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About Cedar Park, TX

About Cedar Park, TX

America's fourth-fastest-growing city conjoins surrounding comforts

Long before arenas, shopping malls and subdivisions cropped up roughly 16 miles north of Austin, Cedar Park was called Running Brushy, named for a spring at the headwaters of a nearby creek. By 1874, its first post office opened, followed by a railroad stop between Austin and Burnet. But it wasn't until the 1970s that Cedar Park came into full view, incorporating as an independent city and growing its population from 125 to over 3,000. Today, Cedar Park is home to 77,000 people, and it remains one of the fastest growing cities in the country. While it lacks a brimming downtown, the city offers suburban comforts in the center of a fast-growing region. "Cedar Park is pricey, but not compared to somewhere in Austin proper," says Realtor Adam Zell of the Zell Team for Compass RE Texas. "I feel like Cedar Park is kind of a kind of a 'tweener. It's sort of a combo of all these cities around it, like Round Rock, Georgetown and Leander."

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Context shot, residential neighborhood
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Enjoy the best at Caballo Ranch Bar and nearby high-rated restaurants.
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homes
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Cedar Park boasts a variety of shopping and dining options.
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Continuous housing development since the 1970s

Cedar Park’s master-planned subdivisions include well-established communities with HOAs, like Buttercup Creek, as well as brand-new subdivisions like The Place. The new traditional homes with Craftsman or Prairie-style touches often sport large, attached garages, surrounded by quiet streets and resident-only parks. However, some subdivisions are more densely packed, including communities of attached multiplex homes. A handful of homes are still standing from Cedar Park's 1970s housing boom, often in southernmost neighborhoods like Cedar Park Ranchettes. As development chugs along, new projects include the highly anticipated Bell District project, bringing retail and dining space, high-density housing, a new public library and office space. The median price for a single-family home in Cedar Park is around $510,000. Townhouses see a median price of $394,000, while smaller homes often begin around mid-$300,000. However, some new construction is listed as high as $1.7 million.

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Walking sidewalks at Caballo Ranch are perfect for evening strolls.
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Cedar Park offers dog-friendly walking paths.
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Cedar Park is defined by sprawling suburbs and booming population.
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Locals enjoy the new Cedar Park Public Library, which offers free wi-fi.
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H-E-B and other Austin-based chains reign supreme

Supercharged development in Cedar Park results from tech employers moving into nearby cities like Round Rock and Georgetown and a few new companies within Cedar Park, like Firefly Aerospace. However, the Cedar Park Regional Medical Center remains the city's largest employer. Nevertheless, tech growth has stimulated largescale commercial developments. Whitestone Boulevard and other major roads are now home to large concentrations of retail and dining, including shopping centers like the Lakeline Mall or 1890 Ranch. Shoppers have no shortage of regional favorites nearby, including local chains like P. Terry's Burger Stand, Thundercloud Subs and Whataburger. While some shop for groceries from national chains like Whole Foods and Target, a particular regional chain supermarket reigns supreme. "People love H-E-B around here," says Realtor Joaquin Sanchez of the Zell Team for Compass RE Texas. "I've lived all over this country, and I believe that H-E-B is by far the best. Even the stuff they make themselves, like the tamales. It's a very random selection, but there's a lot of really tasty stuff." Of course, local businesses like barbecue smokehouses, comic book shops and plant nurseries can be found in between the many chains along Bell Boulevard too.

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Cedar Park's Whole Foods Market features fresh produce.
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Nearby HEB is a favorite spot for Silverado Ranch.
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Locals living in Cedar Park can enjoy rapid access to the Lakeline Mall nearby.
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P. Terry's is a local favorite burger chain in Cedar Park.
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High test scores and early college credits from Leander ISD

Cedar Park's high-quality public schools are a significant draw. Most students are zoned for the Leander Independent School District, which has an overall A-plus Niche rating. A few students are zoned for the Round Rock Independent School District, which is A-rated. "The high school sports facilities are pretty good. They have a lot of pretty famous tennis players that'll sometimes come back and practice at the high school courts," says Lexi Zell of the Zell Team for Compass RE Texas. Leander ISD is ranked the 2nd best district in the Austin area. While its athletics are fairly distinguished, the district also boasts high graduation rates and an average SAT score of 1240, well above the national average score of 1050. Leander ISD serves more than 42,000 students across 50 schools, including one early college high school where students can earn up to 60 college credit hours and a specialty high school offering individualized instruction. Even so, Leander ISD has an average class size of 16 to 1, below the national average of 17 students per teacher. Cedar Park is also home to the Austin Community College Cypress Creek campus, which offers a dual enrollment program with Leander ISD.

