Georgetown, Cedar Park or Round Rock at $450K — What You Actually Get in 2026
Before enrollment deadlines close, here's the real math on taxes, commutes, school boundaries, and what your money buys in each market right now.
Before enrollment deadlines close, here’s the real math on taxes, commutes, school boundaries, and what your money buys in each market right now.
If you’re a family shopping Austin’s northern suburbs at $450K this summer, you’re working against two simultaneous clocks. The first is the school-enrollment clock: Round Rock ISD, Leander ISD, and Georgetown ISD all require you to be closed on a home before you can establish residency and confirm a campus assignment. Not under contract — closed. The second is the builder incentive clock. Q3 is when spec inventory moves. Builders sitting on finished homes are offering rate buydowns and closing cost credits right now, and those deals tend to disappear once they hit their quarterly targets. That combination — enrollment urgency plus builder pressure — is exactly when buyers make expensive mistakes.
This piece is the companion to our earlier three-county property tax breakdown. Where that article explained the structure of Williamson County taxation, this one applies the math to a single realistic purchase price across three specific cities and adds school boundaries, commute times, and inventory reality. No lifestyle color. Five shared criteria, verified numbers, a straight verdict by buyer profile.
The Tax Bill You’ll Actually Pay
This is the most consequential part of the comparison, and the one most buyer guides get wrong by quoting only the headline ISD rate. Your full tax bill in Williamson County consists of four distinct charges: city rate, county rate, ISD rate, and — in a large percentage of newer subdivisions — a Municipal Utility District overlay that funds the infrastructure the city or county didn’t build.
Here are the estimated FY2025–2026 combined rates and annual dollar amounts on a $450,000 assessed value, after the standard Williamson County homestead exemption. (The exemption reduces the taxable base by $100,000 for school district purposes under the current state framework; city and county rates apply to the full assessed value. The blended effect is reflected below.)
| Georgetown | Cedar Park | Round Rock | |
|---|---|---|---|
| City rate (per $100) | ~$0.374 | ~$0.44 | ~$0.3346 |
| Williamson County rate | ~$0.3942 | ~$0.3942 | ~$0.3942 |
| ISD rate (post-compression) | ~$0.9532 (GISD) | ~$1.0424 (LISD) | ~$0.8954 (RRISD) |
| Base combined rate | ~$1.72 | ~$1.88 | ~$1.62 |
| Estimated annual base bill | ~$7,740 | ~$8,460 | ~$7,290 |
| With MUD overlay | up to ~$12,645 | ~$9,585–$11,385 | ~$7,290–$9,450 |
All rates require verification against FY2026 adopted budgets at WCAD.org before any transaction.
The spread between Georgetown’s base bill and its MUD-overlay bill is the number that consistently blindsides buyers. A Municipal Utility District is a political subdivision created to finance water, wastewater, and drainage infrastructure for a development before the city’s own utility system can serve it. Developers create MUDs because it lets them build where city infrastructure doesn’t yet reach. Buyers get a newer home at an appealing price and inherit the bond debt as an additional property tax charge that can run $0.50 to over $1.10 per $100 valuation on top of everything else.
In Georgetown’s master-planned communities — Wolf Ranch, Parkside at Mayfield Ranch, Berry Creek — MUD overlays are the norm. A buyer who sees “$450K new construction” at Wolf Ranch and calculates taxes on the base rate alone is understating their actual annual tax bill by $3,000 to $5,000. That’s not a rounding error. That’s a car payment.
Texas law requires MUD disclosure in real estate transactions, but it’s buried in the seller’s disclosure and in a separate MUD notice document that buyers often skim. I’ve watched buyers sign the MUD notice without reading it and then express genuine shock at their first tax bill. It happens more than anyone in the industry wants to admit. The fix is simple: go to wcad.org, look up the specific parcel address, and identify every taxing entity attached to it before you make an offer. If you see “WCID” or “MUD” in the entity list, call the district directly for the current adopted rate.
