Westlake is the address that comes up first when an executive relocating to Austin asks where the best schools and the shortest downtown commute meet. We are Ross Speed and Lindsay Neuren, Austin natives and the founders of The Speed & Neuren Group at Compass, and Westlake is the market we know street by street. Between us we have closed more than a billion dollars in Central Texas real estate, and a large share of it sits in these hills.

This guide is written the way we talk to our own clients: the real prices, the school district that drives them, the enclaves and what separates them, the property-tax tradeoff that surprises newcomers, and the honest caveats that most listing sites leave out. If you are buying or selling in Westlake in 2026, this is the full picture.

West Lake Hills, commonly just called Westlake, is a cluster of affluent neighborhoods in the Hill Country immediately west of downtown Austin, inside the 78746 ZIP code. It is anchored by the top-ranked Eanes Independent School District and is consistently the highest-value residential market in the Austin metro.

Why Buyers Choose Westlake

Westlake does not lead the market by accident. A rare combination of schools, location, terrain, and tax structure creates demand that very few areas in Texas can match.

The Eanes ISD Effect

The number one reason families pay a premium for Westlake is Eanes ISD. For 2026, Niche ranked Eanes the number one school district in Texas and among the top seven in the nation, with all nine of its schools earning top state and national honors. Westlake High School is regularly named the best comprehensive public high school in the Austin area and in the state. In a market where school assignment can swing a home’s value, buying inside Eanes is the foundation of the Westlake premium.

No State Income Tax

Texas has no state income tax. For a household relocating from California, where the top rate reaches 13.3 percent, or from New York, that alone can mean tens of thousands of dollars a year staying in the family’s pocket. High earners can redirect that money toward a larger mortgage, which is part of why the upper end of the Westlake market stays competitive.

Ten Minutes to Downtown, Worlds Away in Feel

Most of Westlake is a 10 to 20 minute drive from downtown Austin, yet it feels like the Hill Country: wooded lots, long ridge views, winding roads, and Lake Austin and Barton Creek nearby. That blend of proximity and privacy is the second pillar of demand after the schools.

Limited Supply

Westlake is essentially built out. There is very little new construction, lots are large, and turnover is modest, so well-priced homes in strong locations move quickly. Scarcity is a structural feature of this market, not a temporary condition.

Westlake Home Prices in 2026

The 78746 ZIP code that covers Westlake is the most expensive market in Austin. The 2026 year-to-date median sale price is roughly $2.39 million, and within the city of West Lake Hills the median runs higher, near $2.8 million. Luxury estates trade from $4 million into the $10 million-plus range, while the most attainable entry into the area, an older home on a smaller lot, generally starts around $1.3 million to $1.6 million.

Those medians hide enormous variation. Two homes a quarter mile apart can differ by millions based on Lake Austin frontage, Hill Country views, lot size, school feeder, and condition. This is where Ross’s appraisal background changes outcomes: pricing a Westlake 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.

The Enclaves of Westlake

Westlake is not one neighborhood. It is a collection of enclaves, each with its own price band, character, and buyer. Knowing the differences is half of buying well here.

Davenport Ranch

Gated luxury near Lake Austin, with golf, larger estates, and some of the area’s best water access. A favorite of buyers who want resort-style living minutes from downtown.

Rob Roy

A guard-gated estate community known for large lots and some of the most significant homes in Westlake. Privacy and scale define it.

Seven Oaks

A quiet, upscale pocket close to downtown, popular with buyers who want established luxury without a long drive.

Lost Creek

One of the more attainable ways into Eanes ISD, set around a golf course with a strong community feel. A frequent landing spot for first-time Westlake buyers.

Westlake Highlands and Cuernavaca

Established neighborhoods with good value, mature trees, and a range of original and updated homes. Strong options for buyers prioritizing the schools over square footage.

Rollingwood (Adjacent Sister City)

Technically its own small city between Westlake and Zilker, Rollingwood offers a walkable, high-demand character closest to downtown and Barton Springs. We cover it in its own dedicated guide.

Westlake vs Lakeway: A Side-by-Side

The most common comparison relocating buyers ask us to make is Westlake against Lakeway. They are both excellent, and they are not the same.

Factor	Westlake (West Lake Hills)	Lakeway / Lake Travis
Location	10 to 20 min west of downtown	30 to 40 min west, on Lake Travis
School district	Eanes ISD (#1 in Texas)	Lake Travis ISD (highly ranked)
Typical price	Median ~$2.4M to $2.8M	More home per dollar; broad range
Inventory	Built out, limited supply	More new construction
Lifestyle	Hill Country close to the city	Lake life, golf, resort amenities
Best for	Schools + short commute	Lake, newer homes, space

Property Taxes and the Texas Tradeoff

The flip side of no state income tax is higher property taxes, and Westlake buyers should plan for it. The total rate combines City of West Lake Hills, Travis County, and Eanes ISD levies. Travis County’s adopted FY2026 county rate is about 0.3758 per $100 of taxable value, and once the city and school district are added, the combined effective rate in the Westlake area typically lands in roughly the 1.7 to 2.0 percent range of assessed value.

On a $2.5 million home, that is a real annual number, so it belongs in your budget from day one. Two things soften it: the Texas homestead exemption on a primary residence, and the right to protest your assessed value every year. We help clients with both, and Ross’s appraisal background is genuinely useful when a protest comes down to defensible comparable values.

What No One Tells You About Westlake

We would rather you hear the caveats from us than discover them after closing.

Traffic on Loop 360 and Bee Caves

The same Hill Country geography that makes Westlake beautiful funnels traffic onto a few roads. Loop 360, the Pennybacker bridge area, and Bee Caves Road can back up at rush hour. The downtown commute is short, but it is not always fast.

Hilly Lots and Older Systems

Many Westlake homes sit on steep, wooded lots, which is part of the charm and also a maintenance and renovation consideration. Some properties are on septic rather than sewer, and a few on well water, especially on larger lots, so the water and wastewater setup is always worth verifying.

Flood and Wildfire Awareness

Lots along Barton Creek, Eanes Creek, and other drainages can fall in FEMA flood zones, and the wooded terrain warrants ordinary wildfire awareness. Most homes are not high-risk, but the FEMA map and insurance picture should be checked on any specific property.

Lifestyle in Westlake

Living in Westlake means Lake Austin afternoons, Barton Creek greenbelt trails, and a 15 minute drive to the restaurants and music of downtown. The area is residential and quiet by design, with shopping and dining concentrated along Bee Caves Road and a short hop to the Westlake and downtown scenes. For families, the rhythm of the year often runs through Eanes ISD schools and their athletics and arts, which are a genuine center of community life here.

Frequently Asked Questions About Living in Westlake