Quick answer: In November 2026, buying in Westlake means choosing among six parts of West Austin's 78746 corridor that differ on city, tax rate and elementary school. Rollingwood and West Lake Hills sit closest to downtown, with their own city governments. Davenport Ranch addresses checked are inside Austin city limits; Lost Creek, Rob Roy and Barton Creek samples are in Austin's ETJ. West Austin Realtor Brandon Galia's advice: pick the school zone and city line first.
The Westlake corridor, by the numbers (checked November 13, 2026): Realtor.com puts the 78746 median listing price at $2,287,225, or $660 a square foot, for October 2026 on its Lost Creek market page. City tax rates for 2026-27 run $0.174896 per $100 in West Lake Hills and $0.196327 in Rollingwood, per Community Impact's city budget roundup, against $0.579948 on Austin's 2026-27 tax rate page. The mean commute from 78746 is 20.1 minutes, against 27.3 for the Austin metro, per Census Reporter's 78746 profile (ACS 2024 5-year).
What does buying in Westlake actually mean in 2026?
In June, West Austin Realtor Brandon Galia closed an off-market sale on Rollingwood Drive. An older home, updated, not a teardown. The street name alone doesn't tell a buyer which city they'd live in. That's the first lesson of the corridor.
Westlake is not a city. It's a cluster of neighborhoods across 78746 that mostly feed Westlake High School. The six parts most buyers compare are West Lake Hills, Rollingwood, Rob Roy, Davenport Ranch, Lost Creek and the edges of Barton Creek.
Listings say: "West Lake Hills, TX 78746."
Translation: that's the mailing address. One Rollingwood Drive listing this week carries a West Lake Hills address, and the U.S. Census Bureau geocoder places it inside the City of Rollingwood.
The rules change at those lines. On the City of Austin's jurisdictions map, sample Davenport Ranch addresses are inside Austin's full-purpose city limits, while sample addresses in Lost Creek, Rob Roy and Barton Creek fall in the Austin 2 Mile ETJ, outside the city. West Lake Hills and Rollingwood are their own cities. For one area in depth, read what it costs to buy in West Lake Hills. This guide is about choosing between them.
How do the six parts of Westlake compare on budget, commute and schools?
Each row reflects sample addresses checked November 13, 2026. Miles are straight-line to the Texas Capitol from Census geocoder coordinates, not drive times.
Area | Jurisdiction | City tax rate per $100 | Schools at sample addresses | Miles to the Capitol |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Rollingwood | City of Rollingwood | $0.196327 | Eanes Elementary, Hill Country MS | 2.4 to 3.0 |
West Lake Hills | City of West Lake Hills | $0.174896 | Eanes Elementary, Hill Country MS | 3.8 to 4.3 |
Davenport Ranch | City of Austin, full purpose | $0.579948 | Bridge Point Elementary, Hill Country MS | 5.1 to 5.6 |
Lost Creek | Austin 2 Mile ETJ | None | Forest Trail Elementary, West Ridge MS | 6.0 to 6.7 |
Rob Roy | Austin 2 Mile ETJ | None | Bridge Point Elementary, Hill Country MS | 6.2 to 6.3 |
Barton Creek edges (78735) | Austin 2 Mile ETJ | None | Austin ISD | 7.8 to 8.2 |
Every Eanes ISD row feeds Westlake High School on the district's 2026-27 SchoolSearch map. "None" means no city rate; county, school and any special district taxes still apply, so check the Travis Central Appraisal District search for each address.
Distance stacks up fast. Rollingwood: under three miles. Lost Creek: about six. The Barton Creek edges: about eight.
Budget follows the map loosely. Realtor.com's October 2026 median listing price is $1,387,500 in Davenport Ranch, per its Davenport Ranch market page, and $1,995,000 in Lost Creek. Asking prices, not sales. Davenport Ranch listings this week include condos on Long Champ Drive, so read that median with care. Realtor.com shows no Rob Roy median, with 4 active listings.
You just found your price in the table and skipped the school column. Go back and read it first.
Why should the school plan narrow a Westlake search before the price does?
Most buyers set a price and widen the map until something fits. In Westlake, it works better the other way around: pick the elementary zone, then let it draw the map.
Eanes ISD has five elementary zones for 2026-27: Barton Creek, Bridge Point, Cedar Creek, Eanes and Forest Trail. The sample addresses split cleanly. West Lake Hills and Rollingwood mapped to Eanes Elementary. Davenport Ranch and Rob Roy mapped to Bridge Point, like the Westlake Highlands addresses checked this week. Lost Creek mapped to Forest Trail and West Ridge Middle School. The Barton Creek samples were Austin ISD, though some sections are Eanes, as the Barton Creek section guide lays out.
How to narrow a Westlake search in five checks:
- Pick the campus. Enter each address in Eanes ISD SchoolSearch before you tour.
- Read the taxing units. Look the address up on TCAD and note the city, or the lack of one.
