Living in West Lake Hills, TX: What to Know Before You Move
Austin Metro / Central Texas · Texas

Living in West Lake Hills, Texas
(2026 Complete Guide)

What Is Living in West Lake Hills, Texas Like?

Most people who move to West Lake Hills from somewhere else expect a suburb. What they find instead is a small, incorporated city of 3,229 residents tucked into the wooded hillsides just west of Austin — a place that operates its own government, its own police department, and protects 227 acres of Hill Country wilderness right inside city limits. The city sits at the intersection of RM-2244 (Bee Cave Road) and Loop 360, two routes that carry most of the daily traffic in and out. That location is the core of West Lake Hills' appeal: you are close enough to Downtown Austin to consider it a quick drive, yet the canopy of live oaks and cedar is thick enough that you genuinely cannot see the city from most of the residential streets.

The economic anchor here is Eanes Independent School District, which holds an A rating, according to the Texas Education Agency — a distinction it has maintained every year the state has issued ratings. Westlake High School, home of the Chaparrals, is the sole high school in the district, and Friday night football fills the stands in a way that signals how seriously this community takes its shared institutions. Many residents work for the State of Texas in Austin, and the district itself is one of the city's largest direct employers. The median household income of $198,125 reflects a community that skews heavily toward dual-income professional households and senior executives who have chosen this zip code specifically for Eanes ISD.

The price of entry is significant: the typical home here carried a Zillow Home Value Index figure of $2,116,171 as of July 2026, placing West Lake Hills among the most expensive residential communities in Central Texas. The effective property tax rate sits at approximately 1.34%, which is meaningful at this price point but comparatively modest against many Texas suburbs. What you get in return is the Bee Cave Road corridor, a stretch of shops and restaurants that has matured into something closer to a neighborhood center, plus access to wild spaces — the Barton Creek Greenbelt and Red Bud Isle are a short drive away — and 229 sunny days a year to use them. For a full breakdown of costs and what day-to-day spending looks like, see the cost of living page.

Whether you are relocating for the schools, moving from a higher-priced coastal market, or simply looking for the closest thing to Hill Country living that still puts you about 15 minutes to Downtown Austin, this guide breaks down West Lake Hills' neighborhoods, housing market, commute realities, school district, and what life here actually looks like once you have unpacked.

West Lake Hills scenery

West Lake Hills at a Glance

3,229
Population
$114,000
Min. income to rent comfortably
$603,711
Min. income to buy a home
95°F
Avg. summer high
229
Sunny days per year
15 min
Avg. commute to Downtown Austin

Looking to buy in West Lake Hills? Estimate your payment.

Enter your numbers to see an estimated monthly mortgage payment.

Loan amount
Principal & interest
Est. property taxes (~1.34% annual rate)
Est. homeowner's insurance
Est. total monthly

Estimate only. Excludes HOA fees and mortgage insurance. The interest rate above is a starting point, not a quoted rate — replace it with your own to see real numbers. Insurance is a flat placeholder, not a West Lake Hills quote.

Want to talk through your numbers for West Lake Hills? Tell us what you need and we’ll connect you with a vetted local professional.
Get Connected →

Why Are People Moving to West Lake Hills?

The case for West Lake Hills is unusually specific. It is not a general-purpose suburb — it is a city where most buyers have done the math on one particular trade-off: paying a premium to be in Eanes ISD while staying close enough to Austin to avoid the long western-suburb commute.

The Schools Draw

Eanes Independent School District, with 7,530 students enrolled in 2025-26, is the reason a large share of families land here rather than in other comparable Austin-area communities. The district holds an A rating, according to the Texas Education Agency, and has scored 94 out of 100 points in both the 2023-24 and 2024-25 accountability cycles. On 2024-25 state assessments, 79% of students reached math proficiency and 88% reached reading proficiency. Those numbers are hard to argue with, and parents shopping the Austin metro know it — the district's reputation is baked into every listing price in the 78746 zip code. For a deeper look at individual campuses and boundary details, see the schools page.

The Location Logic

West Lake Hills is about 15 minutes to Downtown Austin under normal conditions — shorter than many communities that market themselves as Austin-adjacent. That proximity matters both practically and psychologically. Residents can get to a downtown meeting, a restaurant, or a concert venue without the sustained commute that defines life in Lakeway or Bee Cave.

The city's size — 3.59 square miles, the 480th-largest incorporated city in Texas — also means it has a genuine identity as a municipality. It funds its own public safety, maintains its own city hall (relocated to a new facility on Bee Cave Road in September 2025), and exercises local zoning control that has kept the residential character of the hillside neighborhoods largely intact for decades.

