Up and Coming Neighborhoods
Up and Coming Neighborhoods in Austin: Where Prices Rose Fastest in the Last 12 Months
Updated November 5, 2026
Reviewed by:
Head of Growth at TurboHome
Agent, Texas · Texas Realtor® License #674075
The fastest-rising neighborhood in Austin over the last 12 months was Cat Mountain, where the median asking price per square foot rose 26.1% to $496, against a citywide change of -5.3%. Balcones Village (+12.2%) and Travis Heights / South River City (+9.5%) were next. Austin is measured differently from the other cities in this series. Our MLS feed has closed sales for Austin only from mid 2026, so this page uses list prices. We ranked every Austin neighborhood with at least 25 listings in each window by the change in median asking price per square foot for homes listed November 2025 through October 2026 versus homes listed November 2024 through October 2025, then checked the share of listings with a price cut. 1 of the top 10 still has a median asking price below the citywide median asking price of $590,000.
TurboHome Market Analysis · Austin, TX · Asking prices, homes listed Nov 2025 to Oct 2026 vs a year earlier · Published November 2026
Key findings
- Top three: Cat Mountain (+26.1%, to $496 per square foot asking), Balcones Village (+12.2%) and Travis Heights / South River City (+9.5%).
- Citywide context: Austin's median asking price per square foot fell 5.3%, from $377 a year earlier to $357, and the share of listings with a price cut went from 60% to 51%.
- Still below the citywide median asking price: Forest North Estates ($474,900, -20%) is listed below the $590,000 citywide median asking price.
- Biggest drop in price cuts: Grandview Hills, where the share of listings with a price cut fell from 73% to 42%.
- Fewest price cuts: Jester, where 28% of listings had a price cut (56% a year earlier), the lowest in the table.
- Caution: These are asking prices, not sale prices. Our MLS feed has closed sales for Austin only from mid 2026, so the ranking compares what sellers asked, not what buyers paid.
Austin's 10 fastest-rising neighborhoods
Neighborhoods with at least 25 listings in our feed in both windows, ranked by the change in median asking price per square foot from homes listed November 2024 through October 2025 to homes listed November 2025 through October 2026. 112 Austin neighborhoods qualified. All prices on this page are asking prices, not sale prices.
| Neighborhood | Listings | Median asking price per sq ft, listed Nov 2025 to Oct 2026 | Asking price per sq ft a year earlier | Change in asking price per sq ft | Median asking price | Vs citywide median asking price | Share of listings with a price cut, now (year earlier) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cat Mountain | 34 | $496 | $393 | +26.1% | $1,699,500 | +188% | 41% (68%) |
| Balcones Village | 37 | $362 | $322 | +12.2% | $999,990 | +69% | 46% (69%) |
| Travis Heights / South River City | 284 | $666 | $608 | +9.5% | $933,000 | +58% | 45% (57%) |
| Grandview Hills | 50 | $242 | $223 | +8.5% | $659,250 | +12% | 42% (73%) |
| Lake Hills | 127 | $456 | $422 | +8.0% | $1,149,000 | +95% | 42% (58%) |
| Jester | 36 | $367 | $343 | +6.9% | $1,023,900 | +74% | 28% (56%) |
| Rollingwood | 58 | $912 | $855 | +6.6% | $3,350,000 | +468% | 34% (53%) |
| Old West Austin | 294 | $770 | $725 | +6.2% | $1,424,450 | +141% | 42% (57%) |
| Brentwood | 237 | $485 | $460 | +5.3% | $735,000 | +25% | 45% (56%) |
| Forest North Estates | 53 | $265 | $252 | +5.1% | $474,900 | -20% | 42% (53%) |
The table ranks by asking price per square foot rather than median asking price because price per square foot is less sensitive to which homes happened to be listed: a year with more large houses on the market can push the median asking price up even when sellers in the neighborhood are not asking more. The share of listings with a price cut shows whether those asking prices are holding. When asking prices rise and fewer listings get cut, sellers are finding buyers at their numbers; when cuts stay common, the higher asking price may not survive contact with buyers.
Citywide context: how Austin as a whole moved
| Metric | Listed Nov 2025 to Oct 2026 | A year earlier |
|---|---|---|
| Listings analyzed | 18,739 | 12,126 |
| Median asking price per sq ft | $357 (-5.3%) | $377 |
| Median asking price | $590,000 | $615,000 |
| Share of listings with a price cut | 51% | 60% |
The top neighborhoods are moving against the market: Austin's median asking price per square foot fell 5.3% to $357, yet sellers in all 10 neighborhoods in the table are asking more. Citywide, the share of listings with a price cut went from 60% to 51%. We analyzed 18,739 listings from the latest window and 12,126 from a year earlier; part of that difference reflects our feed's coverage, so it is not a measure of how many more homes came up for sale.
Rising and still below the citywide median
| Neighborhood | Median asking price | Vs citywide median asking price | Change in asking price per sq ft | Share of listings with a price cut |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forest North Estates | $474,900 | -20% | +5.1% | 42% |
At a $474,900 median asking price, 20% below the citywide median asking price, Forest North Estates is the one entry point in the top 10, and sellers there asked 5.1% more per square foot while the city's asking prices fell 5.3%. 42% of its listings had a price cut, down from 53% a year earlier, so a buyer still has room to negotiate on many of them.