Cedar Park and Round Rock both have MUD districts, but with different profiles. Older Round Rock neighborhoods near Brushy Creek carry some utility district overlays, though the rates on older, partially-retired bonds tend to be lower, and the prevalence is well below Georgetown’s current new-construction corridors. Cedar Park’s MUD exposure at this price point is concentrated in newer developments on the city’s western fringe — Travisso and Caballo Ranch, roughly toward Leander. Round Rock’s older established subdivisions like Cat Hollow and Great Oaks carry little to no MUD overlay.
At $450,000 assessed value, Round Rock likely delivers the lowest all-in tax bill of the three cities — roughly $7,290–$9,450 annually depending on whether a MUD applies. Cedar Park runs modestly higher on its base rate because Leander ISD’s rate is the steepest of the three districts, with MUD-overlay scenarios reaching into the $9,585–$11,385 range. Georgetown is the widest-variance city: in an older neighborhood without a MUD, it’s competitive; in a master-planned new-construction community with a full MUD stack, $11,000–$12,645 per year is realistic.
That last number is roughly what you’d pay in property taxes on a comparable home in parts of Travis County. Georgetown’s new-construction appeal makes more sense when you factor in the commute trade-off. It makes less sense when you realize the tax bill has already narrowed the gap. Buyers who want a deeper look at what those charges consist of line by line will find useful context in our coverage of what Austin MUD districts add to your property tax bill and how to look yours up before you close.
School Districts, Ratings, and the Boundary Gotchas That Ambush Out-of-State Buyers
The three cities map to three school districts, but not as cleanly as buyers assume.
Georgetown ISD serves Georgetown’s established neighborhoods and portions of Williamson County to the north. The district’s TEA accountability rating is B. Georgetown High School and East View High School are both UIL Class 5A. The district is smaller and less scrutinized than its neighbors — which works in its favor in terms of administrative stability — but its academic pipeline lags behind Round Rock ISD’s flagship campuses, honestly by a meaningful margin at the high school level. That’s not a shot at GISD; it’s a size-and-resource reality that families with academically driven kids should factor in.
Leander ISD serves Cedar Park along with Leander and portions of northwest Austin. On paper it’s a large, well-regarded district with solid high school options — Cedar Park HS, Vista Ridge HS, Rouse HS. In practice, it’s carrying real administrative weight right now. Enrollment growth has strained facilities in the Cedar Park zone, the board has seen turbulence in recent years, and boundary redraws have left some families uncertain about long-term campus assignments. Its TEA district rating is B, but individual campuses vary significantly. I’d call this the most volatile of the three districts from a planning standpoint — not broken, but worth watching closely if you’ve got a kid entering middle school in the next two years.
Round Rock ISD is the strongest academic performer of the three by measurable metrics. Westwood High School’s AP program is the headline — the campus consistently ranks among the top Austin-area high schools for AP performance, and that’s a track record, not marketing copy. McNeil and Round Rock High School round out a high school tier that serves buyers well. Round Rock ISD has multiple UIL 6A campuses (the highest classification among these three districts) and carries more administrative stability than Leander ISD at the moment. Its more built-out geography also limits the enrollment surges that strain Georgetown and Leander ISDs.
The Boundary Gotchas
Out-of-state buyers — and plenty of experienced local ones — get caught by ISD boundaries that don’t follow city limits. It’s probably the single most consistent mistake I see in this market.
Wolf Ranch and Parkside at Mayfield Ranch both carry Georgetown mailing addresses. Both communities sit in areas where the ISD boundary runs through the master-planned development. Specific streets and phases within Wolf Ranch feed Leander ISD campuses, not Georgetown ISD. A buyer who assumes “Georgetown address equals Georgetown ISD” and then tries to enroll a child in the wrong district’s portal in August will either be turned away or end up in open-enrollment limbo with no guaranteed placement. The fix is to call the ISD enrollment office with the specific street address before submitting an offer. Not after closing. Before the offer.
