What Do Areas of Austin Look Like?

Austin’s scenic diversity is one of Central Texas’ greatest attributes. Only a few other cities can offer the variety of landscapes and picturesque vistas of the greater Austin area. A remarkable blend of sky touching condominiums, trendy city scapes, gentrified haunts, Old Austin “summer homes” surrounded by majestic Oak Trees, waterfront abodes, hillside lake view getaways, and rolling hill country panoramas offers the prospective home buyer a vast gamut of choices for virtually every preference.

What Do Areas of Austin Look Like?

Below we’ve tried to paint a picture of what each section of the City of Austin looks like to help you decide what are you might prefer.

Central Austin

Area: Central Austin
Average Price: $959,031
Median Price: $775000
Average SqFt: 2,048
Median SqFt: 1,853
School District: Austin ISD
Distance to Downtown: 7 minutes, 2.4 miles
Distance to Austin Airport: 20 minutes, 10 miles

The original city limits of Austin spanned about a 15 block by 20 block section of Downtown Austin and much of what we consider Central Austin today was once where residents had their summer homes. That being said, Central Austin is considered north and east of the river all the way to about Anderson Lane today and only a small section of high rise condos in Downtown Austin resembles an urban setting. Most of Central Austin looks pretty suburban. You’ll find everything from a large, luxury home located just outside the Downtown area to a small, 1,000sqft starter home located at the northern end of the region. Central Austin is where you’ll find most of the area’s historic homes and is ideal for the person looking to be near the music scene in a neighborhood where nearly every home looks different instead of your typical suburban style living.

For more about Central Austin, check out our Central Austin Neighborhood Guide.

Central Austin Homes for Sale

West Austin

Area: West Austin
Average Price: $2,028,276
Median Price: $1,550,000
Average SqFt: 3,714
Median SqFt: 3,306
School District: Eanes ISD
Distance to Downtown: 18 minutes, 10 miles
Distance to Austin Airport: 20 minutes, 15 miles

West Austin is where the coveted Eanes ISD schools are and spans from Downtown west and south of Lake Austin all the way to Bee Cave. Much of the area was built in the 1970s-1980s, with newer construction found as you travel west on Bee Cave Road and scattered throughout the area with one off projects. West Austin is known for having some of the most expensive real estate in Austin. Many of the homes sit on tree covered lots and some have Lake Austin access and/or views.

For more about West Austin, check out our West Austin Neighborhood Guide.

West Austin Homes for Sale

Northwest Austin

Area: Northwest Austin
Average Price: $845,333
Median Price: $700,000
Average SqFt: 2,807
Median SqFt: 2,650
School District: Round Rock ISD & Leander ISD
Distance to Downtown: 24 minutes, 15 miles
Distance to Austin Airport: 30 minutes, 26 miles

Northwest Austin is known for its breath-taking, majestic oak trees, excellent public spaces with plenty of hiking, biking and trails. Neighborhoods were built in the 1980s and 1990s, so they’ve had plenty of time to mature. Northwest Austin is where you’ll find hilly topography within the city limits of Austin and is a great centralized location for someone who has to commute.

For more about Northwest Austin, check out our Northwest Austin Neighborhood Guide.

Northwest Austin Homes for Sale

South Austin

Area: South Austin
Average Price: $1,144,161
Median Price: $975,000
Average SqFt: 1,940
Median SqFt: 1,894
School District: Austin ISD
Distance to Downtown: 8 minutes, 3 miles
Distance to Austin Airport: 12 minutes, 8 miles

From downtown to south Austin, home owners can enjoy the best of both worlds. Close to the city’s largest public park, Zilker Park, and situated along the Colorado River, the area is known for great greenbelts, trails and easy access to all of the fun music venues and eclectic dining and shopping that Austin is so well known for. Homes are some of the oldest in Austin outside of Central Austin, but many have been redone to today’s tastes making it ideal for someone who likes a neighborhood where nearly every house is different. South Austin is the ideal place for you if you value a walkable neighborhood near restaurants, shopping and activities, but don’t want to live in a high rise condo.

For more about South Austin, check out our South Austin Neighborhood Guide.

South Austin Homes for Sale

Southwest Austin

Area: Southwest Austin
Average Price: $479,582
Median Price: $450,000
Average SqFt: 1,730
Median SqFt: 1,621
School District: Austin ISD
Distance to Downtown: 16 minutes, 11 miles
Distance to Austin Airport: 16 minutes, 12 miles

Southwest Austin spans a large area south of 290 and west to Dripping Springs, south to Buda and east to 35. With a large geographical area, you’ll find a range of topography. The southern section is fairly flat, with little to no sloping terrain while the western section is the entrance to the Hill Country. Southwest Austin is the place for you if you don’t want to be too far from Downtown Austin, but you still want newer homes with suburban living and good schools. Southwest Austin is the home of the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Research Center and has several hiking trails for the person who likes to spend time outdoors.

For more about Southwest Austin, check out our Southwest Austin Neighborhood Guide.

Southwest Austin Homes for Sale

East Austin

Area: East Austin
Average Price: $666,487
Median Price: $600,000
Average SqFt: 1,487
Median SqFt: 1,430
School District: Austin ISD
Distance to Downtown: 14 minutes, 4 miles
Distance to Austin Airport: 12 minutes, 6 miles

Geographically a little less hilly and a little less green than the greater part of metropolitan Austin, this area offers close proximity to the airport, is home to a growing number of high tech companies and employment and now the ultra-impressive F1 Circuit of the Americas Track for all of those race and music enthusiasts. East Austin is also one of the most affordable section of Austin, with plenty of new construction and would be a great place for the budget conscious buyer to start their search.

For more about East Austin, check out our East Austin Neighborhood Guide.

East Austin Homes for Sale

Average and median price and size data was from ACTRIS closed sales 11/1/2020-10/31/2021.

Which Area of Austin is Best for You?

Hopefully this guide has helped paint a picture of what areas of Austin you might like best. If you still have questions, send us an email at info@11OaksRealty.com. The more detail you can provide about what you like to do in your free time, your budget, type of home you are looking for and what area of town you might be working in (if you don’t know, the industry you work in can also help us pin point an area), we can recommend some neighborhoods for you to check out.

Looking for an Austin Buyer’s Agent?

Our team of Austin Realtors specializes in representing buyers. We have a combined 55+ years of experience and know the Austin area well. If you’re looking for someone to negotiate hard on your behalf, guide you through the home buying process and advise you of market activity and how to use it in your favor, check out our Austin Home Buyer Representation Program. Then, call us at (512) 827-8323 or email us at info@11OaksRealty.com to schedule a no obligation consultation.