Tarrytown is the answer when someone wants a central Austin address without leaving the canopy of old oaks and the short trip to Lake Austin. We are Ross Speed and Lindsay Neuren, the founders of The Speed & Neuren Group at Compass, and we know this neighborhood block by block. Lindsay is a third-generation Austinite.

This guide is written the way we talk to our own clients: what actually makes Tarrytown special, what homes are worth here and in Pemberton Heights, which school district serves it, the lifestyle near Lake Austin, and the kind of buyer this neighborhood rewards. If you are buying or selling in Tarrytown in 2026, this is the full picture.

Tarrytown sits in central Austin’s 78703 ZIP code, west of downtown and MoPac and just east of Lake Austin. It is one of the city’s longest-established luxury neighborhoods: tree-lined, residential, and historic, with a settled charm that newer master-planned areas simply cannot manufacture.

What Makes Tarrytown Special

Tarrytown is not a new luxury market that arrived with the tech boom. It is old Austin, and its appeal is built on things that take a century to create.

Historic Character and Mature Canopy

The defining feature of Tarrytown is its sense of permanence. Homes date from the early and mid-twentieth century onward (the median single-family home was built in 1960, per Travis Central Appraisal District), with Tudor, Colonial Revival, Mediterranean, and mid-century architecture sitting under a dense canopy of live oaks and pecans. Streets curve and slope rather than running on a grid, and the result is a neighborhood that feels like it has always been here. Newer construction exists, about a quarter of homes were built in 2000 or later, and the best of it is scaled and styled to respect the historic fabric rather than overwhelm it.

A Premium Central Location

Tarrytown’s location is hard to replicate. It is minutes from downtown Austin, the University of Texas, Lake Austin, and Lady Bird Lake, yet it stays quiet and residential. A point in Tarrytown is about 3.4 miles and 8 minutes from Congress Avenue at 6th Street in free-flowing traffic (OpenStreetMap routing, September 2026), and Census ACS 2020-2024 estimates put the average 78703 resident’s trip to work at 17.6 minutes. That combination of central access and a residential setting is the heart of the Tarrytown premium.

Lake Austin and the Trails

Residents head to Lake Austin Boulevard for coffee and casual dining, to Mayfield Park and Nature Preserve and its peacocks and gardens, and to the Lady Bird Lake hike-and-bike trail. Lake Austin anchors the western edge of the neighborhood. The Lower Colorado River Authority operates it as a pass-through lake within a target range of 491.8 to 492.8 feet, so it moves far less than Lake Travis farther west, though LCRA notes that none of the Highland Lakes are constant-level and the City of Austin and LCRA announce planned drawdowns.

Scarcity and Pride of Ownership

Tarrytown is essentially built out, lots are tightly held, and some homes sell quietly before they ever hit the open market. Turnover is modest. That scarcity is a structural feature of the neighborhood, not a passing condition. Since the City of Austin’s HOME amendments took effect in 2024, lots zoned SF-1, SF-2, or SF-3 can hold up to three housing units, which is changing what some older lots are worth to builders.

Homes and Prices in Tarrytown and Pemberton Heights

Tarrytown is one of central Austin’s established luxury markets, and its pricing reflects both the location and the scarcity of inventory. No public MLS report breaks out Tarrytown. The closest public figure is the Census ACS 2020-2024 owner-estimated median value of $1,495,800 for the 78703 ZIP code, which also covers neighboring central areas. For context, Unlock MLS reports a City of Austin median sale price of $570,958 for September 2026, up 4.2 percent year over year. For a live search we pull closed Tarrytown sales from the MLS directly.

Those figures hide real variation. Two homes on adjacent blocks can differ widely in price based on lot size, original character versus a tasteful rebuild, proximity to Lake Austin, and condition. This is where Ross’s training as an appraiser changes outcomes: pricing a historic Tarrytown home off a generic per-square-foot average is how sellers leave money on the table and how buyers overpay. We price off the right comparables, not the easy ones.

