Kelsey Easton August 3, 2026
By Kelsey Easton, REALTOR | Compass | Austin, TX
Oracle's Austin story has gotten more complicated lately. In April 2026 the company began sending out layoff notices affecting thousands of employees nationwide, and CEO Larry Ellison has said the "world headquarters" title is eventually shifting to a new campus in Nashville. If you are relocating for Oracle or already work at the riverside campus, you are probably wondering what that actually means for you. Here is the honest picture: Oracle's Austin campus remains a major, active hub with room for up to 10,000 employees, and no large scale WARN layoff notices had been filed in Texas as of this writing. Local economists describe Austin's broader tech market as still fundamentally healthy even as this one employer works through a rough stretch. This guide is for the people who are still relocating here or staying put, and it covers where to live, what the schools actually look like, and what your move will cost compared to where you are coming from.
Oracle's Austin campus sits at 2300 Oracle Way in the East Riverside-Oltorf area, along the south shore of Lady Bird Lake and east of I-35, just minutes from downtown. This is a fundamentally different location than most tech campuses in this metro. It is not a suburban office park. It is a central, walkable, water adjacent address that puts almost all of central Austin within a short drive, which changes the entire relocation calculus compared to a campus out in the suburbs.
Working from the riverside campus means your commute options are genuinely different from most Austin tech employees. You are minutes from downtown, the Lady Bird Lake hike and bike trail, South Congress, and the airport, all without the long suburban drives that come with a campus in the hill country or out past the toll roads. The tradeoff is that central Austin real estate carries a real premium, and the neighborhoods closest to the water and downtown are among the most expensive in the metro.
The area immediately around the campus itself, the Riverside corridor, has historically been more affordable apartment and rental territory, but it has been redeveloping quickly since Oracle broke ground here, with new mixed use buildings replacing older 1970s and 1980s complexes. If you want new construction within walking distance of the office, this corridor is worth watching closely over the next few years, though it is still catching up to the neighborhoods around it in terms of finished inventory.
Because this is such a central location, almost everything on this list falls inside a genuinely short, traffic dependent drive rather than a long highway commute, which is a meaningfully different lifestyle than working at a suburban campus.
Oracle relocated its own global headquarters from Redwood City, California to Austin back in December 2020, and many employees relocating to the riverside campus today are still coming from the Bay Area or from Oracle's other California offices. The financial picture remains dramatically different. Austin's overall cost of living runs meaningfully lower than the Bay Area's, driven mostly by housing, and Redwood City area home values commonly run well above $1.5M, compared to a median sales price nearer $550K to $600K across the Austin metro. Add in Texas having no state income tax at all, and take home pay on a comparable salary generally improves substantially with a move here, even accounting for this being one of the pricier corners of Austin.
There is one honest tradeoff worth understanding before you buy: Texas leans harder on property taxes to make up for the lack of income tax. Travis County's effective property tax rate typically runs 1.8 percent to 2.3 percent of assessed value, compared to California's Prop 13 capped rate near 1.1 percent to 1.25 percent. Texas raised its homestead exemption for school district taxes to $140,000 starting in 2026, and the county adds its own homestead exemption on top, which meaningfully softens the bill once you file. You can apply for the homestead exemption any time after closing, though the standard annual filing deadline is April 30.
This is genuinely one of the most bike and transit friendly major employer locations in Austin. The Lady Bird Lake hike and bike trail runs essentially past the campus, CapMetro bus routes serve the Riverside corridor directly, and several of the closest neighborhoods, Travis Heights and Bouldin Creek in particular, are a short bike ride or rideshare away rather than a highway commute. If your neighborhood sits close to the trail or a direct bus line, it is genuinely realistic to skip driving some days, which is not something most Austin employers outside downtown can offer.
These are the closest options, several of them practically across the water from the campus itself.
Riverside. The neighborhood the campus itself sits in, still transitioning from older apartment stock to newer mixed use development, often just 5 minutes from the office. Prices generally run $350K to $500K for condos and townhomes, among the most affordable close in options on this list. View homes in Riverside here.
Montopolis. An established east Austin neighborhood just across the river, roughly 5 to 10 minutes from the campus, with a mix of long time residents and newer buyers. Home prices typically run around $300K to $450K. View homes in Montopolis here.