Who Actually Moves Here

The buyer profile skews toward senior-level professionals and executives who have either relocated from high-cost coastal markets or moved up within Austin's own market. Families with school-age children make up a significant portion, drawn directly by Eanes ISD. There is also a contingent of long-term Austin residents who sold in the city and reinvested in West Lake Hills specifically to access the school district without leaving the general Austin orbit.

It is worth being honest about the income math. The median household income here is $198,125, yet that figure falls well short of what is needed to carry the typical home price at today's rates. Most buyers bringing a West Lake Hills purchase to close are doing so with substantial equity from a prior home sale, significant cash reserves, or both. The profile this attracts tends to value stability, school quality, and the physical environment over urban density or price flexibility. For broader context on safety in the community, the safety page covers the data in detail — the city carries a violent crime rate of 0.97 per 1,000 residents, well below both the state figure of 4 per 1,000 and the national figure of 3.7 per 1,000.

What Daily Life Feels Like in West Lake Hills

Living in West Lake Hills is quieter than the Austin zip codes that surround it. The streets are hilly and wooded, most of the neighborhoods were developed in the 1970s and 1980s, and the residential character has changed slowly since. That is deliberate — the city's zoning and incorporated status have insulated it from the denser infill that has reshaped adjacent parts of Austin.

The Morning Rhythm

A typical weekday morning means driving out. Most errands, school drop-offs, and coffee runs happen on RM-2244 (Bee Cave Road) or just off Loop 360. The Bee Cave Road corridor, particularly near the Loop 360 intersection, has added enough retail and dining in recent years that many residents find themselves making fewer trips all the way into Austin for routine needs. That is a meaningful change from even a few years ago, when most stops required a drive into the city proper.

The city is not walkable in the traditional sense — the hills and the residential lot sizes make foot traffic between destinations impractical for most residents. A car is the baseline assumption for daily life, full stop.

What Surprises People After Six Months

Newcomers consistently underestimate how community-oriented West Lake Hills actually is, given its small size. Westlake High School's athletic and extracurricular calendar functions as the city's social calendar. Active UIL athletics programs anchor the school year, and Friday night Chaparral football draws a crowd that reveals how tightly this community is knit around its institutions. Parents who expected a quiet, low-key suburb often find themselves far more involved in school and civic life than they anticipated.

The other surprise is Loop 360 itself. State transportation improvement work on Loop 360 — including new underpasses and interchange upgrades that broke ground in 2026 — means construction disruption is real right now. Some intersections that residents relied on for years have changed, and the full buildout of improvements through the Bee Cave Road corridor is contingent on future funding. Anyone moving here in the near term should expect some adjustment as the road evolves.

The Outdoors as Daily Life

Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve, the 227-acre Hill Country habitat that sits along Loop 360, was founded in 1974 by a group of local conservationists and became Austin's first nature preserve. It is now part of the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve and is co-managed by Travis County and St. Edward's University. Trails wind through cedar and live oak terrain, and golden-cheeked warblers nest here in spring. For many West Lake Hills residents, a weekday trail walk at Wild Basin is less of an outing and more of a routine. Camp Craft Park offers another green anchor in the city's western edge. For a full picture of outdoor options — including the Barton Creek Greenbelt and Red Bud Isle nearby — see the parks and recreation page.

The West Lake Hills Housing Market Right Now

West Lake Hills is one of the most expensive residential markets in Central Texas, and the price point reflects that clearly. The Zillow Home Value Index placed the typical home value at $2,116,171 as of July 2026. Entry-level purchases — typically older ranch-style or split-level homes from the 1970s or 1980s that have not been fully renovated — come in meaningfully below the median, though finding something under $1.5 million requires patience and usually means accepting a home in need of significant updating.

The bulk of the housing stock is single-family detached, built during the community's primary development boom across the 1970s and 1980s. Contemporary and fully renovated homes sit at the higher end of the range, and new construction is uncommon given the built-out character of the city's 3.59 square miles. When new builds do appear, they tend toward modern Hill Country architecture with large glazed walls oriented to take advantage of the tree canopy and canyon views.

Some areas of the city command prices noticeably above the city-wide figure based on lot size, view exposure, and proximity to preserve land — but the detail on which neighborhoods carry which character is better explored on the neighborhoods page. Nearby, Rollingwood carries prices noticeably higher than West Lake Hills; Bee Cave and Lost Creek both sit noticeably lower, which makes them meaningful alternatives for buyers who want the general area without the full price of the Eanes ISD address.

