‘Honest’ pros and cons of life in the Texas Hill Country

Is the natural beauty of the Texas Hill Country all it’s cracked up to be? One luxury real estate group based out of Lakeway, Texas, just 20 miles west of Austin, explores the question. 

Ivy Residential Group, an upscale real estate agency with several multi-million dollar Texas Hill Country properties in its portfolio, recently released a list of all the “honest” pros and cons of living in the Texas Hill Country, and they get real. 

In an article on their blog, by real estate agent Megan Kirkpatrick, they posed the question to their readers — prospective home buyers, many of whom are California transplants and retirees — asking if they were really ready to embrace life in the Texas Hill Country, with all of its historic charm and some of the less quaint aspects of life in the rugged rolling hills of Texas.

“They’re things I honestly feel people are looking for when considering a move,” Kirpatrick told MySA. Since authoring it, she’s received a number of inquiries from people considering a move to the Hill Country.

Gathered from feedback discovered while out selling houses and her own experience in Texas, here is a breakdown of her advice. 

Here are the cons:

Though often hailed as a hamlet for retirees, plenty of working-class folks and young families are still living in the Texas Hill Country. One setback they might find is that work will most likely take them outside of their city of residence. Maybe that’s not a problem for those who love a commute, but the limited employment opportunities are bound to put a snag in the plans of anyone looking to network or find a way into a new career path.  

The luxury real estate firm lists risks of flash floods, wildfires, droughts and dry, hot summers as a “con.” Though not always extreme, in the summers, you can expect to see “periodic” thunderstorms and flooding, especially when living along any number of the region’s waterways. 

A lot of people move to the Texas Hill Country for its “peaceful and picturesque” environment, but when tourists come into town to enjoy seasonal events, shopping, or festivals like Oktoberfest, you can expect more crowds, more traffic, and increased prices for services across the board, according to the real estate group’s list.

Here are the pros:

The real estate firm broke down the obvious allure of the Texas Hill country, including its “gentle hillscapes, clear rivers, and breathtaking landscapes,” noting that recent estimates show as much as 5% of the Hill Country’s natural spaces have been permanently dedicated to conservation causes, protecting the region’s beauty. Of course, the leads to plenty of outdoor recreational opportunities, another pro the firm pointed out.

While median home prices in some cities are growing, compared to life in the major metros like Austin and San Antonio, you can get a lot more bang for your buck in the Hill Country, according to the real estate firm. From housing prices to utilities, and other costs, expenses tend to be on the lower end of the spectrum. 

The Hill Country has many quaint towns with beautiful Main Streets and access to scenic escapes. The real estate group says the region offers a “glimpse into the past, that you can’t find in bigger cities, adding a rich sense of character to daily life.” Cities like Boerne, located just outside San Antonio, have even been ranked among the most desirable suburbs in the nation for this exact reason. 

Meanwhile, growing tourist towns like Fredericksburg are recognized for their exciting wine trails, vineyards and restaurant scene.