Travis Heights. A historic, tree canopied neighborhood directly across Lady Bird Lake from the campus, walkable to South Congress, generally 5 to 10 minutes away. Prices typically run from the high $800Ks to $2.5M for fully renovated historic homes. View homes in Travis Heights here.
East Cesar Chavez and Holly. A rapidly appreciating east side neighborhood close to downtown and the river, roughly 10 minutes from the campus. Prices typically run $650K to $800K. View homes in East Cesar Chavez here.
Bouldin Creek and South Congress. A walkable, restaurant dense neighborhood just west of the river, roughly 10 minutes from the office. Prices generally run $850K to $1.1M. View homes in Bouldin Creek here.
Downtown Austin. High rise condo living a short drive or bike ride from the campus, generally 10 to 15 minutes depending on the exact building. Condo prices generally run $400K for a smaller unit up to $1.2M or more for larger units in premium towers. View homes in Downtown Austin here.
Zilker. A greenbelt adjacent neighborhood near Barton Springs and Zilker Park, roughly 10 to 15 minutes from the office. Prices generally run $900K to $1.1M. View homes in Zilker here.
These trade a few extra minutes of commute for more space, a different school zone, or a different price point entirely.
Barton Hills. A hill country adjacent neighborhood near Zilker with greenbelt access, roughly 15 to 20 minutes from the office. Prices generally run $1.3M to $1.6M. View homes in Barton Hills here.
South Lamar. A commercial and residential corridor known for restaurants and walkability, roughly 15 to 20 minutes from the office. Prices typically run $650K to $850K. View homes in South Lamar here.
Hyde Park. A historic, bungalow filled central neighborhood north of the University of Texas, roughly 20 minutes from the office. Prices typically run $700K to $800K. View homes in Hyde Park here.
Windsor Park. An established, more affordable east side neighborhood, roughly 20 minutes from the office. Prices typically run $500K to $550K. View homes in Windsor Park here.
Mueller. A walkable, master planned community built on Austin's former airport site, roughly 20 minutes from the office. Prices generally run $700K to $900K. See my full Mueller guide for more detail, or view homes in Mueller here.
Westlake Hills. An affluent hill country community in Eanes ISD, roughly 25 to 30 minutes from the office depending on traffic across the river. Prices generally run $1.9M to $2.8M or more, the highest price point on this list by a wide margin. View homes in Westlake Hills here.
Neighborhood | Drive to Oracle | Typical Price Range | School District |
|---|---|---|---|
Riverside | About 5 minutes | $350K to $500K | Austin ISD |
Montopolis | 5 to 10 minutes | $300K to $450K | Austin ISD |
Travis Heights | 5 to 10 minutes | High $800Ks to $2.5M | Austin ISD |
East Cesar Chavez and Holly | About 10 minutes | $650K to $800K | Austin ISD |
Bouldin Creek and South Congress | About 10 minutes | $850K to $1.1M | Austin ISD |
Downtown Austin | 10 to 15 minutes | $400K to $1.2M+ | Austin ISD |
Zilker | 10 to 15 minutes | $900K to $1.1M | Austin ISD |
Barton Hills | 15 to 20 minutes | $1.3M to $1.6M | Austin ISD |
South Lamar | 15 to 20 minutes | $650K to $850K | Austin ISD |
Hyde Park | About 20 minutes | $700K to $800K | Austin ISD |
Windsor Park | About 20 minutes | $500K to $550K | Austin ISD |
Mueller | About 20 minutes | $700K to $900K | Austin ISD |
Westlake Hills | 25 to 30 minutes | $1.9M to $2.8M+ | Eanes ISD |
I want to be straightforward here rather than oversell this part of town: because Oracle's campus sits in the heart of Austin ISD, almost every neighborhood on this list is served by the same district, but which specific campus your address is zoned to varies dramatically block by block, sometimes street by street. This is one of the more fragmented school pictures in any of my relocation guides, and it is genuinely worth checking Austin ISD's attendance boundary tool before you commit to a specific address rather than assuming based on the neighborhood name alone.
