before its first homes were finished.

Who Round Rock fits

Round Rock works best for families who want Round Rock ISD, lots of parks and an easy drive to Dell, the Domain or north Austin. It's also one of the few Austin suburbs with a real walkable downtown.

The trade-offs are real. I-35 traffic is the biggest one. The west side costs more. Tax rates swing by more than half a percent between neighborhoods, and a Round Rock address doesn't always mean Round Rock ISD.

When I work for you, you get me. I show the homes, I negotiate and I'm the one who answers your call. You're never handed off to a teammate you didn't choose. If Round Rock is on your list, call or text me at (512) 983-7331 or email mason@masonsellsaustin.com.

What's in the video

• 0:00Intro: why Round Rock comes up so often
• 1:09The Round Rock, demographics
• 2:05New 620 extension and flyovers
• 2:30West Round Rock: Cat Hollow and commuting
• 4:13Avery Ranch
• 4:47Brushy Creek Trail system
• 6:12Hidden Ridge acreage homes
• 7:09Downtown Round Rock and Heritage Trail
• 8:59Depot Townhomes
• 9:55Monarch on Main
• 10:27Play for All Park
• 11:16Hwy 79, Kalahari, Old Settlers Park

Round Rock questions I get asked