Demand here tends to be steady rather than volatile. The buyer pool is narrow — this is not a market of broad affordability — but those who can buy here tend to hold, which keeps turnover low and listings relatively scarce. Well-priced homes in good condition rarely sit for long. For a broader read on cost of living figures including rent and tax context, see the cost of living page.

West Lake Hills Neighborhoods

West Lake Hills has several distinct areas — each with its own character and appeal. Here’s a breakdown to help you narrow down where to focus your home search.

🏡 Westlake Terrace

Westlake Terrace is one of the more established pockets of the city, with a mix of original ranch-style homes and renovated properties on quiet, curved hillside streets. It suits families looking for a settled neighborhood feel within easy reach of Westlake High School.

🏠 Spiller Hill

Spiller Hill occupies some of the more elevated terrain in West Lake Hills, with homes that take advantage of the ridge topography for Hill Country views. The character here is residential and private, appealing to buyers who prioritize lot separation and quiet.

🌳 Wildcat Club

Wildcat Club carries a well-established neighborhood identity and is known for its mix of larger lots and mature tree canopy. Families and long-term Westlake residents tend to settle here for its sense of community and access to the broader Eanes ISD school network.

🏘 West Rim (Westrim)

West Rim sits toward the western edge of the city and tends to feature some of the most dramatic topography in West Lake Hills, with properties positioned along ridge lines that open up to canyon views. It suits buyers who want the natural setting to be front and center.

🏔 Westwood

Westwood is a quieter, densely wooded section of the city with an understated residential character. The housing stock reflects the city's 1970s and 1980s development era, and the neighborhood appeals to buyers seeking value within the Eanes ISD footprint relative to more prominent areas.

🌆 Windfall Woods

Windfall Woods lives up to its name with an especially heavy tree canopy and a private, secluded feel despite being well within the city limits. It is a good fit for buyers who want the wooded Hill Country character maximized, with a neighborhood that rarely generates much turnover.

Want to see what's for sale in West Lake Hills?Sign up for listing alerts — get notified when homes hit the market.
Get Listing Alerts →

Pros & Cons of Living in West Lake Hills

The Pros

  • Top-ranked Eanes ISD schools
  • Low crime and a quiet, wooded hillside setting
  • Short commute to downtown Austin
  • Access to Lake Austin and Hill Country scenery

The Cons

  • Among the highest home prices in the Austin metro
  • Limited rental and starter-home inventory
  • Property taxes in Travis County run above the national average

Getting Around & Commuting in West Lake Hills

The two roads that define daily movement in West Lake Hills are RM-2244 (Bee Cave Road) and Loop 360. Essentially everything goes through one or both of them. Understanding how they behave at different times of day is the first thing a new resident figures out, usually in the first week.

The Downtown Austin Run

West Lake Hills sits about 15 minutes to Downtown Austin under light conditions. Most residents reach MoPac (Loop 1) via either Loop 360 heading south or RM-2244 heading east — both routes funnel into MoPac, which carries the traffic the rest of the way in. The shorter distance to downtown relative to further western suburbs like Lakeway or Bee Cave generally means less variability in commute time, though morning rush on Loop 360 and the RM-2244/Loop 360 intersection can add meaningful time during peak hours.

The Loop 360 Construction Reality

State transportation improvement work along Loop 360 is the most consequential infrastructure story affecting West Lake Hills right now. A February 2025 public meeting covered the removal of traffic signals and the addition of underpasses at Westlake Drive and Cedar Street. A groundbreaking for an overpass and diverging diamond interchange at Courtyard Drive and RM 2222 occurred in April 2026. Subsequent segments at Lakewood Drive and Spicewood Springs Road could begin as early as 2029, with the Bee Cave Road corridor segments contingent on additional funding. The long-term outcome — a freer-moving Loop 360 — is good news for West Lake Hills commuters. The medium-term reality is disruption, and anyone buying here now should plan around that.

Austin Employment and the State Government Connection

The largest single source of employment drawing West Lake Hills residents into Austin is state government. Texas state agencies are headquartered downtown and in the Capitol complex, and a meaningful share of the professional households in West Lake Hills are state employees or contractors. Eanes ISD is the other major direct employer in the city itself. A major regional health system operates within city limits and employs clinical and administrative staff locally. For those who work remotely — and there are many in this income bracket — the commute question becomes less about daily driving and more about airport access. Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is 14 miles away, a reasonable drive for the frequent flyers this community tends to attract.