Austin ISD serves the overwhelming majority of neighborhoods on this list, including Riverside, Montopolis, Travis Heights, East Cesar Chavez and Holly, Bouldin Creek, South Congress, Downtown, Zilker, Barton Hills, South Lamar, Hyde Park, Windsor Park, and Mueller. It is the same district that serves much of the rest of central Austin, and the honest headline is that school quality within it varies more by specific attendance zone than almost anywhere else in this metro.
Eanes ISD (Westlake Hills). A separately rated, consistently high performing district serving the hill country side of the metro, generally considered among the strongest in the Austin area, though it comes with the highest home prices on this list by a significant margin.
Because the campus sits close to central Austin, this location actually has better private school access than most of the other employers I cover, often a shorter drive than from the suburbs.
Regents School of Austin. A classical Christian K through 12 school in the Westlake area, generally a 20 to 25 minute drive from the riverside campus.
St. Michael's Catholic Academy. A Catholic college preparatory high school in southwest Austin, generally 15 to 20 minutes from the campus.
Austin Waldorf School. A Waldorf method PK through 12 school west of Zilker, generally 15 to 20 minutes from the campus.
St. Andrew's Episcopal School. An Episcopal PK through 12 school with multiple central Austin campuses, generally 10 to 20 minutes away depending on the specific campus.
St. Stephen's Episcopal School. A boarding and day college preparatory school in the hill country west of the city, generally 25 to 30 minutes from the campus.
Trinity Episcopal School. A PK through 8 school in central Austin, generally 10 to 15 minutes from the campus, among the closest private options on this list.
Given how fragmented Austin ISD's zoning is around this campus, families relocating for Oracle ask me which specific attendance zones are still worth targeting. Here is how I would rank the standouts within a reasonable commute of the riverside campus.
Austin High School holds a 7 out of 10 GreatSchools rating and an A- on Niche, and it feeds from some of the strongest elementary zones on this entire list, including Zilker Elementary and Barton Hills Elementary. This is the single strongest, most consistent attendance zone within a short drive of the campus.
McCallum High School holds an 8 out of 10 GreatSchools rating and an A on Niche, with a well regarded Fine Arts Academy that draws families from across the district. Maplewood Elementary, which feeds into this zone, is itself one of the strongest individual elementary campuses in Austin ISD.
This is the most direct tension on the whole list. Travis Heights Elementary itself holds a solid 7 out of 10 GreatSchools rating, but Travis Early College High School, the zoned high school for this same area, has ranked in the bottom 10 percent of high schools statewide. Families choosing Travis Heights or Bouldin Creek for the elementary years should go in with clear eyes about this drop off at the high school level, and should not assume a strong elementary rating predicts a strong high school outcome in this specific zone.
Eastside Early College High School carries just a 1 out of 10 GreatSchools rating, and Sanchez Elementary, the zoned elementary campus for much of this area, sits at 2 out of 10. This is honestly the softest school zone on this entire list, even though the neighborhood itself has appreciated rapidly, so families very focused on public school ratings should weigh that gap carefully against the location's other advantages.
Northeast Early College High School holds a 3 out of 10 GreatSchools rating. Mueller in particular draws families more for its walkability and new construction than for this specific attendance zone, and I would encourage anyone prioritizing Mueller to research the exact zoned campuses for their address rather than assuming based on the neighborhood's reputation.
Eanes ISD is a separately rated district and consistently one of the strongest in the entire Austin metro, which is the primary reason families pay the significant price premium to live in Westlake Hills over a comparably sized home closer to the office.
Pulling every zone in this guide together, here is how I would rank the strongest individual elementary campuses within a reasonable commute of the riverside campus. I am only including campuses rated 6 out of 10 or higher on GreatSchools, so this list reflects real standouts rather than every option available.
A quick honest note on this list: setting a 6-out-of-10 threshold means the East Cesar Chavez, Holly, Windsor Park, and Mueller zones do not currently have an elementary campus that clears the bar within this commute radius. That does not mean every school in those areas is the wrong choice, just that no individual campus stood out enough on paper to include here. I would still encourage families in those neighborhoods to tour in person, since GreatSchools ratings are a useful starting filter but do not capture everything that makes a specific classroom or principal a good fit for your child.
