Paloma Lake, Round Rock: Why It's One of My Favorite Neighborhoods

At a glance

Location

East side of Round Rock, northeast of Austin; technically outside city limits

Price range

Low $400,000s to the mid-$700s and $800,000 (as of Apr 2025)

Home sizes

About 1,600 sq ft single-story to 3,000+ sq ft; up to about 4,000 sq ft (2023 tour)

Built

2009 to about 2020; resale homes, just shy of 1,900 of them (2023 tour)

Schools

Round Rock ISD; Harrington Elementary inside the neighborhood

Tax rate

About 1.9% (as of Apr 2025)

HOA

Low; I didn't state an exact amount in my tours

Location and getting around

Paloma Lake sits on the east side of Round Rock, northeast of Austin. From here, you're 10 to 15 minutes max from basically everything in Round Rock, and historic downtown Round Rock is close by, with Main Street and live music.

On my 2023 tour, I pointed out that you're less than a mile from Old Settlers Park, with Walmart and H-E-B close by. Anything you need day to day is within about a 10-minute drive.

One quirk: Paloma Lake is technically outside Round Rock city limits. That's part of why the tax rate is lower (more on that below). It also has several sections that don't all connect by road. The hike-and-bike trails do connect them, and you can make a loop of several miles on foot or by bike.

The lake, trails and amenity centers

The lake is the centerpiece. It's a man-made reservoir, 47 acres, with a fishing pier. Fishing is catch-and-release and open to all residents. A trail network wraps around the lake and runs through the neighborhood, and a lot of it is shaded.

There are two amenity centers, and every one is open to all residents, no matter which section you live in. Here's what I showed on my 2023 tour:

• North amenity center (the largest): clubhouse, lap pool, splash pad and playground.
• Second amenity center: a fully shaded covered playground, splash pad, lap pool, outdoor seating with barbecues, restrooms and changing rooms, and a shared outdoor library.
• On the greenbelt: an outdoor gym and a small playground.

You'll also find sidewalks throughout, pet waste stations, lots of greenbelt-backing lots and community mailboxes.

Homes, lots and prices

Paloma Lake was built starting in 2009 and ran until about 2020, so the original sections have some age and the newest homes are still fairly new. As of 2023 it was just shy of 1,900 homes, with about 6,400 residents.

What stands out to me is the lots. They're a little wider and the backyards a little bigger than most new construction. You'll see 50-, 60-, 70- and 80-foot lots fairly commonly, which means a lot of three-car garage options. The trees have had time to mature. So many new construction communities just cram homes in. This one doesn't.

It was a high-end neighborhood when it was built, and it shows. Four-sided brick, stucco details, high-pitched roofs, high ceilings, lots of windows, molding and even curved staircases. The builder didn't just cheap out. They actually really tried. There's an "executive" section with larger homes and lots, and the newest section has more modern architecture.

Sizes. Homes run from about 1,600 to 1,800 square feet single-story to well over 3,000 square feet. On my 2023 tour, the biggest ones reached about 4,000. My last two listings here before the 2025 video were both over 3,000 square feet.

Prices as of April 2025:

• Smaller 1,600 to 1,700 square foot single-story homes: the low $400,000s
• Larger homes, especially with pools: the mid-$700s up to about $800,000

For context, in June 2023 the average was about $604,000, with smaller homes in the mid-to-high $400s and larger or premium-lot homes up to about $800,000. I've never had anybody in here who couldn't find exactly what they were looking for.

Schools

Paloma Lake is completely within Round Rock ISD. Harrington Elementary is inside the neighborhood. It's been rated 9 or 10 out of 10 the entire time I've been selling real estate, and there's a middle school and high school nearby.

Harrington was built around 2010. As of my 2023 tour, it served only Paloma Lake and one small neighboring community, so your kids go to school with their neighbors. A lot of kids walk. Traffic at the roughly 3 PM let-out was light when I drove through. Zoning can change over time, so confirm the school for the specific address.

Taxes and HOA

As of my April 2025 tour, the tax rate was only 1.9%. In 2023 I described it as in the very low 2% range, compared with about 2.6% in other parts of town. The reason is that Paloma Lake is technically outside Round Rock city limits, so you don't pay city taxes.

The HOA is low. I didn't give an exact dollar amount in either video, so ask for the current figure when you look at a home here.

Who it fits: pros and cons

As of 2023, the average resident was between 35 and 55, and the vast majority had kids. It's a neighborhood where people don't have to worry about their kids going out to play.

Pros

• Harrington Elementary right inside the neighborhood
• Wider lots, mature trees and lots of three-car garages
• The lake, shaded trails and two amenity centers open to everyone
• A 1.9% tax rate as of April 2025
• Strong value retention. In 2023, my last two listings sold in 5 days and 2 weeks, when the Williamson County average was 70 days. Historically, it has held value far better than the Round Rock and Williamson County averages.

Trade-offs

• It's a resale neighborhood. If you want to pick finishes with a builder, you'll need to look at newer communities.
• The sections don't all connect by road. The trails tie them together, but by car you'll sometimes go the long way around.
• The smallest homes still started in the low $400s as of April 2025, so there isn't much at lower price points here.

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.

What's in the video

• 0:00Intro: one of my favorite neighborhoods
• 1:03Location on the east side of Round Rock
• 1:27Schools: Harrington Elementary on site
• 2:14Neighborhood size and age, two amenity centers
• 2:38Wider lots and mature trees
• 3:43The lake, trails, fishing pier, pool
• 4:15Housing range and high-end features
• 5:46Pricing, HOA and 1.9% tax rate
• 6:29Wrap-up

Common questions