First-Time Buyer Neighborhoods by City
Best Neighborhoods for First-Time Home Buyers in Round Rock
Updated October 31, 2026
Reviewed by:
Head of Growth at TurboHome
Agent, Texas · Texas Realtor® License #674075
Chandler Creek, Mayfield Ranch and Teravista are the best neighborhoods for first-time home buyers in Round Rock right now, based on 458 Round Rock home sales that closed between November 1, 2025 and October 30, 2026. We scored 6 Round Rock neighborhoods on median price, how often homes sell above asking, days on market and sales volume. Chandler Creek leads with a median sale price of $327,500 against a citywide median of $399,250, 83.3% of sales closing below the original list price and a median 67 days on market. Citywide, 10.9% of Round Rock homes sold above asking and the median home went pending in 57 days.
TurboHome Market Analysis · Round Rock, Texas · Sales closed from November 1, 2025 to October 30, 2026
Key findings
- Chandler Creek ranks first for Round Rock first-time buyers with a score of 67.0 out of 100: a $327,500 median sale price (18% below the citywide $399,250), 11.1% of sales closing above asking and a median 67 days on market.
- The most negotiable neighborhood on the list is Paloma Lake, where 0% of sales closed above asking and 93.8% closed below their original list price, versus 10.9% and 87.3% citywide.
- The lowest entry price is in Chandler Creek: a quarter of homes there sold for $280,750 or less (median $327,500, typically 3 bedrooms and 1,846 square feet).
- Forest Creek had the most sales of any neighborhood in the top 6 (21 closings), so it offers the most chances to buy; Chandler Creek gave buyers the most time, with homes sitting a median 67 days before going under contract.
- Citywide, the Round Rock median sale price was $399,250 and homes went pending in a median 57 days; our feed has too few prior-year Round Rock sales to report a year-over-year change.
The 6 best neighborhoods for first-time buyers in Round Rock, ranked
Scores run from 0 to 100 and are relative to the 6 Round Rock neighborhoods with at least 12 sales in the past 12 months. A higher score means a lower price, fewer bidding wars, more time to decide and more homes to choose from.
| Rank | Neighborhood | First-time buyer score | Median sale price | Entry price (25th pct) | Sold above asking | Closed below original list | Median days on market | Sales (12 mo) | Condo and townhome share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chandler Creek | 67.0 | $327,500 | $280,750 | 11.1% | 83.3% | 67 | 18 | 11% |
| 2 | Mayfield Ranch | 63.0 | $530,000 | $432,000 | 6.7% | 93.3% | 66 | 15 | 0% |
| 3 | Teravista | 60.0 | $550,000 | $422,500 | 0% | 89.5% | 29 | 19 | 0% |
| 4 | Forest Creek | 42.0 | $565,000 | $450,000 | 9.5% | 90.5% | 62 | 21 | 0% |
| 5 | Paloma Lake | 39.0 | $566,750 | $449,375 | 0% | 93.8% | 61.5 | 16 | 0% |
| 6 | Stone Canyon | 34.0 | $539,950 | $487,500 | 8.3% | 83.3% | 20 | 12 | 0% |
Where Round Rock first-time buyers have the most negotiating room
Nationally, 20.8% of active listings took a price cut in September 2026, the highest September share Realtor.com has recorded. In Round Rock, 87.3% of homes that sold in the past year closed below their original list price and 10.9% closed above asking. These five neighborhoods from the ranking gave buyers the most room:
| Neighborhood | Sold above asking | Closed below original list | Median sale-to-list ratio | Median days on market |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paloma Lake | 0% | 93.8% | 98.2% | 61.5 |
| Teravista | 0% | 89.5% | 98.3% | 29 |
| Mayfield Ranch | 6.7% | 93.3% | 97.8% | 66 |
| Stone Canyon | 8.3% | 83.3% | 98% | 20 |
| Forest Creek | 9.5% | 90.5% | 97.6% | 62 |
A sale-to-list ratio under 100% means the typical home closed below its final asking price. In Paloma Lake, the median buyer paid 98.2% of the last list price, and 93.8% of buyers paid less than the price the home was first listed at. These are the neighborhoods where asking for closing cost credits, a rate buydown or repairs is realistic.
