Kelsey Easton June 23, 2026
By Kelsey Easton, REALTOR® · Compass · Austin, TX
If you want top-rated Eanes schools, hill-country privacy, and newer construction, Westlake Hills wins. If you want to walk to downtown, live among 1930s architecture, and stay inside the city of Austin, Tarrytown wins. Below is how I actually advise $1M+ buyers choosing between the two.
I get this question almost weekly, and the honest answer is that these two neighborhoods attract very different buyers even though they sit barely ten minutes apart. After two decades and north of $250M in Austin sales, I've represented buyers and sellers on both sides of the river, and the deciding factors usually come down to schools, lot size, commute, and what kind of home you actually want to live in. Let me break it down the way I would over coffee.
Westlake Hills sits west of Loop 360, across Lady Bird Lake, technically outside Austin city limits in the rolling terrain above the river. Tarrytown is firmly inside Austin, a flat-to-gently-sloping grid of established streets just west of MoPac and minutes from downtown and Lake Austin.
That geography drives almost everything. Westlake gives you bigger lots (half-acre to multi-acre is common), dramatic hill-country views, gated estates, and a heavy share of new and recent construction. Tarrytown gives you walkability, mature live oaks, and a stock of 1930s–1950s homes-Tudors, Colonials, and cottages- many of which have been beautifully renovated or scraped and rebuilt. One feels like an estate retreat; the other feels like an in-town establishment neighborhood.
This is the single biggest driver I see at the $1M+ level. Westlake Hills feeds Eanes ISD- Bridge Point or Cedar Creek Elementary, Hill Country Middle, and Westlake High School. Eanes is consistently one of the top-rated districts in Texas, and for many relocating families it is the entire reason they buy west of 360. That demand keeps Westlake values resilient even when the broader market cools.
Tarrytown is in Austin ISD and zoned primarily to Casis Elementary, which is one of AISD's standout schools and a genuine draw on its own. Where the gap shows up is middle and high school, where many Tarrytown families weigh O. Henry and Austin High against private options like St. Andrew's, Kirby Hall, or Casis-to-private pipelines. If public schools all the way through are non-negotiable, Westlake usually has the edge. If you value an in-town lifestyle and are open to private school for the older years, Tarrytown becomes very compelling.
In Tarrytown, $1M–$1.5M typically gets you an original or lightly updated mid-century home on a modest lot — often a candidate for renovation or eventual rebuild. Around $2M you're into nicely renovated homes or smaller new builds, and $3M+ buys high-end new construction or a fully redone period home close to the lake. Lot scarcity inside the city is the constant pressure on price here.
In Westlake Hills, $1.5M–$2M buys an older home on a great lot or an updated home in a neighborhood like Rob Roy or Davenport Ranch. At $2.5M–$3M you're firmly in new or near-new construction with views and finishes to match, and the top of the market keeps climbing into gated estates well beyond that. You generally get more square footage and land per dollar in Westlake- you're just trading proximity for it.
If you work or play downtown, Tarrytown is hard to beat- you're 5–10 minutes from the office, Lake Austin, and the hike-and-bike trail, and you can genuinely walk to coffee and dinner in spots. Westlake's commute is still reasonable (15–25 minutes depending on 360 traffic), but it's a drive-everywhere lifestyle organized around Westlake's own retail.
One practical warning if you're planning to build or do a major remodel in Westlake Hills: the City of Westlake Hills enforces strict impervious cover limits, and the surrounding area has meaningful tree-protection and slope/development rules. Those impervious cover caps directly limit how much house, driveway, and pool you can put on a lot, and they catch out-of-town buyers off guard constantly. Tarrytown has Austin's own permitting and heritage-tree rules to navigate, but the impervious cover math is the one I see surprise Westlake buyers most. Always confirm what a lot will actually allow before you fall in love with a teardown.
Choose Westlake Hills if your priorities are top-to-bottom public schools, larger lots, privacy, and newer homes, and you don't mind a car-centric routine. Choose Tarrytown if you want to live inside the city, walk to the lake and downtown, and own a piece of historic Austin- and you're comfortable considering private school for the older grades. Both hold value extremely well; they just serve different lives.
If you're thinking about buying or selling in Austin at the $1M+ level, I'd love to chat. [CALENDAR LINK]
Is Westlake Hills in Austin city limits?
No. Westlake Hills is its own incorporated city west of Loop 360 with its own ordinances, including strict impervious cover limits. Tarrytown is inside the city of Austin.
Which neighborhood has better schools?
Westlake Hills feeds Eanes ISD, one of Texas's top districts, all the way through Westlake High. Tarrytown's Casis Elementary (Austin ISD) is excellent, but many families consider private options for middle and high school.
Which is more expensive?
On a price-per-square-foot basis, in-town Tarrytown often runs higher because of land scarcity, but Westlake Hills reaches higher absolute prices at the estate level. Your dollar usually buys more land and square footage in Westlake.
Can I walk to downtown from either?
From much of Tarrytown, yes- downtown and Lake Austin are minutes away and parts are genuinely walkable. Westlake is a drive-everywhere neighborhood.
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