MoPac South and What It Means

West Lake Hills and Rollingwood officials issued a conditional letter of support in April 2026 for a proposed MoPac South expansion — express lanes along an 8.7-mile stretch that would run from near downtown to the south side of the metro. If the project advances, it would improve the southward MoPac option for residents whose work takes them below the river. That remains a proposed project, not a funded one, but it is worth tracking for anyone making a long-term location decision based on the commute.

Schools in West Lake Hills

Families relocating to West Lake Hills have public, private, and higher-education options nearby. Here’s a quick overview.

🎓 School District

Eanes Independent School District serves K–12 students across West Lake Hills and the surrounding area. Rated A (source: Texas Education Agency, 2025 A-F accountability rating (2024-25 school year)).

🏆 Graduation Rate

The 4-year high-school graduation rate here is approximately 97%.

📚 Higher Education

Texas’s public universities — the University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M University, and the University of Houston — offer four-year degrees statewide, with one of the largest community college systems in the country (50+ public community college districts) providing two-year and workforce programs.

🌐 Online Learning

UT Austin Online and Texas A&M University Online offer fully accredited online degrees for remote learners across the state.

Safety in West Lake Hills

A quick look at how West Lake Hills compares on the numbers that matter most when weighing a neighborhood or a move.

🛡 Violent Crime

Approximately 0.97 per 1,000 residents.

🔒 Property Crime

Approximately 28.37 per 1,000 residents.

Compared to the most recent national figures from the Bureau of Justice Statistics (2024), West Lake Hills’s violent crime is below the national average (about 3.7 per 1,000), and property crime is above the national average (about 18.4 per 1,000).

Against Texas as a whole, West Lake Hills’s violent crime is roughly a quarter of the state average, and property crime is somewhat above the state average (Bureau of Justice Statistics, Crime Known to Law Enforcement, 2024 (tables 2 and 3)).

Crime rates can vary a lot within a single city, so the citywide numbers above are only a starting point. Some neighborhoods in West Lake Hills run well below these averages, while others run higher — the kind of block-by-block detail that matters most when you’re actually choosing where to live. The full guide below breaks it down neighborhood by neighborhood.

Working in West Lake Hills

West Lake Hills’s largest employers span several industries — here are some of the anchors of the local job market.

🎓 Eanes Independent School District

Education

🏛 City of West Lake Hills

Municipal government

🏥 The Hospital at Westlake Medical Center

Healthcare

🏛 State of Texas

State government, located in Austin

Parks & Recreation in West Lake Hills

Some of the outdoor spaces that shape everyday life in West Lake Hills.

🌱 Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve

🌱 Camp Craft Park

West Lake Hills residents don’t have to go far for green space — spots like Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve and Camp Craft Park are part of everyday life here, whether that’s a morning walk, a weekend hike, or just somewhere to unwind outside. The full guide below covers more of what West Lake Hills has to offer for parks and outdoor recreation.

West Lake Hills

Retiring in West Lake Hills

West Lake Hills draws retirees for its balance of amenities, outdoor access, and cost. Here’s what to weigh.

🌤 Climate

West Lake Hills gets 229 sunny days a year, with long, hot summers and mild winters that rarely require more than a light jacket. Spring and fall are the seasons that make the Hill Country setting shine — comfortable temperatures, wildflowers, and active wildlife in the preserve. Summer heat is real and persistent, and first-year residents from cooler climates typically need a season to calibrate.

🍴 Lifestyle

The outdoor amenities are the lifestyle anchor — Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve is free and walkable, and the Barton Creek Greenbelt is a short drive for more strenuous terrain. The Bee Cave Road corridor offers a solid range of dining and coffee options including Kerbey Lane Cafe, Flower Child, and Trianon Coffee. The pace is quiet relative to Austin proper, with civic life centered around the school calendar and outdoor pursuits.

🏚 55+ Communities

No 55+ communities were found in West Lake Hills. Retirees interested in the area typically own single-family homes in the city's established hillside neighborhoods, many of which offer single-story floor plans within the 1970s and 1980s ranch-style housing stock. The broader Austin metro has active adult options for those who want dedicated amenities.

✈ Getting Around

A car is necessary for daily life in West Lake Hills. RM-2244 and Loop 360 are the two primary routes for everything from grocery runs to downtown Austin trips. Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is 14 miles from the city, making it practical for retirees who travel frequently. Loop 360 infrastructure improvements should ease long-term traffic flow, though construction disruption is a near-term reality.