Lowest entry prices in Round Rock
The entry price is the 25th percentile sale price: one in four homes in the neighborhood sold for this amount or less. It is a better guide to what a first-time buyer can actually get than the median.
| Neighborhood | Entry price (25th pct) | Median sale price | Median bedrooms | Median square feet | Median price per sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chandler Creek | $280,750 | $327,500 | 3 | 1,846 | $177 |
| Teravista | $422,500 | $550,000 | 4 | 2,818 | $188 |
| Mayfield Ranch | $432,000 | $530,000 | 3 | 2,480 | $225 |
| Paloma Lake | $449,375 | $566,750 | 4 | 3,002 | $191 |
| Forest Creek | $450,000 | $565,000 | 4 | 3,155 | $180 |
What a starter home costs per month in Round Rock
At the Freddie Mac average 30-year fixed rate of 7.24% (week of October 29, 2026) with 10% down, here is the estimated principal and interest payment on the median home in the three top-ranked Round Rock neighborhoods. Property taxes, insurance, mortgage insurance and any HOA dues come on top.
| Neighborhood | Median sale price | 10% down payment | Loan amount | Est. monthly principal and interest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chandler Creek | $327,500 | $32,750 | $294,750 | $2,009 |
| Mayfield Ranch | $530,000 | $53,000 | $477,000 | $3,251 |
| Teravista | $550,000 | $55,000 | $495,000 | $3,373 |
| Citywide median | $399,250 | $39,925 | $359,325 | $2,449 |
Buying the median home in Chandler Creek instead of the median Round Rock home saves about $440 a month in principal and interest and $7,175 on a 10% down payment. FHA buyers putting 3.5% down would need $11,463 for the down payment on the median home in Chandler Creek.
Local notes for Round Rock first-time buyers
Round Rock is the smallest sample in this ranking, with 458 sales and 6 neighborhoods that cleared our 12-sale minimum, so treat the scores as directional. Chandler Creek on the east side of town near Old Settlers Park is the only neighborhood with a median under $400,000 ($327,500) and a $280,750 entry price. Mayfield Ranch, Teravista, Forest Creek, Paloma Lake and Stone Canyon are all 4-bedroom master-planned communities between $530,000 and $567,000, well above the $399,250 citywide median, and 83% to 94% of their sales closed below original list. Teravista and Paloma Lake had zero sales above asking. Round Rock homes took a median 57 days to sell, the longest of any city we track, and 87% of all sales closed below original list, so buyers have time to inspect, negotiate and ask for rate buydowns. The Dell campus and the Kalahari resort area anchor jobs on the north side; most first-time buyers commute south on I-35 or MoPac.
Texas first-time buyer programs
Two statewide programs cover most Texas first-time buyers. The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs runs My First Texas Home, a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage with down payment and closing cost assistance of up to 5% of the loan amount as a zero-interest deferred second lien. The Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation runs Home Sweet Texas (for buyers under county income limits) and Homes for Texas Heroes (teachers, first responders, veterans and other public servants), each with up to 5% assistance as a grant or a forgivable second lien. Both require a 620 or higher credit score and a homebuyer education course. See tdhca.texas.gov and tsahc.org for current income and purchase price limits. Because Texas has no state income tax, property tax rates are high; budget 1.8% to 2.5% of the purchase price per year depending on the county, school district and any MUD or PID assessments.
