Updated August 28, 2026
The Austin suburb where the real decision is the campus, not the city
Moving to Leander means settling into a city of about 91,132 in Williamson County, on the US-183 and 183A corridor northwest of Austin and the northern terminus of CapMetro's Red Line commuter rail. Most addresses are served by Leander ISD, with a Liberty Hill ISD edge on some 78641 addresses. The single-family median sale price is $418,900 as of mid-2026.
Leander incorporated in 1882 as a stop on the Austin & Northwestern Railroad, and for a century it stayed a small ranching town on the edge of the Hill Country. That is not the Leander anyone moves to now.
The defining institution is Leander ISD, a B-rated district of 41,854 students across 51 schools that straddles the Williamson–Travis county line. It is the reason most families are here — but the district letter grade hides a campus spread wide enough to change which house you should buy.
Growth is the other headline: 26,521 residents in 2010, 59,202 in 2020, and 91,132 by 2025 — a 53.8% jump in five years that has already pushed Leander past neighboring Cedar Park in population.
Three buyer profiles dominate: relocating families chasing Leander ISD, Austin and Cedar Park buyers priced into Leander's newer master-planned stock, and remote professionals who want the Red Line and 183A without an Austin price tag.
1 · Campus assignment. Elementary ratings inside Leander ISD run from an F to an A. Verify the exact campus at leanderisd.org/attendancezones before you make an offer.
2 · Which district. Some 78641 addresses fall in Liberty Hill ISD, not Leander ISD. Confirm at the address, not by subdivision name.
3 · MUD & tax tier. A new MUD can add to your rate at build-out — Bryson's 2026 stack is a live example. Pull the current combined rate for the specific parcel.
Leander's single-family median sits at $418,900, down 2.4% year over year, with homes taking longer to sell than a year ago — conditions that hand buyers more negotiating leverage than the 2021–2022 frenzy did. Combined property-tax rates run roughly 2.02% with no MUD to about 2.51% in the highest tier; the Leander ISD homestead exemption is $140,000.
The real risk isn't timing the market — it's buying in the wrong campus zone or the wrong tax tier. A new MUD or a low-rated elementary two streets over can cost you more than a few months of price movement. Run the rent-versus-own math against your actual district, campus, and combined rate before you commit.
Where to Live
Bryson
Williamson-side master-planned community with a real, staffed "Director of Fun" running year-round events. Feeds Camacho Elementary — TEA-rated F/59 and PEG-designated (a state low-performance flag that gives students a transfer option) — then Leander HS. Tax stack jumped from 2.021358 (2025) to 2.371358 with a new 2026 MUD, about $1,750 more a year on a $500K home. Verify the campus and the current MUD before you offer.
Travisso
Hilltop community on the Travis-county side with the highest verified tax tier in this guide at 2.511450 (MUD plus other district). Zones to Mason Elementary (B/80) — but note it feeds Cedar Park HS, not a Leander-named high school, a common surprise for buyers assuming the neighborhood name tracks the high school.
Crystal Falls
Established Williamson-side community of roughly 3,000 acres with a golf course and extensive trails. Winkley Elementary (B/88) feeds Leander HS for much of the community, though campus assignment varies by section — verify at the address. One of Leander's most active resale markets.
Mason Hills
Multi-builder community near the 183A corridor, fully built out between 2014 and 2021 with 1,000+ homes — a strong resale-and-select-new-build option without a full resort premium. Feeds Whitestone Elementary (C/79) into Leander ISD middle and high schools. Verify the exact campus at the address.
The Reference Desk
1 · The growth engine. Leander went from 26,521 residents in 2010 to 59,202 in 2020 to 91,132 in 2025 — a 53.8% jump in five years that pushed it past Cedar Park. That pace has reshaped the housing stock, with 45 active new-construction communities and 26 builders working the market. Out-of-state and priced-out-Austin demand drove the run-up; it has since cooled to a more balanced footing.
Source. Redfin put Leander's single-family median sale price at $418,900 for the three months ending June 2026, down 2.4% year over year, at about $195 per square foot. Texas is a non-disclosure state, so treat any single figure as a snapshot and verify at the address.
