The region at a glance
It helps to think of Central Texas as three corridors radiating from Austin:
- The I-35 corridor, north to south: Temple and Belton (Bell County), Salado and Jarrell, Georgetown and Round Rock (Williamson County), Austin (Travis County), then Buda and Kyle (Hays County).
- The east side, along SH 130 and US 79: Pflugerville, Hutto and Taylor.
- The northwest, along US 183 and the 183A Toll: Cedar Park, Leander and, farther out on SH 29, Liberty Hill.
City limits, county lines and school district lines do not line up. Austin extends into Travis, Williamson and Hays counties, and Round Rock, Cedar Park, Leander and Pflugerville each have areas in both Williamson and Travis counties. Your county decides your appraisal district, tax office and county services, and your school district is set by address, not city name. Check both for every home you consider.
The main cities, by the facts
The table lists the county and the school district that serves much of each city. Every city here has addresses in more than one school district, and attendance zones change, so confirm any specific address with the TEA School District Locator and the district itself.
City | County | School district serving much of the city | Main routes |
|---|---|---|---|
Temple | Bell | Temple ISD | I-35 |
Belton | Bell (county seat) | Belton ISD | I-35 |
Georgetown | Williamson (county seat) | Georgetown ISD | I-35, SH 130 |
Round Rock | Williamson, small part in Travis | Round Rock ISD | I-35, SH 45, US 79 |
Pflugerville | Mostly Travis | Pflugerville ISD | SH 130, SH 45 |
Hutto | Williamson | Hutto ISD | SH 130, US 79 |
Taylor | Williamson | Taylor ISD | US 79 |
Cedar Park | Williamson, parts in Travis | Leander ISD (some addresses in Round Rock ISD) | US 183, 183A Toll |
Leander | Williamson, parts in Travis | Leander ISD | US 183, 183A Toll |
Liberty Hill | Williamson | Liberty Hill ISD | SH 29, US 183 |
Austin | Travis, plus Williamson and Hays | Austin ISD and several others | I-35, MoPac, US 183, US 290 |
Kyle | Hays | Hays CISD | I-35 |
We have deeper local guides for Round Rock, Georgetown, Pflugerville, Hutto and Leander, plus neighborhood guides on our communities page.
Major employers and anchors
A few of the large employers and institutions that shape commutes and housing demand in the region:
- Dell Technologies has had its world headquarters in Round Rock since 1994.
- Samsung announced in November 2021 that it would build an advanced semiconductor manufacturing facility in Taylor, with an estimated initial investment of $17 billion. Check Samsung's newsroom and the City of Taylor for current status.
- Tesla's Gigafactory Texas is at 1 Tesla Road in southeast Austin, in Travis County.
- Apple announced its 133-acre north Austin campus in 2019, designed to initially house 5,000 employees with capacity for 15,000.
- Health care: St. David's, Ascension Seton and Baylor Scott & White all run hospitals in Round Rock. In Temple, Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Temple is a teaching hospital with a Level I trauma center, and the Olin E. Teague Veterans' Medical Center is the main campus of VA Central Texas Health Care.
- Universities: The University of Texas at Austin; Texas State University’s Round Rock campus; Southwestern University in Georgetown; and the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in Belton.
The Round Rock Chamber's major employer list also includes Emerson Automation Solutions and Toppan Photomasks, among others.
Getting around
- I-35 is the main north-south route linking Temple, Georgetown, Round Rock, Austin, Buda and Kyle.
- SH 130 is a tolled north-south route on the east side near Georgetown, Hutto and Pflugerville, and SH 45 connects east and west across the north metro.
- US 183 and the 183A Toll serve Cedar Park and Leander; MoPac (Loop 1) runs into central Austin; US 79 links Round Rock, Hutto and Taylor.
- Toll tags are convenient but not required. Toll roads are run by TxDOT (including SH 130 and SH 45 North) and the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority (including the 183A Toll, 290 Toll and MoPac Express Lane). Tolls are collected electronically; the Mobility Authority accepts TxTag, TollTag and EZ TAG, and drivers without a tag are billed by mail.
- Commuter rail: CapMetro's Red Line runs from Leander through Cedar Park's Lakeline station to downtown Austin, Monday through Saturday. Not every suburb is in CapMetro's service area, so check before you count on transit.