Cedar Park’s corridor near 1431 and Lakeline contains addresses that feed Vista Ridge High School rather than Cedar Park High School. Vista Ridge is a solid campus, but it’s a different school with a different feeder pattern and a different community than Cedar Park HS. A small sliver of Cedar Park near the RM 620 corridor also feeds into Round Rock ISD’s Westwood zone — which, depending on your situation, is either a pleasant surprise or a confusing detour. Look up the address on Leander ISD’s campus assignment tool before making an offer.
Round Rock’s northeastern quadrant is where parcel-level ISD assignment can break toward Hutto ISD or Pflugerville ISD for homes that still carry Round Rock mailing addresses. Less common at the $450K price point in established subdivisions, but parcels near the 130/45 interchange area deserve a manual check. Hutto ISD and Pflugerville ISD are functional districts, but if you’re paying Round Rock prices partly because of Round Rock ISD’s reputation, landing in a different district is a significant mismatch. You didn’t do all that research to end up somewhere else.
The rule applies everywhere: look up the specific parcel on wcad.org, identify the ISD entity, then call that district’s enrollment office with the address. Ask what the campus assignments are. Get it confirmed by email. Do this before the offer goes in.
The 8am Commute from Each Suburb
Estimates are based on a Tuesday 8am departure from a central residential point in each city, to three major employment anchors: The Domain (Alterra Parkway and MoPac), Apple’s Parmer Lane campus, and downtown Austin (Congress and 6th).
From Central Georgetown (Austin Ave and 8th St):
The 183A toll road is the correct routing for Parmer Lane and Domain trips. I-35 from Georgetown at 8am south of Round Rock is not “a little slow” — it’s genuinely punishing, and that’s worth stating plainly. To The Domain: 45–58 minutes via I-35 south or TX-130 to MoPac. TX-130 adds toll cost but saves real time. Apple Parmer Lane: 38–50 minutes via 183A to Parmer Lane east — Georgetown’s most serviceable tech-corridor commute. Downtown Congress: 55–70 minutes via I-35.
Georgetown is the farthest city from all three destinations. Budget $150–$200 per month for 183A tolls on a daily commute to the tech corridor. That’s a real line item, and it belongs in the same spreadsheet as the MUD overlay.
From Central Cedar Park (Cypress Creek Road and 183A):
To The Domain: 22–35 minutes via 183A south to MoPac. Apple Parmer Lane: 18–28 minutes via 183A south to Parmer Lane. Downtown Congress: 35–50 minutes via 183A to MoPac.
Cedar Park’s 183A access is its defining commuter feature, and the advantage is real. If your employer is on Parmer Lane — Apple, any of the adjacent tech tenants — we’re talking 20 minutes from Cedar Park versus 50 from Georgetown on the same Tuesday morning. That’s not a marginal difference. That’s an hour of your life, every day.
Cedar Park buyers also have access to Capital Metro’s Red Line from the Leander station, a short drive north. The Red Line is slow — let’s be honest about that — but it’s the only rail-adjacent option among the three cities, and for buyers who want to occasionally skip the highway to get downtown, it’s a real option that Georgetown and Round Rock simply can’t offer.
From Central Round Rock (I-35 and University Blvd):
To The Domain: 28–40 minutes via I-35 south; TX-130 to SH-45 west adds toll but saves time when I-35 is backed up. Apple Parmer Lane: 25–35 minutes. Downtown Congress: 40–55 minutes via I-35.
Round Rock’s commute story is shaped by one fact the other two cities can’t match: zero minutes to Dell’s headquarters. The corporate campus sits inside the city. For the significant population of Dell employees who live in Round Rock, there is no commute. That’s a legitimate competitive advantage that gets underweighted in generic suburb comparisons — and if you work at Dell, it probably settles the whole question on its own.
