Data and method

• The yearly cost (estimated) adds three parts: the total tax, the PID charge if there is one, and a year of HOA.
• Total tax: what every taxing entity at that place charges (the county, the city, the MUD or special district and the rest) per $100 of the value you choose. A MUD or a special district is already inside it.
• PID: a fixed yearly charge per lot, separate from the tax. When the source says which charge homes at that price usually carry, we show that one (“Usually”) and the range by lot under it.
• HOA: what it charges in a year.
• Each part is rounded to whole dollars before adding, so the parts add up to the total.
• “If the home were worth $X (to compare)”: the value is an example for comparing the communities with each other, not the price of a home. If a community has no new homes at that value, we say so.
• It does not include the mortgage or homeowners insurance. It is before exemptions: if you live in the home, the homestead exemption lowers the bill.
• Driving miles and minutes: without traffic, from each community's point, computed with OSRM on OpenStreetMap data. At rush hour it can take longer.
• Every figure carries its source, the date it describes, the day we checked it and when it is due again. Where there is no confirmed figure it says “No confirmed figure”: we never estimate it.

• Williamson, Travis and Hays county tax offices and their appraisal districts

  The total tax per $100 of value, and each community's county.

• County tax tables, the PID administrator (P3Works) and the cities of Austin, Hutto, Kyle and Manor

  The MUD or special district (inside the total tax) and the PID charge per lot.

• Builder and community websites

  New-home prices, builders and HOA. An HOA taken from a home-for-sale listing says so and is marked to be verified.

• OSRM, on OpenStreetMap data

  Driving miles and minutes without traffic, from each community's point.

  Project OSRM© OpenStreetMap contributors

• Builders and OpenStreetMap

  Each community's point on the map and the points of the 8 destinations.

• Total tax and extra charge (MUD, PID or special district)

  Every year, when the counties publish the adopted taxes (October and November). Next check: Oct 31, 2027.

• New-home prices

  Every 3 months. Next check: Jan 21, 2027.

• HOA

  Every 3 months. Next check: Jan 31, 2027.

• Driving miles and minutes

  Every 3 months. Next check: Jan 22, 2027.

• Builders, county and destinations

  Every year. Next check: Oct 21, 2027.

Past its check date a figure is marked “To be checked”. The total tax and the extra charge are hidden 30 days later (“Figure under review”) and that community moves to the end of the cost order.

• Oct 25, 2026: All 43 communities in the explorer use the 2026 total tax, read from county records: the 25 of the earlier PDF list and the 18 added since.
• Oct 24, 2026: Nine new communities, in the explorer only (the earlier PDF list keeps its 25): Parten and Sola Vista in the West; Palmera Ridge, Leander Estates, Hilltop Ranch and Foxfield in the North; Sauls Ranch East and Lagos Reserve in the Northeast; Clara Vista in the South. Each figure was read at its source. The West zone adds Southwest Austin and the North, North Austin. Prices re-read on the builders' pages: Parmer Ranch from $439,900, University Heights from $424,660, Lively Ranch $346,249 to $498,999 (without the plans Lennar does not sell yet), Devine Landing from $384,990, Big Sky Ranch up to $649,990 (Meritage's Executive Collection) and Village Grove up to $664,047 (a Taylor Morrison home ready in March to April 2027). New builders: Centex and Chesmar Homes at Sunfield, Chesmar and Risewell at 6 Creeks, Perry Homes and Hakes Brothers at La Cima, Empire Homes at Goodnight Ranch; Giddens Homes leaves Parmer Ranch and Tri Pointe Homes leaves Easton Park, as neither sells there yet. The Prairie Winds and 6 Creeks HOA dues now cite a builder's page. Comparison prices of $1.25M and $1.5M.
• Oct 23, 2026: Prices re-read on the builders' pages. Higher top prices at Parkside on the River ($1,365,900, Perry homes on 70- and 80-foot lots), Easton Park ($917,900), La Cima ($868,990), University Heights ($725,990, plans on 70-foot lots), Flora ($714,686), Heritage ($634,990) and Cannon Ranch ($549,970); lower ones at Goodnight Ranch ($697,000) and Kuempel Farms / Kuempel Estates ($669,900). New starting prices: Sunfield ($296,615), La Cima ($299,247), Kuempel Farms / Kuempel Estates ($402,720), Big Sky Ranch ($445,990, one home for sale) and 6 Creeks ($449,900, the lowest exact price, instead of "from the $440s").
• Oct 23, 2026: Comparison prices of $700K, $800K and $1M. Santa Rita Ranch now has a top price: $1,449,000, read on Sitterle's page. At Tessera on Lake Travis, homes on 60-foot lots ($729,138 to $818,990) now carry their phase's PID ($5,929.35 a year).
• Oct 22, 2026: Nine new communities, in the explorer only (the earlier PDF list keeps its 25): Village Grove, Cannon Ranch, West Cypress Hills and Tessera on Lake Travis in the West; Travisso, Rosenbusch Ranch, Devine Landing, Hawkes Landing and Cedar Brook in the North. Each figure was read at its source. The West zone adds Spicewood and Lago Vista. Big Sky Ranch's map point is now on a street of the community.
• Oct 21, 2026: 2026 data pass: 25 of the 25 communities use the 2026 total tax, read from county records; each figure was read at its source (county records, PID plans and builder and community websites); HOA figures taken from home-for-sale listings are marked to be verified; the 8 destinations have their source.
• Oct 20, 2026: Miles and minutes to downtown, computed with OSRM.
• Oct 19, 2026: First version: the 25 communities of the earlier PDF list.

MUD (Municipal Utility District)

A district that builds a new community's water, drainage and streets and levies its own tax. It is already inside the total tax.

PID (Public Improvement District)

A district that charges a fixed yearly amount per lot, separate from the tax, for a number of years. Some can be paid off at once.

WCID (Water Control and Improvement District)

A water control and improvement district: like a MUD, it can provide a community's water and drainage and levy its own tax. It is already inside the total tax.

HOA (Homeowners Association)

The owners' association: it charges for the community's common areas and services.

WCAD, TCAD, Hays CAD (appraisal district)

Each county's appraisal district: Williamson (WCAD), Travis (TCAD) and Hays (Hays CAD). It values each property and lists the taxes on it: the county, the city, the MUD and the rest. It is where a lot's tax, and whether it has a MUD or PID, are confirmed.

ISD (Independent School District)

Independent school district. In Texas the home's address decides it, not the community's name or the mailing city: confirm it with the district using the exact address.

TEA (Texas Education Agency)

The Texas Education Agency. It publishes each district's and each school's data on TXschools.gov.

Per $100

How Texas writes property tax: $2.10 per $100 of value is $2,100 a year for every $100,000 of value.

Sully Ruiz was a Keller Williams Top Producer in 2025 for individual units closed and individual gross commissions.

Base map: U.S. Census Bureau, TIGER/Line 2024.

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