2 · The campus, not the district. Leander ISD's B/87 is a real number, but it averages a campus range from Camacho Elementary at F/59 to Hisle Elementary at A/91 — a 31-point spread inside one district. Optimizing for the district letter grade alone can put you in a weaker campus zone two streets from a stronger one. Pick the campus first, then the house.
3 · vs. Cedar Park. Leander runs roughly $109K cheaper on sticker than Cedar Park, but only about 12% cheaper per square foot — most of the "discount" is home and lot size, not location. Leander's city tax rate (0.417282) is actually higher than Cedar Park's (0.360). Leander's advantage is price via size, not a tax break.
Typical housing stock. Master-planned anchors (Crystal Falls, Travisso, Bryson), mid-2010s built-outs like Mason Hills, and heavy active new construction along the 183A and US-183 corridors.
Spine is US-183 and the 183A toll road north–south, with TX-29 running west into the Hill Country. Leander is the northern terminus of CapMetro's Red Line commuter rail, with a Park & Ride at Leander Station; standard fare is $3.50. 183A toll holders with a TxTag get 33% off Pay-by-Mail rates. Car services and dealer rows sit along the corridor and in adjacent Cedar Park.
Electric service is Pedernales Electric Cooperative (PEC), a member co-op — not a deregulated retail-choice market, so there is no provider to shop. The City of Leander bills water and wastewater; Al Clawson Disposal handles trash and recycling; Atmos Energy is natural gas. Confirm the exact providers at the address, since service boundaries shift in fast-growing areas.
A 24/7 St. David's emergency center serves Leander directly, with full-service hospitals a short drive south in Cedar Park (Cedar Park Regional, Baylor Scott & White) and east in Round Rock. Pharmacies (H-E-B, CVS, Walgreens, Walmart) sit along the US-183 corridor and in adjacent Cedar Park. Verify current hours and services at the specific location.
A Walmart Supercenter sits on US-183 in Leander itself, with H-E-B and the larger 1890 Ranch retail node a short drive south in Cedar Park. The Northline mixed-use development near Leander Station continues to add retail and dining directly in the city. Costco, Target, and the big-box home-improvement stores cluster in the Cedar Park–Leander corridor within about 15 minutes.
Al Clawson Disposal handles residential trash and recycling for the City of Leander. Master-planned HOAs sometimes arrange community-wide service; properties in the ETJ or unincorporated Williamson County may use a different private hauler. Confirm your provider and pickup day at the address when you move in.
Leander's dining scene is filling in as the city grows. Estância Brazilian Steakhouse (2132 Raider Way) opened January 28, 2026 as a genuine Leander original churrascaria. Red Horn Coffee House & Brew Co. brews its own beer on-site, though it sits right on the Cedar Park/Leander line. National brands and local concepts continue to open along the Northline and US-183 corridors; Austin's full restaurant scene is about 35 minutes south.
Lakewood Park spans 125 acres with a splash pad (open for the 2026 season), fishing pier, dog park, skate park, and trails; its kayak launch and rental service are temporarily unavailable, so confirm current status before planning around it. Master-planned trail systems in Crystal Falls and Travisso welcome leashed dogs.
Leander straddles Williamson and Travis counties, so your county of record depends on the exact parcel — most addresses fall in Williamson County. New Texas residents transfer vehicle registration and driver's license within 90 days. The Williamson County Tax Office handles registration and property tax for most Leander addresses; the City of Leander handles permits and municipal services.
Verified combined rates run about 2.021358 on the Williamson side with no MUD, up to 2.511450 in the Travisso (Travis-side) tier. Bryson's 2026 stack with a new MUD is 2.371358. The Leander ISD homestead exemption is $140,000. MUDs and district add-ons can shift the rate parcel to parcel — pull the current combined rate for the specific property.
Leander's appeal isn't a preserved historic core — it's a fast-growing city that pairs Hill Country edges and resort-style master-planned living with a real commuter-rail connection to Austin. The draw is schools, space, and access, and an honest look at each is what serves a relocating buyer best.