🏛 Texas Taxes for Retirees — What to Know

Tax laws change frequently and individual situations vary. This is general information, not tax advice — always consult a qualified Texas tax professional or CPA for personalized retirement tax planning.

Weekends & Local Favorites in West Lake Hills

West Lake Hills is a small city, and its weekend life reflects that — the best of it is either rooted in the outdoor landscape or found along the commercial corridors where a genuinely good set of independent businesses has taken hold.

On the Trail

Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve is the city's signature outdoor asset and genuinely worth treating as a local rather than a tourist. The 227-acre preserve protects cedar and live oak habitat along Loop 360, and the trails are free to access. It is the kind of place that regulars visit on a midweek morning as often as a Saturday — the golden-cheeked warbler nests here in spring, and the trail quality is high for a preserved area inside city limits. Camp Craft Park is the other in-city green space, smaller in scale but well used by families and dog walkers. For wilder terrain and more strenuous options, the Barton Creek Greenbelt, Red Bud Isle, and Emma Long Metropolitan Park are all reachable with a short drive.

Where People Eat and Drink

The dining scene in West Lake Hills punches well above what the population of 3,229 would suggest. Sway Thai brings serious Southeast Asian cooking to the Westlake area — it is the kind of restaurant that draws people in from other parts of Austin rather than just the immediate neighborhood. Kerbey Lane Cafe's Westlake location is a genuine local institution, serving the all-day-breakfast crowd that West Lake Hills residents have relied on for years. Taqueria De Diez (D/10) handles the taco end of things with the kind of following that accumulates from consistent quality over time. Flower Child offers a health-forward fast-casual menu that suits the active-outdoor demographic this city attracts. Swedish Hill Westlake rounds out the options with baked goods and a cafe format that lends itself to slow mornings.

For coffee specifically, Trianon Coffee is the local anchor — an independent shop that has built a loyal neighborhood following. It is the kind of place that functions as a second living room for regulars who work from home.

A Neighborhood in the Making

The Bee Cave Road corridor near Loop 360 has seen a cluster of new business openings through 2025 and 2026 that have shifted it from a pass-through strip into something more like a self-contained neighborhood center. Residents who moved here five years ago and drove into Austin for most of their shopping and dining report making that drive noticeably less often now. That is a real quality-of-life change, and it continues to develop.

Local favorites in West Lake Hills

Restaurants

  • sway thai
  • Kerbey Lane Cafe - Westlake
  • Taqueria De Diez (D/10)
  • Flower Child
  • Swedish Hill Westlake

Outdoors

  • Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve
  • Camp Craft Park
  • Barton Creek Greenbelt (nearby)
  • Red Bud Isle (nearby)
  • Emma Long Metropolitan Park (nearby)

Coffee

  • Trianon Coffee

Top Things Locals Say About West Lake Hills

The best intel about a city comes from the people who actually live there. Here’s what West Lake Hills residents say when newcomers ask the questions everyone’s thinking.

“I knew the schools were good, but I didn't expect how much of our social life would just revolve around Westlake High. And Loop 360 with all the construction — nobody warned me how much the interchange situation would change our daily route in the first year.”

— Recent West Lake Hills home buyer

“What's the most surprising thing about living in West Lake Hills?”

How genuinely small and self-contained it feels, even though you're minutes from Austin. The city has its own government, its own police, and Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve right inside the city limits. You can hike through 227 acres of Hill Country habitat and then be in a downtown meeting an hour later. Most people don't expect that combination until they've lived it for a few months.

“What do locals love most about West Lake Hills?”

The Eanes ISD connection is the obvious one — the school quality is what moved most families here, and it delivers. But what people really fall for is the physical environment. The wooded hillside streets, the canyon views from certain neighborhoods, the way the tree canopy makes the city feel removed even when you're technically inside the Austin metro. And the Chaparral football season gives you a community anchor that most suburbs this size don't have.

“What should newcomers to West Lake Hills know?”

Learn Loop 360 before you rely on it. The state transportation improvement work is real and ongoing, and intersections that longtime residents used as mental landmarks have changed. The RM-2244 and Loop 360 interchange area especially rewards having a backup route in your head during morning rush. Also: the Bee Cave Road corridor is more useful than it looks on a map — it has added enough good options in the last couple of years that you'll make fewer trips all the way into Austin than you think.

“How much do you need a car in West Lake Hills?”