90 days out. Start house hunting seriously, get pre-approved with a lender who understands relocation packages and equity compensation, and take a house hunting trip if your package includes one.
60 days out. Sign a contract if you are buying, or lock in a rental. Once you have a Texas address, you have 30 days to register your vehicle in Texas and 90 days to get a Texas driver's license, so it is worth starting this process early. As of 2025, Texas eliminated the annual safety inspection requirement for most non-commercial vehicles, which simplifies this step.
30 days out. Schedule your move, transfer utilities, and register to vote in Texas if you plan to.
After you close. File your homestead exemption with the Travis County Appraisal District as soon as you close. You do not need to wait for the following tax year, and filing early avoids missing next year's deadline.
Extended stay and corporate housing are common bridge options for Oracle employees who need to be on the ground before closing on a home. National corporate housing providers including Blueground, Landing, and Placemakr all carry inventory in Austin, with a meaningful concentration close to downtown and the riverside corridor given the campus's central location. This is one of the easier employers on my list for temporary housing specifically because so much of the city's short term rental inventory sits within a few minutes of the office.
Every company's relocation package looks a little different, but most fall into one of two structures: a lump sum, where you receive a flat amount to cover the move and manage the logistics yourself, or a full service package administered through a relocation management company, which typically covers a house hunting trip, temporary housing, and a set number of days of moving and storage. Given the current uncertainty around Oracle's workforce plans, it is worth confirming your relocation package's terms directly with HR rather than assuming a prior colleague's experience still applies. If your package includes a preferred or approved agent network, you are usually not required to use it exclusively, though working with an agent who already understands relocation paperwork and timelines can save real time. Either way, the earlier you loop in a local agent, even before your offer is finalized, the more useful they can be in helping you understand realistic budgets, timelines, and neighborhood tradeoffs before you are under pressure to decide.
Is Oracle laying off employees in Austin?
Oracle began sending out layoff notices affecting thousands of employees nationwide in April 2026. The company has not confirmed specific numbers for its Austin campus, and no large scale WARN notices had been filed in Texas as of this writing. Local economists describe Austin's broader tech economy as remaining fundamentally healthy even as this situation develops.
Is Oracle moving its headquarters out of Austin?
CEO Larry Ellison announced in 2024 that Oracle's "world headquarters" designation is shifting to a new campus in Nashville, Tennessee, being built out over roughly a decade. The Austin riverside campus remains a major, active hub with capacity for up to 10,000 employees and continues to house significant teams in 2026.
Where is Oracle's Austin campus located?
Oracle's Austin campus sits at 2300 Oracle Way in the East Riverside-Oltorf area, along the south shore of Lady Bird Lake, just east of I-35 and a few minutes from downtown.
What neighborhood is closest to Oracle's Austin campus?
Riverside, the neighborhood the campus itself sits in, is the closest option, generally about 5 minutes away, followed closely by Montopolis and Travis Heights.
Is Austin ISD a good school district for families relocating for Oracle?
It is a genuinely mixed picture that varies more by specific attendance zone here than almost anywhere else in Austin. The Austin High School zone, covering Zilker, Barton Hills, and South Lamar, is consistently strong, while zones like Eastside Early College and Northeast Early College carry much softer ratings, even though the neighborhoods within them can be a similar distance from the office.
How much cheaper is Austin than the Bay Area for Oracle employees relocating from California?
Austin's overall cost of living runs meaningfully lower than the Bay Area's, driven mostly by housing. Redwood City area home values commonly exceed $1.5M, compared to a median sales price nearer $550K to $600K across the Austin metro, though the neighborhoods closest to Oracle's riverside campus specifically run well above that metro median given their central location.
I have helped Austin tech families navigate exactly this kind of moment, weighing a central, walkable location against real uncertainty about an employer's future plans, and finding a neighborhood and school zone that make sense regardless of how that uncertainty resolves. If you are relocating for Oracle or simply want a shorter drive to the riverside campus, I would love to help you find the right fit.
Kelsey Easton
REALTOR | Compass | Austin, TX
Phone or text: (512) 699-6091
Email: [email protected]
Website: kelseyeaston.com
For more information on real estate near Oracle or anywhere in the Austin area, inquire here.
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