Rail to Austin
Leander is the northern terminus of CapMetro's Red Line, the only Austin-metro suburb with a direct commuter-rail line into the city core. Leander Station has a Park & Ride; standard fare is $3.50. Schedules are limited, so check current service before relying on it for a daily commute.
Master-planned living
Crystal Falls (~3,000 acres, golf), Travisso (hilltop, highest tax tier), and Bryson (with its staffed "Director of Fun") anchor the resort-style end of the market — pools, trails, and event calendars as the everyday backdrop, at a range of price points.
Lakewood Park
A 125-acre city park east of 183A with a splash pad (open for 2026), fishing pier, dog park, skate park, basketball and volleyball courts, and trails. The kayak launch and rental are temporarily unavailable — verify current status before planning a visit around them.
Old Town & Mason Homestead
The Old Town Leander district hosts the Chamber's Old Town Street Festival and Christmas Festival. Separately, city-run Mason Homestead (1101 Bagdad) hosts Mason Heritage Day and a fall bluegrass festival — two distinct sites, not one.
Estância & local dining
Estância Brazilian Steakhouse (2132 Raider Way) opened January 28, 2026 as a genuine Leander original. Red Horn Coffee House & Brew Co. brews its own beer, sitting right on the Cedar Park/Leander line — an honest caveat worth knowing.
Hill Country edge
Leander sits on the eastern edge of the Hill Country, with cedar-studded greenbelts in many master-planned communities and TX-29 running west. Lake Travis and the wider Hill Country are roughly an hour out for weekend trips.
Have you moved to Leander — from California, from Austin, or from across town? We publish resident relocation stories to help the next family choose their neighborhood and campus with real, on-the-ground detail.
Leander Preferred Partners
Trusted local professionals hand-selected for new and relocating residents. Every partner listed has been reviewed by our team.
Paid placement. This featured mortgage position is a disclosed advertising placement held by Lending by Liz / Edge Home Finance Corporation.
Liz Rich — Lending by Liz
Liz Rich is a featured lending partner serving Leander and the surrounding Williamson County communities, including Cedar Park, Round Rock, and Georgetown. Buyers relocating to the area can reach her directly to talk through their move.
Moving to Leander, Texas: The Short Version
Moving to Leander means weighing Leander ISD schools, the Leander housing market, and which campus a neighborhood actually feeds. Leander is a city of about 91,132 in Williamson County, on the US-183 / 183A corridor northwest of Austin and the northern terminus of CapMetro's Red Line. The single-family median sale price is $418,900 as of the three months ending June 2026 (down 2.4% year over year), which gives buyers more negotiating room than the recent peak.
Leander ISD schools: shop the campus, not the district
The Leander ISD schools picture is the whole game here. The district rates B/87 for 2025-26, and some 78641 addresses fall in Liberty Hill ISD (B/85) instead. But the district average hides a campus spread from Camacho Elementary at F/59 (a PEG-designated campus) to Hisle Elementary at A/91 — a 31-point range. Two neighborhoods a mile apart can feed very different Leander ISD schools, and one master-planned community, Travisso, feeds Cedar Park High School rather than a Leander-named campus. Verify the exact assignment at the address before you make an offer; ratings and zones were confirmed as of August 28, 2026.
The Leander housing market and neighborhoods
Browsing Leander TX homes for sale means comparing master-planned communities like Bryson, Travisso, Crystal Falls, and Mason Hills, each with its own campus feeder and tax tier. Combined property-tax rates run from about 2.02% (Williamson side, no MUD) to about 2.51% in the highest tier, and a new MUD can raise the rate at build-out — Bryson's 2026 stack is a live example. The current Leander housing market favors patient buyers, with homes taking longer to sell than a year ago. Living in Leander TX puts you about 10 minutes north of Cedar Park with a direct rail line into Austin — the reason many families weigh it against pricier neighbors. Anyone living in Leander TX should still confirm campus, district, and tax tier at the specific address.
Compare nearby Central Texas communities and dig deeper with these guides: Cedar Park community guide, Georgetown community guide, and Round Rock community guide. See all our Central Texas community guides to compare markets side by side.
For current primary-source data, see the U.S. Census QuickFacts for Leander and the Redfin Leander market report.