A car is essential. The city is residential and hilly, and the distances between destinations don't support walking or cycling for most errands. Most routine needs — coffee, groceries, dining — happen along RM-2244 or Loop 360, which means a short drive rather than a long one, but always a drive. Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is 14 miles away, which is manageable for frequent travelers.

Cities Near West Lake Hills

Other communities near West Lake Hills worth a look — each with its own character and price point.

CityDistanceBest ForVibeMedian RentMedian Buy
Rollingwood1 miFamilies, proximity to Eanes ISDTight-knit, tree-lined, established$2,900$2,490,000
Lost Creek2 miEanes ISD access at lower entry priceQuiet, wooded, unincorporated feel$2,200$1,380,000
Bee Cave5 miNew construction, retail convenienceNewer, suburban, growing fast$2,750$1,009,500

More Helpful Guides for West Lake Hills

Going deeper on West Lake Hills? Our blog series covers everything from first-time buying to retiring here — explore the guides below.

Local Expert Takeaway: West Lake Hills is one of the few places in the Austin metro where you can walk a 227-acre wilderness preserve before work, drop your kids at a school district that holds an A from the Texas Education Agency, and still be about 15 minutes to Downtown Austin. The price of admission is real — the typical home was $2,116,171 as of July 2026 — but for the families who have done the math, the Eanes ISD address and the Hill Country setting inside city limits are the specific combination they came for, and it is genuinely hard to replicate at any price point nearby.

Quick Takeaways & FAQs

✅ Eanes ISD holds an A rating from the Texas Education Agency and scored 94 out of 100 in both the 2023-24 and 2024-25 state accountability cycles — one of the strongest consistent school district performances in Central Texas.

⚠️ The typical home value of $2,116,171 (July 2026) makes West Lake Hills one of the most expensive residential markets in the Austin metro, and the median household income falls well short of what is needed to carry that price without substantial equity or cash.

📍 Loop 360 is undergoing state transportation improvements — including new interchanges and underpasses — that will improve traffic flow long-term but mean real construction disruption for residents in the near term.

What is the typical home price in West Lake Hills, TX?
The Zillow Home Value Index placed the typical home at $2,116,171 as of July 2026. Entry-level homes — generally older ranch or split-level construction from the 1970s and 1980s that need updating — come in meaningfully below that figure, while fully renovated or new-build contemporary homes sit above it. Inventory is limited, and the buyer pool is narrow but consistent.
How are the schools in West Lake Hills?
West Lake Hills is served by Eanes Independent School District, which holds an A rating, according to the Texas Education Agency, and has scored 94 out of 100 in back-to-back accountability cycles. On 2024-25 state assessments, 79% of students reached math proficiency and 88% reached reading proficiency. The district 7,530 students enrolled in 2025-26. Westlake High School, home of the Chaparrals, is the sole high school and one of the most recognizable in Central Texas.
How far is West Lake Hills from Downtown Austin?
About 15 minutes to Downtown Austin under normal traffic conditions. Most residents reach the city via Loop 360 or RM-2244 (Bee Cave Road) connecting to MoPac. The shorter distance compared to further western suburbs like Bee Cave or Lakeway generally means less variability in commute time, though peak-hour congestion on Loop 360 and at the RM-2244 intersection can extend the drive.
Is West Lake Hills a safe place to live?
West Lake Hills carries a violent crime rate of 0.97 per 1,000 residents and a property crime rate of 28.37 per 1,000 residents. The violent crime figure is well below both the Texas state rate of 4 per 1,000 and the national rate of 3.7 per 1,000. The property crime rate runs higher than state and national figures, which is worth factoring in. The city operates its own police department, which is notable for a community of 3,229 residents.
Are there any 55+ or active adult communities in West Lake Hills?
No 55+ communities were found in West Lake Hills. The housing stock is primarily single-family detached homes, most built between the 1970s and 1990s, with some contemporary new construction. Retirees who want to stay in the area typically look at the broader Austin metro, and the retiring page covers options and considerations in more detail.

Helpful Links for Moving to West Lake Hills

Moving to Texas?

Tell us what you need help with and we'll connect you with local resources.

Todd Davidson

Todd Davidson

About the Author

Todd Davidson is the founder of The Move Genie, a premier digital resource offering in-depth city guides, neighborhood profiles, and localized market insights for communities nationwide. Drawing on an extensive background in home financing and real estate, he established the platform to streamline the relocation process, helping families make confident, data-driven decisions when comparing new areas.