- Air travel: Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS), in southeast Austin, is the region's commercial airport.
Drive times swing widely with the hour and with construction on I-35 and other corridors. Before you choose an area, drive your actual commute at the times you would actually drive it, and check TxDOT for current projects.
Electricity, water and the Texas grid
ERCOT and electric choice
Most of Texas runs on a grid managed by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), which manages the flow of power to more than 27 million Texas customers, about 90% of the state's electric load. How you buy electricity depends on the address:
Type of area | How it works | Central Texas examples |
|---|---|---|
Retail choice | A utility such as Oncor delivers power; you pick a retail electric provider and plan, and can compare on the PUC's Power to Choose site | Much of Round Rock, Pflugerville and Hutto |
City-owned utility | The city provides electricity; no retail choice | Austin Energy (most of Austin); Georgetown Utility Systems (most of Georgetown) |
Electric cooperative | A member-owned co-op provides electricity; no retail choice | Pedernales Electric Cooperative (much of Cedar Park and Leander) |
Service territories do not follow city limits, so confirm the provider for a specific address before you move.
Water and wastewater
Round Rock, Georgetown, Hutto, Pflugerville, Leander, Cedar Park and Austin all run city water utilities, but many homes are served instead by a MUD, a special utility district or a water supply corporation. Some Hutto subdivisions, for example, are served by Jonah Water Special Utility District or Manville Water Supply Corporation. The Public Utility Commission's water and sewer service area viewer shows the provider for an address.
Weather and insurance
Plan for long, hot summers and for spring storms. Hail and wind claims are common in Texas, and many homeowners policies carry a separate or percentage-based wind and hail deductible, so compare policies on the Texas Department of Insurance's HelpInsure site. Standard homeowners policies generally do not cover flooding; check any address on FEMA's flood map and ask about flood insurance.
Texas taxes: no income tax, local property tax
- No state income tax. Texas has no personal income tax; the Texas Constitution prohibits one, and a 2025 amendment also bars a state capital gains tax on individuals. Federal income tax still applies.
- Sales tax. The state rate is 6.25%, and cities, counties, transit authorities and special districts can add up to 2%, for a maximum combined rate of 8.25%.
- Property tax is local. Counties, cities, school districts and special districts set rates per $100 of taxable value, and totals vary by address. Using Williamson County's 2025 rates, a Round Rock homestead inside city limits with no MUD adds up to about $1.78 per $100 before exemptions, while a home outside Georgetown city limits in a MUD can total about $2.04.
- Homestead exemption. After you buy, file with your county appraisal district. School districts exempt $140,000 of a homestead's value, with an additional $60,000 for homeowners 65 or older or disabled.
Our property tax, MUD and PID guide explains the details, including protests and the 10% homestead cap.
Moving checklist
- Driver's license: new residents can drive on a valid out-of-state license for up to 90 days. Texas DPS asks you to register your vehicles first.
- Vehicle registration: new residents have 30 days to register, after getting Texas liability insurance and any required inspection.
- Homestead exemption: your Texas license address should match the home when you apply.
- Utilities: confirm electric, water, trash and internet providers by address and schedule start dates a week or two before closing.
- Toll tag: optional, but it saves the pay-by-mail step.
- Veterans: ask about Texas Veterans Land Board home loans, and after you buy, the disabled veteran property tax exemptions if they apply to you.
Buying from out of state
Many relocating buyers tour by video, review inspection reports remotely and visit once or twice. The Texas contract's deadlines still apply from wherever you are: earnest money and the option fee go to the title company within 3 days after the effective date, and the option period ends at 5:00 p.m. local time on its last day. Line up your lender and a way to send funds before you make an offer, and ask your lender and title company early about how and where you can sign closing documents.
Our buyer's guide covers the full Texas process, and our new construction guide covers buying from a builder.
How we help you compare places
Jorgenson Real Estate is an independent, veteran-owned brokerage at 306 N Lampasas St in Round Rock. We follow the federal and Texas fair housing laws, and we do not steer anyone toward or away from any area. We will give you the facts for any address (county, school district, taxing units, MUD or PID, utility providers, flood zone and commute routes) and point you to official sources for questions about schools and anything else, so you can decide what fits. Walk-ins are welcome at our Round Rock office Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and our agents meet by appointment anywhere in the region.