Bee Cave and Barton Creek Real Estate 2026: Hill Country Luxury Meets Convenience

Bee Cave and Barton Creek sit in the heart of West Austin’s Hill Country corridor, and they represent two very different flavors of luxury living that share more geography than you might think. Bee Cave is the suburban luxury hub with one of the lowest city tax rates you’ll find anywhere. Barton Creek is the country club resort lifestyle with four championship golf courses and 4,000 acres of gated Hill Country.

But here’s what makes 2026 interesting for both communities. Bee Cave is holding up relatively well in the correction. Barton Creek, despite its premium pricing, is sitting longer than anywhere else in West Austin at 189 days on market. Same general area, very different market dynamics.

Lets dig into what’s happening in both.

Bee Cave Market Snapshot

That city tax rate deserves a moment. $0.02 per $100 of assessed value. On a million-dollar home, your city taxes are about $154 per year. Per year. You pay more for a nice dinner. Property taxes in Texas get a lot of attention (and they should, effective rates run $1.80-2.20 per $100), but Bee Cave’s city portion is basically a rounding error.

The 33-day DOM is healthy, which tells you that Bee Cave homes are moving when priced well. The 18.0 months of supply looks elevated, but that’s partly a function of some higher-end listings sitting longer and pulling the average up. The sub-$1M segment is more active.

Spanish Oaks: Ultra-Luxury Bee Cave

If you want to understand the top end of the Bee Cave market, look at Spanish Oaks. This is a gated community with a Bobby Weed-designed golf course, and homes are priced from $3.47M to $3.99M.

Days on market at Spanish Oaks are running around 109, which is above the broader Bee Cave average but not unusual for this price tier in any market. Ultra-luxury homes take time to find the right buyer. That’s true everywhere, not just here.

For more on how Spanish Oaks fits into the broader luxury picture, see my West Austin luxury market analysis.

Falconhead: The Accessible Price Point

Not everything in Bee Cave is $3M+. Falconhead offers homes from $520K to $1.24M, which makes it one of the more accessible entry points into the Bee Cave area with Lake Travis ISD schools. For families who want the Bee Cave lifestyle and school district without the ultra-luxury price tag, Falconhead is worth a look.

Hill Country Galleria and The Backyard

Part of what makes Bee Cave work as a community (and not just a collection of subdivisions) is the Hill Country Galleria. At 1.3 million square feet, it’s a true lifestyle center with retail, dining, entertainment, and over 150 community events per year. It gives Bee Cave a “downtown” that many suburban communities lack.

And then there’s The Backyard (now the Live Oak Amphitheater), the outdoor music venue that carries on the legacy of the original venue where Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan played. Live music in the Hill Country on a warm Texas evening. It’s part of why people love living here.

Barton Creek Market Snapshot

189 days on market. That’s the longest sit time in all of West Austin. And it’s worth understanding why.

Barton Creek is a unique market. It’s 4,000 acres of gated community built around the Omni Barton Creek Resort and Spa, with four championship golf courses designed by Tom Fazio (two courses), Ben Crenshaw, and Arnold Palmer. The lifestyle is resort-level. But the buyer pool for $2M-$3M country club homes in a gated community is narrow, and in a market where buyers have lots of choices, that narrow pool is taking its time.

Barton Creek is the outlier in my price comparison data: high prices like Westlake, but sitting like the outer suburbs. If you’re a buyer interested in Barton Creek, that 189 DOM gives you leverage to negotiate. If you’re a seller, you need patience and a realistic pricing strategy.

Barton Creek Lakeside

A separate and more affordable segment is Barton Creek Lakeside, with a median around $939K. This section offers lake access and boat docks, combining the Barton Creek address with waterfront amenity. It’s a different product than the main Barton Creek estates and attracts a different buyer.

The School District Split

Here’s something that catches people off guard. Bee Cave and Barton Creek are neighbors, but they feed into different school districts.

Bee Cave is Lake Travis ISD (TEA “A”, 90/100). Barton Creek proper is Eanes ISD (#1 in Texas, #7 nationally). That Eanes ISD designation is a significant part of why Barton Creek commands premium pricing, even with the longer days on market.

For families making this decision, the district comparison matters a lot. I broke it all down in my school district guide. And if you want to go deeper on the Lake Travis ISD schools that serve Bee Cave, my Lake Travis schools overview has you covered.

New Development: The Pearl at Bee Cave

The Pearl at Bee Cave is now leasing: 318 apartments plus 4 townhomes. This adds a rental option to a community that’s been almost entirely single-family. For the broader Bee Cave real estate market, it’s a sign that the area is maturing and diversifying its housing stock.

For buyers looking at new construction beyond Bee Cave, my West Austin new construction guide covers every major community from Bee Cave to Dripping Springs.

What I’d Tell a Buyer Right Now

If you’re looking at Bee Cave in the sub-$1M range, you’re in a market that’s still moving at a reasonable pace with that incredible city tax rate as a bonus. Falconhead and Sweetwater give you Lake Travis ISD at accessible price points.

If you’re looking at Barton Creek, you have more negotiating leverage than you’ve had in years. 189 days on market means sellers are ready to talk. The lifestyle is unmatched if country club living is your thing, and the Eanes ISD schools are the crown jewel.

If you’re trying to decide between communities, my Bee Cave vs Lakeway vs Dripping Springs comparison helps narrow it down. For the cost of living reality check, see this breakdown. And for the broader Austin market picture, my 2026 forecast has the data.

Ready to Explore Bee Cave or Barton Creek?

Whether you’re drawn to the golf courses, the lake access, or the Hill Country Galleria lifestyle, I can help you find the right community and the right home.

Contact Ed Neuhaus at Neuhaus Realty Group to start the conversation.

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