Austin, Texas
Austin is a Texas city whose current Census footprint includes Bastrop County, Hays County, Travis County, and Williamson County. Start with the quick read below for what gives Austin its character, then the practical property-tax, insurance, district, and local-record checks worth making before you rely on a monthly estimate.
Place essentials
Official Census snapshot- Census place type
- City
- July 2025 population
- 1,002,632
- Change from 2020 base
- +4.6%
- Land area
- 325 sq. mi.
- County footprint
- Bastrop County, Hays County, Travis County, and Williamson County
Place type, county footprint, and land area use the Census Bureau's January 1, 2025 geography. Population uses Vintage 2025 estimates through July 1, 2025; change compares that estimate with the April 1, 2020 estimates base. Geography file | Population file
Official routes
Use the office for the parcel address; a mailing city is not always the governing city.
- Travis Central Appraisal District
- Travis County Tax Office
- City of Austin Development Services
- Texas Comptroller: Bastrop County appraisal and tax offices
- Texas Comptroller: Hays County appraisal and tax offices
- Texas Comptroller: Travis County appraisal and tax offices
- Texas Comptroller: Williamson County appraisal and tax offices
Local checks
- Travis CAD account
- City-limit status
- School district
- Floodplain
- STR rules
What buyers should know
Confirm whether the address falls inside Austin city limits or only carries an Austin mailing address — city-limit status determines which code, tree-removal, impervious-cover, short-term-rental, and wildfire-interface rules apply to the specific lot.
Check the floodplain status carefully: FEMA ranks Travis County among the top 10 percent of flood-damage-prone communities in the country, and flooding along area creeks has caused repeated loss — look at both the FEMA map and Austin's own local floodplain data for the parcel.
If the property sits in a MUD, PID, or other special district common in Austin's outer growth areas, review the full tax and assessment history before relying on a monthly escrow estimate.
County context
What to know around Austin
County lines carry much of the property, land, water, and outdoors context around Austin.
History
The Man Behind the Name: Baron de Bastrop
Bastrop County is named for Felipe Enrique Neri, a Dutch man who called himself Baron de Bastrop and helped Stephen F. Austin secure land grants from Mexico.
Property tax
Homestead Exemption Cuts Your School Tax Bill
If you own and live in your home in Bastrop County, you can apply for a homestead exemption that removes $140,000 from your school district taxable value.
County Founding
Hays County began with a borrowed courtroom
The new county took John Coffee Hays's name in 1848, then held court in a log church-schoolhouse while San Marcos took shape.
Nearby places
Other local pages to compare
Nearby counties
Local notes for nearby counties
Next steps for Austin
Compare nearby places
Put Census population, land area, county footprints, and official office routes side by side.
Open comparison ->Estimate property tax
Use the official local rates and appraisal value for this parcel.
Open estimator ->Build a buyer timeline
Track homestead, appraisal notice, protest, and tax-bill dates.
Build timeline ->Read insurance guide
Check flood, windstorm, roof, deductibles, and coverage questions.
Read guide ->