Dripping Springs
Acreage, big skies and one of the area's most sought-after school districts, about 25 miles west of downtown. Wineries, distilleries and swimming holes are part of everyday life here.
Photos via Wikimedia Commons: jcutrer (CC BY-SA 4.0), Corey Leopold (CC BY 2.0), Larry D. Moore (CC BY 4.0).
Where it is & what it feels like
Dripping Springs is a fast-growing Hill Country city in northern Hays County, where US 290 heads west from Austin. The city's population more than doubled between 2020 and 2025, and about 30,000 more people live in the surrounding area.
Historic Mercer Street is still the heart of town, surrounded by master-planned communities like Belterra, Headwaters, Caliterra and Highpointe, plus ranchettes and acreage toward Driftwood. It's been an International Dark Sky Community since 2014, so the stars are part of the draw.
What you'll find here
The housing stock
Mostly single-family homes: newer two-stories in master-planned communities, custom homes on 1–10 acre lots, and a smaller number of older homes near downtown.
New construction is everywhere, so builder incentives can be real. Utility setups (MUD, well, septic) vary by community and affect your costs.
Typical home
- Price range
- $450K – $2M+
- Size
- ~2,000 – 4,000 sq ft
- Beds / baths
- 3–5 bd / 2–4 ba
- Built
- Mostly 2000s – today
- HOA
- Most master-planned communities
Kien's tip: Compare the total tax rate, not just the price: a MUD or development district can add hundreds a month. I'll line up the real monthly cost of each community side by side.
Market snapshot
2026 market data compiled by Texas Home Talk from public sources. Estimates, not MLS figures; prices vary a lot by community and acreage.
Want the actual sold comps, with photos, for the community you like?
Schools
Dripping Springs ISD (about 8,800 students). Some 78619 addresses fall in Hays CISD or Wimberley ISD, so verify the parcel.
| Level | School(s) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Elementary | One of several DSISD elementaries | Depends on the community |
| Middle | Dripping Springs Middle or Sycamore Springs Middle | Both rated A |
| High | Dripping Springs High | Rated A |
The district is rated B overall, with its high school and both middle schools rated A (Texas Education Agency ratings). Check GreatSchools and the district boundary tool for any address.
What would I pay each month?
Taxes and HOA are filled in for a typical master-planned home. Change anything.
Estimate only. Rate default reflects the ~7% national 30-yr average (Freddie Mac, Sept 2026). Tax rate is a middle-of-the-range estimate; it runs about 1.85% to 2.5% depending on the MUD or district. Homestead exemptions can lower taxes. Excludes PMI.
Wineries, water & weekends
Eat & drink
Outdoors
Everyday
Getting around
Car-dependent. US 290 is the main road into Austin.
Approximate drive times: bright bar = off-peak, faded bar = weekday rush hour.
The honest pros & cons
Why buyers love it
- Top-rated schoolsDSISD’s high school and middle schools are rated A
- Space and viewsAcreage, big lots and Hill Country scenery
- LifestyleWineries, distilleries, swimming holes and dark skies
- New homesLots of new construction and builder incentives
What to weigh
- Longer commute35–55 minutes to downtown on US 290
- Higher tax billsMUDs and districts push some rates past 2%
- Fast growthMore traffic and construction every year
- Utilities varyWell, septic and water costs differ by community
Common questions
How much does a home in Dripping Springs cost?
Prices vary widely by community and acreage. The 78620 median was about $570K in 2026, with master-planned and acreage homes from about $450K to well over $2M.
What school district is Dripping Springs in?
Mostly Dripping Springs ISD, which is rated B overall with an A-rated high school and middle schools. Some 78619 addresses are in Hays CISD or Wimberley ISD, so verify the parcel.
What are property taxes in Dripping Springs?
Effective rates run roughly 1.85% to 2.5% depending on the MUD or special district; unplatted acreage can be lower. Compare communities before you choose.
How far is Dripping Springs from Austin?
About 25 miles west of downtown: roughly 35 minutes off-peak and 45–55 minutes at rush hour via US 290.
Which Dripping Springs community is right for me?
It depends on budget, commute and how much land you want. Belterra and Highpointe offer amenities; Headwaters and Caliterra are newer with higher tax rates; acreage toward Driftwood has the most space. I’ll help you compare.
Nearby neighborhoods
Let's find the right community, not just the right house.
I'll compare tax rates, HOAs, schools and commute for each Dripping Springs community, and show you what homes actually sold for, in English or Vietnamese.
New to Austin? Read the Moving to Austin relocation guide: commutes to Tesla, Samsung and Downtown, budgets, school districts and Texas property taxes.
Information is gathered from public sources and is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Prices, HOA dues, tax rates, school assignments and ratings change; verify independently before making decisions. Listing links open a third-party site (Zillow), whose inventory is not controlled by KienWithKeys.
See homes for sale
Tell me where to send new listings and I'll open everything for sale in Dripping Springs right now. I'll also flag the ones worth seeing (and the ones to skip).
Thanks!
Your search is ready. I'll reach out personally within a day. If a home catches your eye, text me the address and I'll get you in.
Open Dripping Springs homes for sale ↗ Call/Text Kien · 737-202-7766