Methodology
TurboHome analyzed 458 Round Rock, Texas home sales recorded in the MLS with a close date between November 1, 2025 and October 30, 2026 and a sale price between $50,000 and $20 million. Single family homes, condominiums, townhouses, stock cooperatives and tenancy-in-common units are included; land, mobile and manufactured homes, multifamily and timeshares are excluded. Sales were grouped by the MLS neighborhood field at the standard level, and 6 Round Rock neighborhoods with at least 12 closings qualified for scoring. The first-time buyer score weights four factors: median sale price (40%, lower is better), share of sales closing above the final list price (25%, lower is better), median days on market (15%, longer is better because it gives buyers time for inspections and negotiation) and number of sales (20%, more is better because it means more chances to buy). Each factor is converted to a percentile rank within the city and combined into a 0 to 100 score; the table shows the top 6. Entry price is the 25th percentile sale price. Closed below original list compares the sale price with the first list price, so it captures both price cuts and negotiated discounts. Monthly payment estimates use the Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey 30-year fixed average of 7.24% for the week of October 29, 2026 (freddiemac.com/pmms), a 10% down payment and principal and interest only. The national price-cut benchmark is from the Realtor.com September 2026 Monthly Housing Trends Report, which found 20.8% of active listings had a price reduction, the highest September share on record (RISMedia summary). Neighborhood boundaries follow the MLS, not city planning maps, so some names differ from local usage. Age-restricted communities are included in the data and flagged in the text. Prior-year comparisons use the same method for November 1, 2024 to October 31, 2025; Round Rock has too few prior-year sales in our feed to publish a year-over-year change.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best neighborhoods for first-time home buyers in Round Rock?
Based on 458 sales that closed between November 1, 2025 and October 30, 2026, the top three Round Rock neighborhoods for first-time buyers are Chandler Creek (median $327,500), Mayfield Ranch ($530,000) and Teravista ($550,000). Each combines a below-city-median price with a lower share of sales closing above asking and enough sales volume to give buyers real choice.
What is the cheapest neighborhood to buy a home in Round Rock?
Among the 6 ranked neighborhoods, Chandler Creek had both the lowest median sale price, $327,500, and the lowest entry price, with a quarter of homes selling for $280,750 or less. The citywide Round Rock median was $399,250.
Where in Round Rock do homes sell below asking price?
Paloma Lake had the lowest share of sales closing above asking (0%) and 93.8% of its sales closed below the original list price, with a median 61.5 days on market. Citywide, 87.3% of Round Rock sales closed below original list.
How much do I need for a down payment on a starter home in Round Rock?
On the median home in Chandler Creek at $327,500, a 3.5% FHA down payment is $11,463, 5% is $16,375 and 10% is $32,750. Texas buyers who meet income limits can cover part of that through TDHCA's My First Texas Home and TSAHC's Home Sweet Texas programs. Plan on another 2% to 3% of the price for closing costs.
Is now a good time for a first-time buyer in Round Rock?
Mortgage rates averaged 7.24% in late October 2026, so payments are high, but buyers have more leverage than in recent years: 87.3% of Round Rock homes sold below their original list price in the past 12 months and the median home took 57 days to go pending. In Chandler Creek, homes sat a median 67 days and 83.3% closed below original list, which gives a first-time buyer time to inspect and negotiate.
Related TurboHome guides
- Best first-time buyer neighborhoods in every TurboHome market
- HOA fees in Round Rock
- How long it takes to close on a house in Round Rock
- TurboHome buyer rebate in Texas
Buy your first home in Round Rock with a flat-fee agent
About the Author
Vinura Abeysundara
Vinura Abeysundara is a real estate and growth professional with experience scaling homebuying platforms across Canada and the United States. Formerly Head of Growth at Zown, he now works with TurboHome and writes about homebuyer savings, flat-fee real estate, commissions, and technology in real estate.
View Vinura on LinkedInAbout Jake Shuler
Agent, Texas
Jake Shuler is a Texas REALTOR® with more than 10 years of real estate experience and over 200 successful transactions. As an agent at TurboHome, he helps buyers navigate the Texas housing market and writes about homebuying, negotiations, local market trends, and ways buyers can save throughout the process.
View Jake's profile