One caveat that applies to all three cities: any estimate involving I-35 is unreliable through roughly 2027–2028. TxDOT’s I-35 Capital Express Central reconstruction between US-183 and SH-71 is an active multi-year project that intermittently adds significant time to already-congested peak-hour conditions. Add at least 10 minutes to any I-35 estimate as a baseline right now, and plan to re-evaluate as the project progresses.
What $450K Actually Buys in Each Market
Figures reflect active and recently sold inventory in the $420,000–$480,000 band. All data requires live MLS verification before any transaction.
Georgetown is the only one of the three cities where new construction from name-brand builders is reliably reachable at $450K right now. David Weekley, Perry Homes, and Meritage are all active in Wolf Ranch and Morningstar at this price point — though at the $450K floor you’re typically in base packages with limited upgrade selections, and the spec homes carrying the most incentives may have elevation or lot situations that affect resale. Expect roughly 2,200–2,600 square feet, lots in the 6,000–8,500 square foot range, and build years from 2015–2022 for resale or 2024–2025 for new.
The new construction availability is significant and shouldn’t be dismissed. Builder warranties, modern mechanical systems, and the ability to negotiate rate buydowns directly with the builder’s lender are genuine advantages that resale markets don’t offer. For a broader look at what Austin builders are actually offering right now to move suburban inventory, including how to evaluate buydown structures and closing cost credits, that’s worth reading alongside this piece.
The trade-off is density and uniformity: lots are smaller, streetscapes repeat themselves, and HOA and MUD oversight is present throughout. HOA fees in Georgetown master-planned communities run $45–$110 per month, with Wolf Ranch at the higher end. Whether that’s a reasonable price for the amenity package or a tax on conformity depends on what you want from a neighborhood — and I won’t pretend there’s one right answer.
Cedar Park’s inventory at this price point has tightened considerably over the past two years, and new construction at $450K within established Cedar Park is rare. Buyers are largely shopping resale from 2010–2020 builds — homes in Buttercup Creek, Ranch at Brushy Creek, similar communities. Typical square footage runs 2,000–2,400, lots at 5,500–7,500 square feet, and seller negotiating leverage is lower here than in Georgetown or Round Rock. Accurately priced Cedar Park listings move quickly, so budget for competition.
The upside: resale homes from 2010–2018 in Cedar Park sit in a sweet spot — modern construction without the MUD-overlay problem that new Georgetown developments carry. Mechanical systems are aging enough to warrant thorough inspection but not at end-of-life on a 2015 build.
Round Rock offers the widest vintage range at this price point, and that cuts both ways. Buyers in the $420K–$480K band will find 2005–2018 builds in Stone Canyon, Teravista, and Sendero Springs — solid two-story homes in the 2,100–2,500 square foot range with larger lots than comparably-priced Georgetown properties. 6,000–9,000 square feet is attainable here. The older subdivisions — Cat Hollow, Great Oaks — occasionally surface pre-2000 and early-2000s homes at this price point with established tree canopy and meaningfully more lot for the money. If you’ve spent any time in Wolf Ranch and then driven through Cat Hollow, you understand why some buyers find the older neighborhood character worth chasing.
The risk is deferred maintenance, and it’s real. Pre-2010 homes in Round Rock are frequently approaching first-generation roof and HVAC replacement. A house built in 2003 may be on its third owner and carrying a roof last replaced in 2014. Budget for a thorough roof and HVAC inspection on anything built before 2010, and factor potential replacement costs into your offer. A $12,000 roof in year two is a budget event that buyers consistently underweight — and asking price is not the same thing as cost of ownership.