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Artie L Henry Middle fosters creativity and growth.
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Stiles Middle School educates 1,446 students in grades 6-8.
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Vista Ridge High School is a public high school located in Cedar Park, Texas.
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Monta Jane Akin Elementary School serves students in kindergarten through fifth or sixth grade.
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Headliner concerts and ice hockey matches at the H-E-B Center

Before the Cedar Park Center became the H-E-B Center in 2009, Cedar Park was a relatively sleepy place where residents mainly sought entertainment from local organizations and HOA-led events. But nowadays, the city's premier fixture competes with Austin's famed downtown venues for headliner concerts, sports games and special events. "The H-E-B Center is the main thing we visit up there," says Realtor Lexi Castles of the Zell Team for Compass RE Texas. "That's where I graduated high school actually, but they do concerts and minor league hockey there too." As the home arena for both an NBA G League team and the Austin Stars, the H-E-B Center's sporting events are frequent and highly attended. But residents find other ways to remain social aside from sports games and concerts, like an annual 4th of July fireworks show in Elizabeth Milburn Park, free events at the Cedar Park Public Library, a weekly farmer's market at the Lakeline Mall or the Cedar Fest Barbecue Cook-Off every spring.

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Cedar Park's H-E-B Center hosts concerts and events.
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Biker on trail
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Elizabeth Milburn Park features a BMX track, public pool, playing fields & a rock-climbing wall.
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The brand new Cedar Park Public Library is open and ready for all book lovers.
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Light rail connections with the Domain and Downtown Austin

U.S. Highway 183 forms the backbone of Cedar Park, connecting it with major commuter routes that lead into downtown Austin, like the MoPac Expressway and Interstate 35. Traffic gets heavy on North Austin's commuter highways around peak hours. However, many residents only commute halfway to major employers like Cisco, IBM, and Charles Schwab, which occupy the Domain -- "the new downtown" for North Austin, as many locals call it. Residents can commute to the Domain and Downtown Austin using CapMetro's light rail line, although most rely on personal vehicles.

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Cedar Park has several convenient bus stations.
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CapMetro Rail connects Cedar Park to major Austin destinations.
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Access to Highway 183 makes commuting easy from Caballo Ranch.
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Highways 183 and 45 intersect in Cedar Park.
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A taste of Texas Hill Country

Roughly 11 miles east of Lake Travis, proximity to Hill Country ensures ample recreation at the parks, zipline courses, marinas and hiking trails that enwrap the reservoir. Within Cedar Park, 49 park facilities eclipse 1,000 acres of public recreational space, and additional resident-only parks and playgrounds are available within certain subdivisions. Brushy Creek Lake Park is where most locals put in a kayak or catch fish. Central gathering spaces like Elizabeth Milburn Park host frequent outdoor events, including concerts and movie nights. Veteran’s Memorial Park features a popular dog park, an 8,500 sq. foot splash pad and an outdoor amphitheater.

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Fishing is a popular activity at Lakewood Park in Caballo Ranch.
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Cedar Park's Brushy Creek Lake Park is perfect for biking.
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Body of water - Whitewater Cave Preserve
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Caballo Ranch residents enjoy the local playground for outdoor fun.
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Low crime rates and coyote sightings

According to FBI crime data, rates of violent and nonviolent crime in Cedar Park fall below state and national figures, and below the rates in Austin proper. However, violent crime has been on a slight rise since early 2021. Brushy Creek and its intermittent tributaries form flood zones throughout the city, although this only becomes a hazard when flash floods occur from Hill Country's notoriously heavy rainstorms. Wildfires are more of a concern in Cedar Park, where 50 acres were charred in 2023. Core neighborhoods are well protected from wildfires, particularly around Buttercup Creek, but the rest of the city is in an ember zone, and areas with high vulnerability sit roughly 8 miles north. In response, the city has a fire department division trained to combat brushfires.