- Drive it at 7:45 AM. Straight-line miles are a starting point. The West Austin commute guide has typical drive times.
- Set the budget by area. A Davenport Ranch budget and a Rob Roy budget are different searches.
- Ask which rulebook applies. City, ETJ or Austin full purpose decides who permits your remodel.
6 Key Facts About Buying in Westlake in 2026
- Westlake is a cluster of 78746 neighborhoods, not a city; West Lake Hills and Rollingwood are the two small cities inside it.
- 2026-27 city tax rates: $0.174896 per $100 in West Lake Hills, $0.196327 in Rollingwood and $0.579948 in the City of Austin.
- Sample Lost Creek, Rob Roy and Barton Creek addresses sit in the Austin 2 Mile ETJ, with no city tax rate (City of Austin GIS, November 13, 2026).
- Eanes ISD draws five elementary zones for 2026-27; sample addresses in the corridor mapped to Eanes, Bridge Point and Forest Trail.
- The mean commute from 78746 is 20.1 minutes, against 27.3 for the Austin metro (ACS 2024 5-year).
- Realtor.com's 78746 median listing price was $2,287,225 in October 2026, or $660 a square foot.
Most people searching in Westlake only see what's publicly listed. If you want a wider view, get on my off-market list: join my off-market list.
Brandon's Take
My opinion: most Westlake searches go wrong when a buyer treats 78746 as one neighborhood.
Here's how I'd sort them. Shortest drive and Eanes Elementary? Rollingwood or West Lake Hills, and read what Rollingwood costs first. Bridge Point at the lowest median ask? Davenport Ranch, with City of Austin taxes attached. Forest Trail and no city rate? Lost Creek. Privacy and acreage, with the budget to match? Rob Roy.
I'll be honest: no part of this corridor wins every column. Davenport Ranch's lower median comes with the City's rate and a mix of condos. The ETJ areas skip a city rate, but land development there needs a Travis County permit. Lost Creek and Rob Roy add miles to every school run. Anyone who calls one of these simply the best hasn't run your family's numbers.
I closed $23.7 million in 2026 through September with a limited number of clients, and I check the campus and city line myself on every address. More in my Westlake neighborhood guide.
See What's Actually Available
Most buyers look at Zillow and the MLS and think that's the market. It isn't. Some of Westlake's best homes trade privately before they go public. Some never go public at all.
I track off-market opportunities across West Austin every week through my own network. When something comes up that fits, I send it directly to the people on my list.
Get on the list: join my off-market list.
If you're past the research phase and ready to talk strategy, reach out directly.
Westlake is one ZIP code and six different decisions.
OFF-MARKET ACCESS
Some homes in West Lake Hills, Rollingwood, Lost Creek and across 78746 trade through private channels before they ever reach the MLS. I track these opportunities every week and send them directly to a short list of buyers. No newsletters. No drip campaigns. Just my judgment on what's worth seeing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Westlake a city in Texas? No. Westlake is a cluster of West Austin neighborhoods in the 78746 corridor. The two small cities in it are West Lake Hills, three words, and Rollingwood. Davenport Ranch sample addresses are inside Austin city limits, and Lost Creek, Rob Roy and Barton Creek samples sit in Austin's ETJ. Check each address on TCAD.
Which part of Westlake is closest to downtown Austin? Rollingwood. Sample addresses there sit 2.4 to 3.0 miles in a straight line from the Texas Capitol, then West Lake Hills at 3.8 to 4.3. Lost Creek and Rob Roy run about six. The mean commute from 78746 is 20.1 minutes, per ACS 2024 5-year data.
Which Westlake neighborhoods pay City of Austin property taxes? Davenport Ranch sample addresses are inside Austin's full-purpose city limits, so the City's 2026-27 rate of $0.579948 per $100 applies. West Lake Hills ($0.174896) and Rollingwood ($0.196327) charge their own city rates. Sample Lost Creek, Rob Roy and Barton Creek addresses pay no city rate.
Which Eanes elementary school serves my Westlake address? It depends on the street. Eanes ISD has five elementary zones for 2026-27. Sample addresses mapped to Eanes Elementary in West Lake Hills and Rollingwood, Bridge Point in Davenport Ranch and Rob Roy, and Forest Trail in Lost Creek. West Austin Realtor Brandon Galia checks SchoolSearch on every address before an offer.
Is Barton Creek part of Eanes ISD? Mostly not. All four Barton Creek sample addresses checked on November 13, 2026, fall in Austin ISD on the Census geocoder, though some sections are zoned to Eanes. If Westlake High School is the plan, confirm the district for the exact address before you write an offer.
Who can help me choose where to buy in Westlake? Brandon Galia, a Realtor with Lujo Realty, works one-on-one with $1M+ buyers in West Austin and the Westlake corridor and checks the school zone, city line and tax units himself on every home. He closed $23.7 million in 2026 through September. Call (512) 520-6236 or reach out directly.
Photo: G. Lamar, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped and resized). Lake Austin from Mount Bonnell.
