Moving to Dripping Springs

For families who want Hill Country space without giving up access to Austin, yes. Dripping Springs ISD is A-rated and in the top 10 percent of Texas districts, downtown Austin is about 20 to 30 minutes up 290, and the town is genuinely family oriented. The tradeoffs are real though: a longer drive than most Austin suburbs, higher tax rates in the newer master planned communities, and well and septic if you buy acreage.

Roughly 20 to 30 minutes to downtown Austin along US 290, depending on which community you are in and what time you leave. East Drip communities are closest. The communities further west add 10 to 15 minutes.

In most Dripping Springs communities, a family sized home of roughly 2,500 to 3,300 square feet runs $650,000 to $900,000. New construction starts in the mid $300s at Village Grove and around $390,000 to $400,000 at Cannon Ranch, Big Sky Ranch, and Heritage. Acreage and custom estates run from about $900,000 to well past $2 million.

Yes. Dripping Springs ISD spans three mailing addresses: Dripping Springs (78620), Driftwood (78619), and parts of Austin (78737), all within Hays County. Belterra, Highpointe, Parten Ranch, and Reunion Ranch carry Austin addresses and are in the district. Confirm any specific address at dsisdtx.us.

A Municipal Utility District funds the water, wastewater, drainage, and roads in most newer master planned communities. It is already included in your tax rate rather than billed on top. With no district the area starts around 1.6 to 1.7 percent; with a MUD it typically runs 2 to 2.7 percent and declines over 20 to 30 years as the bonds are paid off.

Five. Master planned communities like Headwaters, Caliterra, Highpointe, Belterra, and Parten Ranch. Attainable communities close to town like Village Grove, Cannon Ranch, Big Sky Ranch, Heritage, and Founders Ridge. Estate and custom home communities on one to two acres like Bunker Ranch, Sawyer Ranch, Creek of Driftwood, and Esperanza. Acreage communities like Sunset Canyon, Saratoga Hills, Howard Ranch, and Rim Rock. And large parcels and ranch land of five acres and up.

The communities closest to the center of town: Village Grove, Cannon Ranch, Big Sky Ranch, Heritage, and Founders Ridge. Bunker Ranch also has a Cottages section that starts well below the rest of that community.

Every community in this guide is in Dripping Springs ISD, including the ones with Austin (78737) and Driftwood (78619) mailing addresses. Two acreage enclaves, West Cave Estates and Saddletree Ranch, straddle the county line, so the district can vary by lot. Confirm any specific address at dsisdtx.us.

Generally yes. Acreage communities are not in a MUD, so the tax rate runs lower than in the master planned communities. The trade is well and septic instead of community water, and no shared amenities.

1,677 acre master planned community north of US 290 straddling Ranch Road 12, approved for 2,231 homes plus 250 senior living units, with 474 acres of open space and land set aside for a future DSISD school. The City of Dripping Springs listed it as under construction in early 2026. Builders and lot details are not confirmed yet.

Headwaters, Caliterra (including the new Ranch at Caliterra phase), Parten Ranch, Village Grove, Big Sky Ranch, and Heritage. Double L Ranch is approved and under construction but has not announced builders. Bunker Ranch and Lunaroya sell homesites where you bring your own builder.

Driftwood Springs High School is Dripping Springs ISD's second comprehensive high school, approved by the board on May 18, 2026. It is under construction off Darden Hill Road near Cypress Springs Elementary and is scheduled to open for the 2028-29 school year, serving up to 2,500 students in grades 9-12.

The official name is Driftwood Springs High School. Driftwood High School was the other finalist name considered by the board, which is why both versions still come up in conversation locally.

It is scheduled to open for the 2028-29 school year.

The board confirmed navy blue and gold as the official colors at a June 22, 2026 meeting. Wolves has been the leading mascot recommendation from the district's naming committee, but it has not yet been finalized by a board vote.

DSISD has not published final attendance boundaries for the new campus. Confirm any specific address at dsisdtx.us rather than relying on a listing sheet, and expect an update once boundaries are released.

Belterra carries an Austin, TX 78737 mailing address, but the community sits in Hays County within Dripping Springs' extraterritorial jurisdiction. It's zoned to Dripping Springs ISD, not Austin ISD.

Belterra is zoned for Dripping Springs ISD, and Rooster Springs Elementary sits right inside the community itself.

Yes, and it has for years. HEB opened its Nutty Brown location at the intersection of Highway 290 and Nutty Brown Road, at the front of Belterra, back in the summer of 2023.

Belterra Village is a 93-acre mixed-use retail hub adjacent to the community, now built out past 310,000 square feet, with tenants including Torchy's Tacos, Breed & Co., and EVO Entertainment's movie theater.

Roughly 16 to 20 miles southwest of downtown Austin via Highway 290.

More than 400 acres of preserved open space and roughly 17 miles of hike-and-bike trails, plus an aquatics complex with a resort-style pool, lap pool, splash pad, and a full gym and community center.

Yes. Target acquired roughly 10 acres at 13550 West US Highway 290 earlier this year and will anchor The Village at Dripping Springs, a 26 acre development by Houston based Property Commerce. Completion is expected in 2028.

 A 43 acre retail center planned between Headwaters Boulevard and Canyonwood Drive just north of US 290 in Dripping Springs, with roughly 275,000 square feet of retail, restaurant, and service space. It is a joint project between Marathon Equity and Endeavor Real Estate Group. Construction is expected to begin near the end of 2026 or early 2027.

The developers are targeting summer 2028 for the majority of the first phase. Full build out across all phases is expected to take about five years, the same timeline it took Marathon Equity to complete Belterra Village.

Not announced yet. The project is about 50 percent pre-leased but every incoming tenant is under a nondisclosure agreement. Endeavor has said the mix includes full service sit down restaurants, national shops, coffee shops, and financial institutions.

A planned 150,000 square foot sports and recreation facility at the Headwaters development, with four indoor basketball courts, twelve volleyball courts, sixteen indoor pickleball courts, plus outdoor pickleball, beach volleyball, and basketball, a cafe, and community recreation space. Groundbreaking is expected in late 2026 with a 2028 opening target. An interim facility, the Dripping Springs Sports Club Warehouse, is already open at 15113 Fitzhugh Road.

Too early to put a number on it. The closest comparison is Belterra Village, where homes nearest the center became easier to sell once walkable shopping and restaurants opened. Headwaters, Caliterra, and the communities along that stretch of US 290 sit closest to the Headwaters East shopping center.

In planned communities and some neighborhoods, a homeowner's association (HOA) enforces rules and collects fees to maintain property values and shared amenities like parks, pools and landscaping. HOAs aim to maintain property values and a pleasant community environment.

PITI is an acronym for principal, interest, taxes, and insurance - the sum components of a mortgage payment.

Taxes are calculated on a per-year basis, but you can include them as part of your monthly mortgage repayments; the amount due is divided by the total number of mortgage payments in a given year. The lender collects the payments and holds them in escrow until the taxes are due.

We don't have state income tax in Texas, so you take home more of your income and it's essentially offset with property taxes.