Tom Jakob
Written By
Tom Jakob
Saeid Zare
Photography Contributed By
Saeid Zare
Maurice McNeil
Video By
Maurice McNeil

Neighborhood Map

Cedar Park by the Numbers

85,448
Population
$518K
Average Housing Value
51
Average Days on Market

Cost of Living Comparison

Average Home Value



Source: Public Records

Top Schools in Cedar Park, TX

Source:

Best Public Elementary Schools

Patsy Sommer Elementary School
#1 Patsy Sommer Elementary School
A
Niche
10
GreatSchools
Rutledge Elementary School
#2 Rutledge Elementary School
A
Niche
10
GreatSchools
Deer Creek Elementary School
#3 Deer Creek Elementary School
A
Niche
9
GreatSchools
Monta Jane Akin Elementary School
#4 Monta Jane Akin Elementary School
A
Niche
9
GreatSchools
Parkside Elementary School
#5 Parkside Elementary School
A
Niche
9
GreatSchools
Purple Sage Elementary School
#6 Purple Sage Elementary School
A
Niche
8
GreatSchools
Charlotte Cox Elementary School
#7 Charlotte Cox Elementary School
A
Niche
8
GreatSchools
Ronald Reagan Elementary School
#8 Ronald Reagan Elementary School
A
Niche
8
GreatSchools
William J Winkley Elementary School
#9 William J Winkley Elementary School
A
Niche
7
GreatSchools

Best Public Middle Schools

Rutledge Elementary School
#1 Rutledge Elementary School
A
Niche
10
GreatSchools
Florence W Stiles Middle
#2 Florence W Stiles Middle
A
Niche
10
GreatSchools
Cedar Park Middle
#3 Cedar Park Middle
A
Niche
8
GreatSchools
Cedar Valley Middle School
#4 Cedar Valley Middle School
A
Niche
8
GreatSchools
Pearson Ranch Middle
#5 Pearson Ranch Middle
A
Niche
8
GreatSchools
Artie L Henry Middle
#6 Artie L Henry Middle
A
Niche
7
GreatSchools
Noel Grisham Middle
#7 Noel Grisham Middle
A
Niche
6
GreatSchools
Four Points Middle School
#8 Four Points Middle School
A
Niche
6
GreatSchools
Running Brushy Middle
#9 Running Brushy Middle
A
Niche
6
GreatSchools

Best Public High Schools

Vandegrift High School
#1 Vandegrift High School
A+
Niche
9
GreatSchools
Round Rock High School
#2 Round Rock High School
A+
Niche
8
GreatSchools
Westwood High School
#3 Westwood High School
A+
Niche
8
GreatSchools
Vista Ridge High School
#4 Vista Ridge High School
A
Niche
8
GreatSchools
Cedar Park High School
#5 Cedar Park High School
A
Niche
7
GreatSchools
Rouse High School
#6 Rouse High School
A
Niche
7
GreatSchools
McNeil High School
#7 McNeil High School
A
Niche
6
GreatSchools
Leander High School
#8 Leander High School
A-
Niche
6
GreatSchools

Best Private Schools

Hill Country Christian School
#1 Hill Country Christian School
A+
Niche
Summit Christian Academy
#2 Summit Christian Academy
A-
Niche
Brushy Creek Montessori School
#3 Brushy Creek Montessori School
Cadence Academy Preschool - Cedar Park
#4 Cadence Academy Preschool - Cedar Park
Cedar Park Jewish Day School
#5 Cedar Park Jewish Day School
Cedar Park Montessori School
#6 Cedar Park Montessori School
Guidepost Montessori at Brushy Creek
#7 Guidepost Montessori at Brushy Creek
Guidepost Montessori at Cypress Creek
#8 Guidepost Montessori at Cypress Creek
Lake Travis STEM Academy
#9 Lake Travis STEM Academy

Agents Specializing in this Area

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Agent Spotlight

Erin Bara
(855) 496-3084
Personal Mission Statement

Erin is dedicated to earning the business of her clients by utilizing her marketing and communications background combined with more than 10 years of successful real estate and brokerage experience in the dynamic Austin market.

Experience

Erin continues to go “above and beyond” to provide an excellent level of customer service to all of her buyer and seller clients by relying on more than 12 years of experience to facilitate positive outcomes for each real estate transaction. Erin’s motto is “no surprises.” As a client advocate, she positions her buyers and sellers to negotiate with an advantage to achieve the desired goal. Her expertise in managing each real estate transaction while maintaining high ethical standards combined with hi-tech resources and an excellent support team has allowed her business to flourish in a competitive environment. Erin considers her responsibility to be that of an expert real estate consultant to her clients, and she loves the challenge of adapting her skill set to thrive in an ever-changing market. The majority of Erin’s new business stems from referrals from previous clients and associates, and her goal remains to exceed the expectations of each buyer and seller she has the opportunity to work with.

Education

Erin earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Mass Communication from Texas State University and was elected “Most Outstanding Print Journalism Graduate” by department professors.
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Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.