HOA Fees and the Combined Monthly Overhead Picture
HOA fees don’t generate the same attention as taxes, but they belong in the monthly budget alongside them. Georgetown’s master-planned communities almost universally carry HOAs — the amenities are real, the associations are active, and HOA-free options at $450K in the new-construction corridor are essentially unavailable. In Cedar Park, HOA-free resale options exist but are uncommon in the organized subdivisions that dominate the inventory, with fees running $35–$75 per month. Round Rock’s older neighborhoods offer the most HOA-free inventory of the three; several Cat Hollow and Great Oaks sections have no HOA at all.
The combined MUD-plus-HOA overhead number matters because most buyers budget for PITI — principal, interest, taxes, and insurance — and treat HOA and MUD payments as a separate accounting problem. They aren’t. A Georgetown buyer in Wolf Ranch paying $12,000 per year in taxes (MUD included) plus $110 per month in HOA carries $1,110 per month in overhead before mortgage, insurance, or utilities. A Round Rock buyer in Great Oaks with a $7,900 tax bill, no HOA, and no MUD carries about $658 per month. The gap between those two profiles is roughly a second car payment — every single month, for thirty years. It belongs in the spreadsheet. For families working through whether ownership at this price point pencils out at all, our moving & real estate coverage regularly tracks how these numbers shift across the metro.
A Straight Verdict by Buyer Profile
Buy in Cedar Park if your household has someone commuting to the Parmer Lane tech corridor and school stability matters more than new construction access. You’re accepting tighter inventory, mostly resale, and modestly higher base tax rates. What you get in return: the best peak-hour commute of the three cities to North Austin’s primary tech employment corridor, reasonable district performance, and lower MUD exposure than Georgetown’s new-construction communities. If you can use the Red Line occasionally for downtown trips, that’s a genuine quality-of-life addition. Just verify the Cedar Park versus Vista Ridge campus assignment on any listing near the 1431/Lakeline corridor before you make an offer.
Buy in Round Rock if you work at Dell, work fully remote, or are prioritizing the lowest all-in tax bill and the strongest documented school district performance. Westwood’s AP program is a real pipeline — families with academically oriented kids should take it seriously. You’re accepting older inventory, some deferred maintenance risk on pre-2010 homes, and a commute to Parmer Lane and the Domain that is workable but not Cedar Park’s equal. Round Rock’s reputation, if anything, understates what the city actually delivers. Get a thorough inspection on anything built before 2010, and take the results seriously.
Buy in Georgetown if new construction access is a priority, your schedule is flexible enough to absorb the longer commute, and you’re willing to do the homework on MUD districts and ISD boundaries before signing. Georgetown’s headline prices are genuinely appealing, and Wolf Ranch and Morningstar are well-built, well-amenitized, and actively incentivized by builders this quarter. But the all-in tax number in a MUD-overlay subdivision is not the number on the builder’s brochure, and the school district serving your specific lot may not be Georgetown ISD despite the mailing address. Georgetown rewards buyers who do the due diligence. Right now, in a market where builder incentives are creating urgency, the buyers who skip the homework are the ones who call six months later wondering what happened.
Three Things to Do Before You Submit an Offer
Look up the parcel on wcad.org. Enter the property address and read every taxing entity in the results. If you see a MUD, WCID, or utility district entry, call that district directly for the FY2026 adopted rate. Don’t rely on the listing agent’s tax estimate — it’s frequently calculated from the base rate only, not because of bad faith, but because the base rate is what populates automatically in most MLS tax fields.
Call the ISD enrollment office. Not the general school district line — the enrollment department. Give them the street address. Ask for the assigned elementary, middle, and high school campuses. Ask whether any boundary review is pending for that address. Get it in writing. Do this before you are under contract.
Drive the actual commute on a Tuesday at 8am. From the specific neighborhood. To your specific office. Google Maps estimates are useful baselines, but your actual route and your actual on-ramp will produce a different number. Thirty minutes spent on that drive costs nothing. Discovering after closing that the commute is 20 minutes longer than you projected — and then telling yourself you’ll get used to it — costs a lot more.
