About Forest Hills, TX Real Estate
Neighborhoods & Subdivisions in Forest Hills
Forest Hills in Burnet County is organized across two recorded subdivision platts: Forest Hills and Forest Hills A Add. The original Forest Hills subdivision covers the bulk of the community, with lots that reflect the area's rural roots and the natural topography of the Hill Country. Forest Hills A Add includes larger parcels that lend themselves to custom construction and more private settings. Both sections share the cedar and live oak cover that blankets most of this part of Burnet County, with the kind of natural screening between properties that buyers coming from more densely developed areas often find refreshing.
The Forest area encompasses Forest Hills and carries active listings across land, residential, and income property categories. Because raw land makes up a meaningful share of what comes to market here, this is a community where buyers with a build-your-own vision can still find opportunities. Infill lots within the existing plat give builders a legal framework that is already in place, which simplifies the permitting process compared to unplatted rural tracts further out in the county.
Schools Serving Forest Hills
Marble Falls ISD is the primary school district associated with Forest Hills and the surrounding Burnet County communities. Students in the district attend Marble Falls Elementary, Marble Falls Middle School, and Marble Falls High School. The district has grown alongside the Highland Lakes region and offers a range of academic and extracurricular programs supported by a community that has invested steadily in its schools over the past decade.
Some properties within or adjacent to Forest Hills may fall under Austin ISD or Killeen ISD depending on their precise location within the county. Austin ISD assignments in this zone have historically included Maplewood Elementary, Kealing Middle School, and McCallum High School. Killeen ISD serves portions of the area through Colt Elementary, Harker Heights Elementary, and Eastern Hills Middle School. School district boundaries in rural Texas counties can be irregular and sometimes shift at the property line level, so buyers should confirm the specific assignment for any address they are seriously considering by contacting the relevant district directly. Never assume district assignment based on proximity alone.
Real Estate Market Overview
The Forest Hills market reflects the layered nature of rural Burnet County real estate. Land, residential homes, and income-producing properties all coexist within the same subdivision boundaries, which gives the area a character distinct from the more homogenous neighborhoods you find in planned communities closer to Austin. Buyers come here from several directions: some are looking for a buildable lot in an established area, some want an existing home with room to breathe, and some are evaluating the Highland Lakes region for short-term rental income potential given the proximity to Lake LBJ and the tourism that surrounds it.
Residential homes in Forest Hills tend to sit on larger lots than what buyers find in more developed lake communities, and the overall density remains low. That combination of space and relative affordability compared to lakefront addresses is what keeps Burnet County communities like this one on the radar for buyers priced out of the primary resort markets. Buyers comparing options in this part of the county also look closely at Granite Shoals, the nearest incorporated city, which sits directly on Lake LBJ and offers its own active residential market. For a broader view of the region, browsing Austin area homes for sale puts Forest Hills in context alongside the full range of Central Texas communities.
New construction activity in Forest Hills is limited, with individual builders working infill lots rather than large-scale development. That keeps the community from feeling like a subdivision under construction while still giving buyers the option to build new on available land. Buyers interested in this path should account for well and septic requirements common to rural Burnet County lots, as municipal water and sewer service does not reach all areas within the subdivision.
Life Along the Highland Lakes
The Highland Lakes are the defining feature of life in this part of Texas, and Forest Hills sits close enough to Lake LBJ to make water recreation a regular part of the routine for residents who want it. Lake LBJ is a constant-level lake, meaning its water line does not fluctuate with rainfall and drought the way some Hill Country lakes do, which makes it one of the most reliable lakes in the chain for boating, swimming, and waterfront property ownership. Neighboring Granite Shoals has public lake access points and a small commercial strip that caters to lake visitors.
Marble Falls anchors the day-to-day life of residents across this part of Burnet County. The town has a genuine downtown along the Colorado River with local restaurants, a weekend farmers market, and the kind of community events that keep small Texas towns feeling alive rather than just functional. Johnson Park sits along the river and offers a popular spot for outdoor recreation within town limits. Beyond Marble Falls, Inks Lake State Park and Longhorn Cavern State Park are both within a short drive and offer hiking, paddling, and some of the most scenic Hill Country terrain in Central Texas.
The Hill Country calendar brings its own rhythm: bluebonnets and paintbrush in March and April draw visitors from across the state, summer brings peak lake traffic, and fall and winter offer quieter stretches that many residents consider the best time of year to enjoy the land. Buyers who are drawn to a seasonal pace of life tend to settle in well here.
Getting Around Forest Hills
Forest Hills is approximately 50 to 60 miles northwest of downtown Austin, which places it roughly an hour out under normal traffic conditions. The two most common routes into the city run south on US-281 through Marble Falls and Burnet toward the US-183 corridor, or east on Ranch Road 1431 from Marble Falls through Cedar Park to Loop 1 (MoPac). The RR 1431 route can experience heavy congestion through Cedar Park and Leander during peak hours, so buyers who commute regularly often time their trips to avoid those windows.
Burnet County has no public transit, and the rural road network means a personal vehicle is a requirement for daily life. Most buyers who choose Forest Hills are doing so with full awareness of the tradeoff between city proximity and the sense of space the Hill Country provides. Neuhaus Realty Group works regularly with buyers making the move from Austin to the Hill Country and can help you think through which communities in Burnet County best match your commute tolerance and lifestyle priorities.
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