Kelsey Easton April 16, 2026
By Kelsey Easton, REALTOR® · Compass · Austin, TX
Choosing between Austin's two most-asked-about luxury neighborhoods at the $1M+ tier? Here's an honest, side-by-side breakdown from a local agent.
If you're choosing between Westlake Hills and Tarrytown for a $1M+ Austin home, here's the short answer: Westlake Hills is the right pick if you want Eanes ISD, bigger lots, and Hill Country privacy, while Tarrytown is the right pick if you want walkability, proximity to downtown, and historic character. Both are blue-chip Austin luxury neighborhoods, but they attract very different buyers, and I've helped clients land in each after they originally thought they wanted the other.
I've been selling Austin luxury real estate for close to two decades, and the Westlake vs. Tarrytown conversation is probably the single most common one I have with relocating buyers at the $1.5M–$4M tier. Let me walk you through how I actually help clients decide.
Westlake Hills sits just west of Loop 360, tucked into the hills above Lake Austin. It's technically its own incorporated city, which matters more than most buyers realize. That means separate permitting, its own police department, and the now-famous impervious cover restrictions that cap how much of your lot can be covered by structures and hardscape (typically 35% for most residential zones, though it varies).
At the $1M+ tier, here's what you're getting in Westlake Hills:
Lot sizes typically run a half-acre to a full acre, and many properties back to a greenbelt or have significant elevation changes. Homes in the $1.5M–$2.5M range are usually updated originals from the 80s and 90s, or partial tear-down rebuilds. To get new construction, you're generally looking at $3M and up, and even then the tree ordinance and impervious cover rules mean you cannot just build whatever you want.
And the big one: Eanes ISD. Westlake Hills feeds into Eanes, which is routinely ranked the top public school district in Texas. For relocating families at this price point, Eanes is often the whole reason they're shopping west of MoPac in the first place.
The trade-off? You're car-dependent. Getting downtown takes 15–20 minutes in good traffic, 35+ in bad traffic. There's no walkable village. You're driving to everything.
Tarrytown sits west of MoPac between Lake Austin Boulevard and 35th Street, about five minutes from downtown. It's inside the City of Austin, so it's AISD schools (Casis Elementary, O. Henry Middle, Austin High — all strong, though not Eanes-level on standardized rankings).
At $1M+, Tarrytown gives you tree-lined streets, 1940s–1960s homes on flat quarter-acre lots, and real walkability to Deep Eddy Pool, the Lady Bird Lake trail, and Lake Austin Boulevard's restaurants. Expect to pay $1.3M–$2M for an updated original ranch or bungalow, and $3M+ for new construction or a recent build. Teardowns in Tarrytown still trade above $1.2M just for the dirt, and in prime pockets near Windsor Road, even more.
The community feel is different from Westlake. People walk their dogs. Kids bike to Casis. There's a deep multi-generational Austin crowd — families who grew up here and never left — mixed with newer money from tech and finance.
Here's where I want buyers to pay attention. Through 2025, the median sale price for single-family homes in Westlake Hills (city limits) hovered around $2.6M, with the broader Eanes ISD footprint closer to $2.1M. Tarrytown's median was around $1.9M. So on paper, Tarrytown looks cheaper — but you're getting roughly half the lot.
Property taxes are where it gets interesting. Westlake Hills' effective property tax rate is noticeably lower than Austin's because of how the overlapping taxing jurisdictions shake out. On a $2.5M home, you'll typically save $4,000–$8,000 a year in Westlake Hills versus Tarrytown. Over a 10-year hold, that's real money.
Insurance can run higher in Westlake Hills due to wildfire risk in the Hill Country fringe. Maintenance costs are higher on the bigger, more topographically complex Westlake lots — think retaining walls, erosion management, and septic in some areas.
After this many transactions, I can usually tell within one showing which neighborhood a buyer is actually going to end up in. The patterns are pretty clear.
You'll likely love Westlake Hills if you have school-age kids and Eanes ISD is non-negotiable, you want privacy and acreage, you don't mind driving to restaurants and coffee, you're comfortable with more complex permitting if you plan to renovate, and you want the lower long-term tax bill.
You'll likely love Tarrytown if you want to walk or bike to the lake, downtown, or a coffee shop, you work downtown or in West Austin and want a short commute, you value historic architecture and older trees, you don't have kids or you're comfortable with AISD magnets and privates, and you want a tighter, more social neighborhood vibe.
The buyers who struggle are the ones who want the Eanes schools AND the walkability. That combination basically doesn't exist in Austin at any price point. You have to pick.
Both neighborhoods are as close to bulletproof as Austin luxury gets, but they behave differently. Tarrytown tends to have tighter inventory and faster days-on-market at the $1.5M–$2.5M tier — the walkable-to-downtown premium isn't going anywhere. Westlake Hills has more inventory swings, and homes that are overpriced relative to condition sit longer. New construction in both neighborhoods is where pricing gets the most aggressive, and that's where I earn my keep on the seller side.
One thing to watch in 2026: the new construction pipeline in Westlake Hills is tight because of impervious cover and tree ordinance constraints. That's supportive of resale values for existing updated homes. Tarrytown teardown-and-rebuild activity is still strong, which keeps lot values elevated.
There's no wrong answer between Westlake Hills and Tarrytown — they're both excellent places to park $1M+ in Austin. The right one depends on whether schools, privacy, and long-term tax savings matter more to you (Westlake Hills), or whether walkability, downtown access, and historic character matter more (Tarrytown). I'd rather help you find the right fit the first time than sell you the wrong house twice.
If you're thinking about buying or selling in Austin at the $1M+ level, I'd love to chat. [CALENDAR LINK]
Are Westlake Hills and Eanes ISD the same thing? No. Westlake Hills is a small incorporated city inside the Eanes ISD attendance footprint. Eanes ISD also includes parts of Rollingwood, West Lake Hills, and unincorporated Travis County. You can be in Eanes without being in Westlake Hills city limits — and that often gives you more home for your money.
Is Tarrytown in a flood zone? Parts of Tarrytown near Lake Austin Boulevard and the creek corridors do sit in flood zones. Always pull the FEMA map and review the seller's disclosure. I walk every client through this before we write an offer in Tarrytown.
Which neighborhood appreciates faster? Over the last 10 years, both have comfortably outpaced the broader Austin market. Tarrytown has been slightly more consistent; Westlake Hills has had bigger swings but similar net appreciation. At this tier, you should be buying for lifestyle fit first and appreciation second.
Can I build a modern new construction in Westlake Hills? Yes, but plan on a longer permitting timeline and real constraints from impervious cover rules, the tree ordinance, and setback requirements. I always recommend buyers consult with a Westlake-experienced builder and architect before closing on a teardown.
Kelsey Easton
Your Go-To Austin Realtor & Local Expert
📧 [email protected]
📞 512-699-6091
About the Author
Kelsey Easton is a REALTOR® with Compass in Austin, Texas, and a Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist with more than $250M in sales. A native Austinite, she helps buyers and sellers across Austin and the surrounding Hill Country navigate the market with concierge-level care.
Contact Kelsey Easton, REALTOR® | Compass, Austin, TX
Phone or text: (512) 699-6091
Email: [email protected]
Website: kelseyeaston.com
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KELSEY EASTON
2500 BEE CAVES RD WEST LAKE HILLS TX 78746