What is driving each neighborhood (local commentary)
Austin is the one city where the data is listing-side: our feed has closed sales for Austin only from mid 2026, so this page ranks neighborhoods by the change in median asking price per square foot for homes listed November 2025 through October 2026 versus the prior twelve months. Citywide, asking prices fell 5.3% per square foot to $357 and the share of listings with a price cut dropped from 60% to 51%, so a neighborhood where sellers are asking more is moving against the market. The Northwest Hills corridor leads: Cat Mountain (up 26.1% to $496 per square foot, 34 listings), Balcones Village, Jester and Lake Hills all gained 6.9% to 26.1%, and Jester's price-cut share halved from 56% to 28%, the lowest in the table. Closer in, Travis Heights / South River City (284 listings, up 9.5% to $666 per square foot, price cuts down from 57% to 45% of listings) and Brentwood ($735,000 median, up 5.3%) are the volume stories, and Forest North Estates at $474,900 is the only top 10 entry below the citywide median asking price. Asking prices are what sellers hope for, not what buyers paid, so pair this page with the Austin how-much-over-asking page before deciding what to offer.
How to use this list if you are buying in Austin
- Treat asking price growth as a screen, not a verdict. Visit the top three, Cat Mountain, Balcones Village and Travis Heights / South River City, and judge the streets, the homes and the commute for yourself.
- Check whether price cuts fell along with the rise in asking prices. Higher asking prices with frequent price cuts usually mean sellers are reaching, not that buyers are paying more. In this table every neighborhood cut prices on a smaller share of listings than a year earlier.
- Compare the neighborhood's median asking price with the citywide median. The citywide median asking price in Austin was $590,000; a negative figure in the "vs citywide median asking price" column means the neighborhood is still an entry point.
- Pull recent closed sales on the specific streets you like before offering. Asking prices are what sellers hope for, not what buyers paid, and the sales on your street are the comps the seller's agent will use.
- Use the price-cut column to judge how much room you have to negotiate. Every neighborhood in this table cut prices less often than the 51% citywide share, so expect less room to negotiate there than elsewhere in Austin. Where cuts are common, an offer under asking is more likely to be heard.
Methodology
We looked at listings of single family homes, condos and townhouses in Austin from our MLS feed. Our MLS feed has closed sales for Austin only from mid 2026, so this page uses list prices. Each neighborhood's figure is the median asking price per square foot of homes listed November 2025 through October 2026 versus homes listed November 2024 through October 2025. Asking price per square foot is the list price divided by living area; figures are medians. "Share with a price cut" is the share of those listings whose price was reduced at least once. Days on market is not shown. Neighborhoods need at least 25 listings in each window to be ranked (112 Austin neighborhoods qualified); neighborhoods with fewer listings are excluded, so some well-known areas do not appear. We analyzed 18,739 listings from the latest window and 12,126 from a year earlier; part of that difference reflects our feed's coverage, so it is not a measure of how many more homes came up for sale. Published November 2026.
FAQ
What are the up and coming neighborhoods in Austin?
Ranked by the change in median asking price per square foot over the last 12 months, the up and coming neighborhoods in Austin are Cat Mountain (+26.1%, to $496), Balcones Village (+12.2%, to $362) and Travis Heights / South River City (+9.5%, to $666), against a citywide change of -5.3% in asking price per square foot.
Which Austin neighborhoods are still affordable but rising?
Forest North Estates (median asking price $474,900, -20% vs the citywide median asking price, asking price per square foot +5.1%) is the only entry in the top 10 listed below the $590,000 citywide median asking price.
Is Austin as a whole getting more expensive?
Not by asking prices. Austin's median asking price per square foot fell 5.3%, from $377 to $357, and the median asking price went from $615,000 to $590,000. The share of listings with a price cut went from 60% to 51%. These are asking prices; our feed does not yet have a full year of Austin closed sales.
Which Austin neighborhood is the most competitive right now?
By the share of listings with a price cut, Jester: only 28% of its listings had a price cut, down from 56% a year earlier and the lowest in the top 10. This page does not show days on market or the share sold above asking for Austin, because those need closed sales.
How did you rank the neighborhoods?
Our MLS feed has closed sales for Austin only from mid 2026, so this page uses list prices. We ranked every Austin neighborhood with at least 25 listings in each window by the change in median asking price per square foot for homes listed November 2025 through October 2026 versus homes listed November 2024 through October 2025, and checked the share of listings with a price cut instead of days on market or the share sold above asking.
Related guides
- Up and coming neighborhoods, by city
- Greater Austin home buying guides
- Best Austin neighborhoods for first-time buyers
- How much over asking to offer in Austin
- HOA fees in Austin
- Down payment on a house in Austin
- Best time to buy a house in Austin
- New construction vs resale homes in Austin
- How long it takes to close in Austin
- Income needed to buy a home in Austin
- Texas home buying guides
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