Pemberton Heights

Just east of Tarrytown, across MoPac, sits Pemberton Heights, part of the Old West Austin Historic District listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003. Developed beginning in the 1920s, it is known for period homes, a canopy of oak and pecan, and gently winding streets. Travis Central Appraisal District records show 352 single-family parcels, a median lot of 0.25 acre, and a median year built of 1945. The architecture skews Tudor, Mediterranean, and Colonial Revival, and the homes are tightly held.

The Rest of Tarrytown

Beyond Pemberton Heights, Tarrytown offers a range that runs from charming original cottages to mid-century homes to high-end new construction. Blocks closer to Lake Austin Boulevard and the water carry their own premium, while the more attainable entries tend to be original homes that invite a renovation. Each pocket has its own character, and knowing which is which is half of buying well here.

Which School District Serves Tarrytown?

Tarrytown is served by the Austin Independent School District. This is an important distinction: unlike Westlake, Tarrytown is not in Eanes ISD. Under Austin ISD’s 2026-27 feeder patterns, Casis Elementary feeds O. Henry Middle School, which feeds Austin High School, and that is the typical assignment for the neighborhood. Austin ISD’s 2025 adopted rate is $0.9252 per $100, against $0.8322 for Eanes ISD (Travis County Tax Office).

Casis Elementary

Casis Elementary is the neighborhood elementary campus for most Tarrytown addresses, on Exposition Boulevard.

O. Henry Middle School

O. Henry Middle School serves the central Austin feeder pattern and is the typical middle school assignment between Casis and Austin High.

Austin High School

Austin High is the city’s oldest public high school, sitting near Lady Bird Lake just south of the neighborhood. It carries deep local history.

Location and Lifestyle Near Lake Austin

Living in Tarrytown means central Austin convenience wrapped in a residential, historic setting. Lake Austin sits at the western edge of the neighborhood, a pass-through lake that LCRA generally operates within a small range, and Lady Bird Lake and its hike-and-bike trail are minutes away to the south. Mayfield Park and Nature Preserve on West 35th Street, with its gardens and resident peacocks, and the adjoining Laguna Gloria grounds give the area a genuine cultural and green-space anchor.

Day-to-day life clusters along Lake Austin Boulevard, on the neighborhood’s southern edge, with casual dining and coffee. Downtown Austin and the University of Texas are a short drive: about 8 minutes to Congress Avenue at 6th Street in free-flowing traffic, and longer at rush hour. The neighborhood’s parks and trails are a real center of community life here.

Westlake vs Tarrytown: A Side-by-Side

Relocating buyers frequently ask us to compare Tarrytown with Westlake. Both are established Austin luxury markets, and they reward different priorities.

Factor	Tarrytown	Westlake (West Lake Hills)
Location	Central Austin, 78703, near Lake Austin; about 8 min to Congress Ave free-flow	Hills just west of the city; about 10 min to Congress Ave free-flow
School district	Austin ISD (Casis, O. Henry, Austin High, verify by address)	Eanes ISD (verify by address)
Combined 2025 tax rate per $100	$2.0465	$1.6379
Median single-family lot (TCAD)	0.26 acre	1.00 acre
Character	Historic homes, mature canopy	Wooded Hill Country lots, long views
Lifestyle	Walkable, central, lake and trails close	Hill Country close to the city
Inventory	Built out, tightly held	Built out, limited supply
Best for	Central charm and proximity	Land and Hill Country space

Sources: Travis County Tax Office 2025 adopted rates; Travis Central Appraisal District parcel records; OSRM routing on OpenStreetMap data, September 2026 (peak traffic adds time).

Who Buys in Tarrytown

Tarrytown draws a distinct kind of buyer. Many are professionals who want central Austin’s older charm and proximity over the newer luxury of the Hill Country. Others are longtime Austinites trading into a legacy neighborhood, University of Texas-affiliated faculty and leadership who value the proximity, and relocating executives who specifically want a historic, central address rather than a master-planned community.

There is no state income tax in Texas, which lets high earners direct more of their income toward housing, and Tarrytown’s combination of history, central location, and Lake Austin proximity suits buyers who value scarcity and plan a long hold. These are buyers who tend to keep their homes for years, which is part of why inventory stays so tight.

Frequently Asked Questions About Living in Tarrytown